Why Mockingjay is A Book on Fire.

Choices. Collins had several choices. And quite refreshingly for me, she made, for the most part, excellent choices.

First though, let me share briefly my thoughts on the first couple of books. The first one, I thought was great, but also slow-developing. It did not captivate much until I was halfway through. Admittedly, I was also annoyed by the initial love triangle; though after reading the series as a whole, I can accept the move a little more. The second book was also a fun read. It moved a bit faster for me, though, the abrupt ending left me a bit unsatisfied. Overall, I thought the idea of mixing reality TV with death games was a brilliant idea that criticizes how tv, video games, and movies have numbed our sensitivities. I enjoyed them greatly, though I felt they both fell a bit short of spectacular.

Mockingjay, however, was spectacular- largely, in part, due to spectacular choices.

Brilliant Choice #1: Not making Katniss some Xena-like war hero.

Sometimes a brilliant choice can be what the author chooses NOT to do. I loved that Katniss's overall role in the war becomes less important. She was merely being used as a symbol for the war. She could never be the actual war hero. Besides, Coin, wouldn't have liked that anyway- someone to be thought more highly of than her. I thought it was fine that Katniss could beat other tributes in the Games. But in war, she has much less control. She has much less power. This is the reality of war. Even great soldiers can die. Great soldiers fail in missions. Katniss, though a great soldier, didn't accomplish her devise to assassinate Snow. The war was bigger than her, and I'm glad the author didn't get carried away and let Katniss go all Jason Bourne on us. Instead, I felt she delivered us a book that depicted the hells of war in the eyes of a teenager. And in Katniss's last battle, the author made another brilliant choice- Katniss was hit with a bomb, and lit up with fire. She finished her part of the war in perfect, yet morbid ironic fashion: On fire.

I also offer a small rebuttal towards comments about not enough detail. I believe it is totally fair to critique the author for this, but in this case, I would argue that there was plenty. The author stayed consistent and true in writing it from Katniss's perspective. Sure, there are ways insight could have been gained. But, the unwielding frustration of Katniss being a puppet of the rebellion would have been lost if she was allowed to prance around in the war conflict like Batman.

Hence, in doing less, I believe Collins accomplished more. It showed a point of view of a soldier in a war. It's not always the point of view we want to see or the point of view most revelatory. But war seldom gives us the most vivid point of views. Rather, it can be oblique, depressing, and consistently unsatisfying.

Brilliant Choice #2: Death to Coin.

This book would have been a disappointment if Katniss did not kill Coin. Often when a new country conquers, is life really better? Or, is it just different? Whoever wins, they become the good guys, right? Are we okay with that new life, merely, because it favors us better? Just because we got a "change" in a system, that doesn't mean the change didn't come with its own evil designs (the bombing of the children). Katniss deftly recognized this through Snow's convincing (another great choice). Coin represents the undying regime changes in war, and on another level- politics. Even though the grass looks greener, sometimes we fail to see that it wasn't grass we were looking at, but rather a bunch of weeds.

Brilliant Choice #3: The Prim Reaper

This book became awesome with one masterful and daring decision: letting Prim die. This decision would sure tug on the heartstrings of fans. No, Mockingjay was not going to have a Disney-esque ending. And, it shouldn't. This decision showed the reader that you can't control the heartaches of war. Katniss tried to prevent her Sister's death by volunteering, yet despite that, in the end, her sister still died as a final casualty in the war. This was a sad, but beautiful ending that reveals the horrors of war. Sometimes those who deserve it the least, are hurt the most. Prim represents those innocent and helpless victims of war. She represents those that are worth fighting for. The dark irony of Prim dying despite Katniss signing up for the initial hunger games to save her sister presents one of the most touching moments in the book.

Brilliant Choice #4: Plutarch

I love what she did with Plutarch. Period. I think Nathan touched on it well below, but I believe Plutarch represents those in society that know how to create the best situations for themselves. I like Plutarch. He is the salesman, the investor, the producer, the likeable guy. I don't like Plutarch. He is a phony, a narcissist, a self-promoter, the guy who is looking out for only his interests. The dynamic of Plutarch is great because he knows how to play the game. He is the ultimate gamemaker.

