Reviews with content warning for Death - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Reading about the early Hunger Games and how future systems were developed and why was interesting to say the least. Some arguments that were made in this book are the same arguments that are made today which was a bit unsettling. How Snow and the Capitol justified their cruel actions was disgusting. Suzanne Collins did a good job in giving us Snow's backstory. Loved Tigris, she constantly tries to see the best in Snow and tries to keep him on the right path. The few issues I had were that the story dragged at times, Sejanus was an idiot and there was to many names to keep up with in the first half of the book. Thank goodness list of mentors and tributes was included.

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keayra_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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lauren_shilling's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was amazing. I went into this a bit worried that it was going to be another tragic villain backstory, and I am happy to report that, while Snow does experience hardship and struggle, that is not really what this is. This book follows 18 year old Snow as a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games, and it details the very early beginnings of his rise to power. I thought it handled his character in a really interesting way, by setting him up to be a sympathetic character but showing how, despite struggling in many things, he is not a good person. He is still prejudiced and controlling, even when responding to hardship or experiencing romance and "friendship." I thought it was an interesting take on his character, and a super complex and nuanced one as well. As I was reading, I would almost feel bad for him, but then he would say/think/do something that reminded me of what he's going to do and that he's going to do it for completely selfish reasons. The dynamic between him and Lucy Gray was so interesting to explore, as was the dynamic between him and Sejanus. Lucy Gray was also a highlight of this book for me. She was such a great character to learn about, and the contrast set up between her and Snow was pretty cool to me. I found her to interesting, because at first she seems a bit weird, but as you get to know her and learn about her life and her past, you get to understand her in a very deep way. Something else I was worried about, that the main female character would be too similar to Katniss, since Katniss is such an interesting and engaging character, but I really shouldn't have doubted Suzanne Collins. Lucy Gray is so different from Katniss, yet there are so many connections between them that were so well done. Sejanus was another highlight for me. He had a unique and interesting story, and though he as a person was sometimes seen as annoying, he was a very good person in his heart, and I couldn't help but love him. He serves to represent almost the ideal of goodness to contrast with Snow and other Capitol citizens, and I thought it was well done. There are some truly horrifying moments in this book, and Suzanne Collins did not shy away from it at all. It was horrific but incredible. Overall, I loved this book, and I am so glad I read it.

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neurospicy_mama's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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lemoneverdeen's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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samantha_griff's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, follows an 18 year old Coriolanus Snow in the 10th year of the Hunger Games.

While the Coriolanus Snow that we know in the original trilogy is a very hateable character, I do love his character arc in TBOSAS as he battles the fine line between good and evil. Coriolanus's inner monologue is extremely important in understanding his worldview, actions and thoughts that dictate where he stands between good and evil. His parents, despite being dead, play a significant role in this mental battle. Suzanne Collins brilliantly acknowledges the moment where Coriolanus crosses that line,

even changing the way she refers to him between the novel's final chapter and the epilogue.

It's fascinating to see who Coriolanus will betray and why/how in order to attain the power and control over others he hungers for. A particular character death towards the end of the novel caused me to stop reading and consider every possible way his death, had it not happened or happened in a different manner, would have altered the outcome of Coriolanus's life.

TBOSAS explores the earliest versions of the Hunger Games, which vary significantly from the spectacle we know of in the main trilogy.

The 10th Hunger Games is a very basic "fight to the death" concept that does not garner much interest from Capitol citizens, but Coriolanus's contributions in the lead up to the Games start shaping the Hunger Games into what it becomes by the 74th Games. We also read of additional contributions Snow makes to the 11th Games in the novel's epilogue, so by the end we are aware that he is essentially responsible for what the Games become.

The Easter eggs from the Hunger Games trilogy that are mentioned in TBOSAS create a direct link between them, reminding the reader constantly that this is a prequel novel. It leaves us speculating over potential links between characters and events, and filling the gaps with potential storylines that occur in the 64 years between TBOSAS and The Hunger Games.

TBOSAS is a character driven novel, and Suzanne Collins has written every character arc so brilliantly that they are actually relevant to how the story continues to play out in the main Hunger Games trilogy.

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