Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

259 reviews

aliengirlreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Child abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death, Police brutality, Child death, and Confinement

Moderate: Grief, Addiction, War, Medical content, Classism, Alcohol, Animal death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, Vomit, and Blood

bee_n_cats's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Vomit, Death, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence

Moderate: Genocide, Colonisation, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse and Cannibalism

melist6's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Classism, Blood, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and War

acadiaclar42's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This was wonderfully done. The intrigue, the mystery, the suspense-- it was a delightful and emotional read. The plot moved swiftly and yet Snow's character development was hidden. Lucy Gray's character was especially interesting.

Her disappearance made me want to reread the whole thing and look for clues as to why and how she left.

I can't wait to watch the movie, as I've heard complimentary things about it as well.
All in all, this tied quite well into the Hunger Games Trilogy and is definitely worth the read.
 
For first time readers- If you're new to the Hunger Games franchise, I suggest you read those first, as this won't make sense/will spoil the plot of the trilogy.

/16 March 2024/ UPDATE: Holy smokes the movie was amazing. 10/10 for sure. The tension between Coryo and Lucy Gray was palpable, and the soundtrack was incredible. Even if you're not a huge HG fan or didn't care for the book, you HAVE to see the movie.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: War, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Vomit

lovosii's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, War, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Body horror, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Physical abuse, Self harm, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Bullying, Cannibalism, and Drug use

gris_zorra's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Torture, Gun violence, Drug abuse, War, Blood, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Murder, and Dementia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Blood

picnicatthehangingtree's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.75

A fascinating look into Snow’s journey to being the tyrant we know from the original trilogy, the red flags were there from the beginning. I am choosing to believe

that Lucy Gray survived and escaped into the woods and doesn’t just live on through her songs.

The pacing was a little off sometimes but overall exciting and gripping. Suzanne Collins is a genius. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Murder, Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, War, Addiction, Blood, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Medical content, Pregnancy, Animal death, Vomit, Sexism, Kidnapping, Bullying, Medical trauma, Body horror, Grief, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, and Infidelity

lasunflower's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.5

I watched the movie first and watched a few analyses before reading the book too.

Bc of this, I didn't go into it blindly. To me especially, it is  less of a prequel but an analysis of themes of nature and control, nature and nurture, and the nature of humanity. All this is done through the setting of Panem, the Hunger Games and Snow. A lot to think about on those themes for sure.

That being said, it was interesting how Collins built upon the lore of the Hunger Games, answering questions such as why it was made, who made it and who developed it. She is a great and thoughtful writer and did this very well. And she weaved it into the preexisting trilogy if the book so well. So well in fact you are like oh so that's why Snow reacted this way or that way with the 74th Hunger Games: it's like the prequel already existed! Now I want to re-read them all.

Perhaps a detailed analysis coming soon?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Classism, War, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Gun violence

emma_lynn_writes's review against another edition

4.0

This is a "villain origin story" done right. It fosters understanding of our common humanity, but not excuses. What you believe about the world will determine how you act, and I appreciated how the author engaged in centuries-long philosophical debates in a way that I think will be accessible to a younger audience. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Death

Moderate: War and Torture

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

kattila's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, War, Alcohol, Animal death, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Confinement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Blood, Addiction, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Genocide, Terminal illness, and Torture

Minor: Cannibalism and Medical trauma