Brilliant Choice #5: Using Peeta and Gale as ways to show the horrific effects of war on people.

The psychological damages used on Peeta were great to create that tension and longing for Katniss. It reminded me of the stories you hear when a loved one comes home from war and is never really the same. Also, someone as strong as Peeta can even be broken by the pains of war- I thought this was an important thing to show. How can someone as translucent and optimistic as Peeta be broken? Time in a POW torture camp can take care of that optimism in a hurry. This choice spoke volumes of what that is like. Gale, becoming hateful, spiteful, and vengeful, to the point where his own personal morality had been compromised, is another devastating effect of war.

Brilliant Choice #6: Hope.

Despite the damages war entails, this book demonstrates that there are messages of hope that can still be derived. Every war has messages of courage, messages of charity, and messages of hope. War will certainly stretch people. Often it turns people into brutal human beings. Other times it turns people into unsung heros of hope and love. This is where I believe you can contrast the roles of Gale vs. Finnick. Gale helped devise a bomb that would perpetuate devastating effects. Finnick sacrificed his mentor to save Katniss (book 2), and later stays behind to save Katniss again. Finnick, to me, exemplifies someone who sacrifices it all for the sake of others to his own detriment. Finnick found hope when his wife was saved, and could have stayed behind, but he fought again. Finnick, to me, was the War hero in book 3.

Overall, I also loved the use of media, mixed with war, and how media plays a part in politics and war- and how people are influenced by the propaganda.

So, when people say, "I loved the first two hunger games, but the third was not my favorite," I simply have to stand back, smile, and say to myself:

Not Real.

Mockingjay: From Nathan

A great metaphor for the world we live in
The series obviously was full of metaphors of the effects of war and media but the last book has been the center of debate. It is the debate a wish to address. Every choice the author made was the one that would try Katniss the most. Who wants to read a book where the main character jumps over small hurtles? Turning Peeta against Katniss is the one thing that would hut her the most and help her determine her own feelings for him. That was necessary. As far as Gale is concerned-good riddance. I waited for the day when Katniss would get over a non-existent fantasy. She had no future with Gale but in hunting. Peeta was a man who dealt with the deep things of the heart. Gale lived off of revenge and selfish lust. He didn't seem to really care about what Katniss was going through; only if she would ever "run away" with him. Peeta wanted to save society. Gale wanted to save himself. I hope this bashing on Gale stirs up some disagreement from my readers.

let us not forget the elucid Plutarch. Is that a word? This man lived beneath the veil of optimism and distorted reality. Underneath he was a mad scientist. A gamer in the truest sense. Megan asked me what a gamer in the truest sense means. I don't know. Anyway. I really think he is what his career was. A gamemaker. I think he understood the true hunger games and let them play out just as he would have as a gamemaker. Never really looking at the horror of it as he would have had to do designing the games. Thus he views the world with a sense of false optimism dening reality but understood the science behind it all. He remains in some respects a mystery. Was he part of coin's plan as P. Snow pointed to or did he just let the games play themselves out and revel watching how it would all turn out? Your guess is as good as mine and we will never fully understand him, but one thing is for sure. Don't go on a date with him. Oh, who launched the bombs on the kids. Obviously Coin but was plutarch aware of this sick choice. wouldn't be surprised.

I admit that i got emotional with Finnick dying. I kept waiting for it to happen and when it did I felt the blow.

Wasn't surprised that katniss killed Coin. Not at all

I thought the end was good.

Did you see our halloween costumes?

huduhduhduhduh Christmas Hug!

Mockingjay thoughts

So...I'm ready to hear thoughts on Mockingjay! We read this for my neighborhood bookclub as September's book and there were lots of mixed feelings from those book club members. And I've heard there were mixed feelings in the family?

After immediately finishing the book, I was mad and disappointed with a lot. But after talking with Nathan about it, and digesting it like Janae said, I liked it more and more.

