Damn. The first 75% of this felt like a story we've read a couple times before, and at times, I was more curious than wholly invested, and then the final 25% was like being repeatedly punched in the gut, and the reason for this prequel finally made perfect sense. Collins makes very clear the personal risks those who resist authoritarians take, the nature (and remarkable ease) of deploying propaganda and how easily we misunderstand the sacrifices of those who fought the system before us. The epilogue felt almost too on the nose for me, personally, but ultimately, this conclusion felt meaningful in its addition to the canon, and while I've seen others complain that the cameos felt like fan service, I truly felt like the cameos finally made Catching Fire make SENSE (IYKYK). Also, this installment is even more deeply rooted in Appalachia, and I loved seeing some of our original trilogy lore interwoven in Haymitch's backstory.