The entire Hunger Games trilogy is a descent into PTSD. Thus, the first half of the second book is a representation of how Katniss feels when she’s no longer being stimulated by the arena. Her mind’s been blown out just like, literally, her ear was blown out. So, the third book takes that to its logical conclusion. The same amount of “action” takes place, but there’s a LOT of dead time in the narration, and a LOT of stuff happens without Katniss and she only learns of it in retelling, because she feels lost, disoriented, and unable to fully comprehend everything that’s going on. The author’s choice of ending is remarkably brave in that way. I felt disappointed that it seemed to go out with a whimper, but that’s just a reflection of what happened to Katniss. She’s a shell of her former vibrant self — forever. And nothing can fix it. Not Gale. Not Peeta. Not children. Nothing.
I’m not sure the movies are headed that direction, but the trailer for “Catching Fire” seems to show that the series’s makers may have the guts to follow through on the books’ most difficult twists.
(Note: I originally posted a variation of this in a comment on McCovey Chronicles.)