My initial feelings were mostly because I wanted the author to delve into other parts of the story, parts of the story I was interested in, but she went in other directions. As a reader I wanted to know more about the evil masterminds behind everything. In the end Coin was a "bad guy" and I wanted to know more about her. Why she wanted to take over, what her plan was, what's going on in her head. I feel like you don't get to know that character very much. Pres. Snow is a main character in all 3 books but he is so distant, you barely see or hear from him. Again, as a reader I wanted to know more about how he became the man he was, why did he do the things he did, etc. You have that one conversation with him and Katniss in the rose garden but that's it. One major part of the story that you don't even get to hear about is what happens while Katniss is recovering from the bomb that also kills Prim towards the end of the story. She is in the hospital, in a coma I think. When she wakes up everything in the government is re-organized and there's a new leader. You never hear how that happened. I've heard some say that was a cop-out for the author, but I'm not sure where I stand on that. Even though I always want to know every detail, I realize you can't explain everything, and some things are better left unsaid.

Having said all that: I recognize the major and obvious reason why the author didn't focus on these things: everything's from Katniss's perspective, thus the book's title Mockingjay.

I like how she showed that drug use is a way some people deal with pain and violence in their lives, I thought she did a good job exploring that and other emotions that the characters go through as they try to handle what has happened to them.

I thought she did a good job of showing Katniss and Gale gradually growing apart. We had a huge discussion at my bookclub whether Gale grew more hardened in this book, or if he was just making certain choices because they were in war. (example: blowing up The Nut. Was he just being a smart soldier or was too ruthless?) I saw both sides but in the end I think his heart did harden, and that was a major reason why in the end she chose Peeta. He balances her out, she is a little hard herself, and she needs Peeta's soft side.

I am totally TEAM PEETA! I'm happy that they ended up together. Gale wouldn't have ever understood a crucial part of her since he didn't experience the games.

Last thing-was Plutarch a funny, lovable, product of the capital culture? Or was a creepo? Nathan and I kept expecting he was up to something, in on the evil plans, but then in the end he was kept in the new goverment and you never know....was he good or bad?

Feel free to disagree with everything I've said :)

New Book Announcement!

Well I have finally chosen our next book. It is one that I have always wanted to read so if you have already read you have a head start.

I really enjoyed The Alchemist. It was a deep thinker and easy to apply to my life. I need to find my personal legend. I initially had mixed feelings with the Mockingjay, but after digesting it for awhile I am pleased with how it ended.

I hope Ender's Game will be a fun read too. Enjoy.

really? beyond overdue

ok I know it's been forever- but I've decided to get back on the blog bandwagon. I am going to start posting again!!!! I have recently read a book called the Alchemist. I think its one of the best short reads out there. It expanded my mind and challenged my aspirations. Even though I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up I feel as if I have been given once again permission to dream!

In Response

That being said, when we seek after our dreams, or our own "Personal Legends," even if things don't end up how we expect, we still learn. We still grow. We still gain wisdom. There is comfort in seeking a dream, because sometimes your reality becomes better than any concocted fantasy or dream...Reality will often be different than our dreams. Even though we may accomplish what we want, our experiences that helped form and shape us to reach that point may not always be what we expect.

I loved this principle as well, and Nathan and I have seen many examples of this.

When the books ends you see how much he gained from his journey: wisdom and spiritual treasures as well as earthly treasures, a women who loves him, and many amazing memories. It's funny to look back and remember his "ultimate dream" from the beginning, he wanted to stay where he was, gain a large flock, and marry that girl from the village. So many times we think we know what we want and we think we are dreaming big, but in reality our experience is so limited that we can't even dream big enough for what God has in store for us.

One personal example is Nathan and I wanted so badly to be hired by CES to teach seminary. We thought it was the ultimate dream to for us to get a job somewhere, buy a house, settle down, and just teach seminary and have a family. We prayed and prayed and when it didn't work out, we cried and our dream was crushed. We thought it was best for us, but God thought differently. Now that we have moved away and followed a more adventurous path, we look back and think how boring our original dream sounds. With seminary they want you to stay in the same place and be content, possibly even retire where you are originally sent. And most likely that would have been a small town in Utah somewhere. With Nathan's new educational goals and the field he is entering, he will have a myriad of options: teaching, counseling, research, starting up his own clinic, anything! And how many more opportunities does that present for me and our family as we travel to new places and do things that we wouldn't think to do. I'm glad that our original ultimate dream didn't work out and I'm glad that God is in charge, not us.

