Goodbye 2014 - Hello 2015 / Last book review 2014

Last Book Review for 2014:

Thought to have a book review as my last blog entry for 2014. I'd already read the second book of the "Hunger Games" trilogy in September called "Catching Fire" that my eldest had received as a gift and watched both movies with her after a lot of pressure from school classmates for having not watched it. My initial hesitancy was over the notion of 'kids killing kids' and what that teaches our children.

So decided to watch it with her to discuss some of the concepts of the movie. And indeed it had a classic 'love story' plot (with two possible beaus), a quest to stay alive in the 'Hunger Games', a hero/heroine with certain talents, underdogs in a society who begin to question the norms and values of those ruling over the underclass with themes of power/oppression and a certain 'uprising' rebellion brewing.

It reminded me of the many times and places now and in history where such ideas have killed thousands - millions of people over time. It was a well crafted book, thoughtfully written about a ruling class society who saw the killing of children as an acceptable sport. She included in her Q and A section that her father, a military specialist, had influenced her ideas as he had explained to her the background of Vietnam.

My parting entry for 2014, is to encourage us as caring adults to be watchful over our children and to be advocates for their hearts and minds. I've observed how our society has developed and is more complicated technologically but our universal values have pretty much stayed the same which is way such movies ring true for many. The first part of the third movie is already out showing at movie theatres.

Wishing you and your family a very Happy and prosperous New Year for 2015... Happy New Year!