Monday, August 28, 2023

Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series/Standalone: The Hunger Games Series (Prequel)
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Pages: 541
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year Published: 2020
Format: Audiobook

"It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes."

My Rating: 4.5/5

It's been so long since I engaged with the Hunger Games universe and this book brought me right back in. Of course, I was curious how this whole concept began, why it kept going and how people could get to this point. I will say if you want a likeable main character or you are hoping that the author gives Snow a redemption arc, I wouldn't say this is what that is. This book answered a lot of these questions but also felt a bit abrupt at the end for me. I would recommend the audiobook, but I'm sure the physical read may go by just as fast. If you want to go back to the first time you read The Hunger Games and revisit the things it made you think, I'd recommend it. I may end up going to watch the movie because I am reinvested.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

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