-Megan

Mockingjay

Mockingjay: Book 3 of the Hunger Games Trilogy

Hey family! Glad the book club is alive and kicking. I am pleased to announce what we all already know: Our second book club book will be Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay- from the Hunger Games trilogy. For those that haven't read the first two books, there is plenty of time. All three books are pretty short reads- and you have until the end of October. I am excited for this book and to discuss the series as a whole.

Keep in mind that while this book is being read, feel free to blog, discuss, or ask questions about the Alchemist. Discussion on the Alchemist will go on until the end of October. November we will begin the discussion on the Hunger Games.

The selection for November's book will be decided by Janae. Keep your fingers crossed.

The Mecca of my Mind

"The wise men understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of his wisdom. That's what I mean by action."

-The Alchemist, page 127.

The thing that impressed me greatly about the Alchemist is that Coelho accomplishes writing a modern day fable in a manner that touches the heart and is very relatable. Several principles of Wisdom jumped out at me, making me think about where I am at in my life and what I can accomplish if I am willing to put my mind forward.

One of the interesting paradoxes in the book was when the boy met the merchant, and the merchant brings up that he would rather keep the his dream of traveling to Mecca alive, rather than realize this dream. This caused me to reflect on many of my dreams. Sometimes, I feel like I am the merchant, who wanted to hold onto the dream rather than fulfill it. I will say there is something satisfying in fulfilling dreams, such as when I served a mission, graduated college, wrote my first play, etc. However, sometimes, it's good to have a few dreams that have not yet been realized, because often those dreams give us hope and encouragement and something to latch onto in times of trial. Also, sometimes when we attempt to realize our dreams, reality disrupts the envisioned endeavor.

That being said, when we seek after our dreams, or our own "Personal Legends," even if things don't end up how we expect, we still learn. We still grow. We still gain wisdom. There is comfort in seeking a dream, because sometimes your reality becomes better than any concocted fantasy or dream. I remember a line from the movie 500 days of summer where the character said something to the effect: My girlfriend is better than any dream girl... because she is real. Reality will often be different than our dreams. Even though we may accomplish what we want, our experiences that helped form and shape us to reach that point may not always be what we expect. And that is what makes the search for our dreams such an intrigue. For now, I am somewhat shamefully content dreaming about the movie I've been dying to write, or the voice lessons I've been planning on taking. However, when you try and reach that dream, whatever it may be, I have often found the joy is not in the attaining of the dream- heck, many times we fail, and the triumph comes from learning from the failures. For me, the joy is in the journey. (yeah, I know, I can't help but to weave EFY themes into my blogging).

If there is one ultimate thing I gathered from this book, it's the importance of perceiving your present situation and understanding the importance of each experience that comes your way. The shepherd boy recognized how the desert speaks to him, he tries to interpret the omens, he reflects on why he has had to deal with each trial or situation. He lives in the present, while looking forward to the future. In attempting to understand where we are at, we can better prepare ourselves and our minds for where we want to go.

"Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity."

-The Alchemist

I also love the idea that when you are supposed to attain something in life, (your "personal legend") and you do all you can to attain that goal, that the universe "conspires" to help you achieve that goal. It is an interesting thought on how we can maximize our potential. Work is required, but help is on the way.

Finally, I love this quote:

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions or property. But this fear evaporates when we understand our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand." (76).

How true that is, indeed.

Nathan and I are done with the book, we just wanted to see where everyone was and how they were doing.

Anyone should be able to post questions or comments (by making their own post) since we invited you all to be authors on this blog. If you're not sure how to do that but you want to, let us know.

We both loved the book and can't wait to hear how you guys liked it!

-Megan

p.s. we think they are making a movie of this book next year by the way.....and is it true we are doing the new hunger games for our next book?

The Alchemist

This is our first book in our new Hardy family book club. Club titled: "A good book, a flashlight, and another night without twilight", chosen by Ryan's creative genius. We hope we all enjoy the book The Alchemist. You can write any comments or discussion questions on the blog as you read or when you are finished. We will figure out how to add you all as contributing authors on this blog so that everyone can post on here. It is a pretty quick read and we should all have it finished by the end of August. We will rotate each time who choses the next book. Have a wonderful night without twilight!

-Nathan