fast-paced

was this a necessary addition to the series? no. was it still good/entertaining? yes.
haymitch is one of my favorite characters (along with johanna) so it was nice to get a fuller picture of his hunger games and his life/experience pre and post games. I really enjoyed his fellow district 12 allies and I really enjoyed ampert as well (ampert's death made me mad tho because one it was gruesome imagining it and two because I felt it was too quick/sudden). I enjoyed seeing more of beetee, mags, and wiress as well.
this was much much better than a ballad of songbirds and snakes but not as good as the main books in the series for me.

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

What makes the Hunger Games series so strong (and where many imitators fall flat) is that this is not a series about violence, or government, or trauma, or an inexplicably overpowered protagonist who is chosen for greatness. All those things are present in the series, but at its core the series has always been about media, and propaganda, and marketing, and the way those are the tools of both the oppressor and the resistance. This book carries that legacy, and keeps with what is now a traditional Hunger Games pacing — the first half is slow, political, and suspenseful, with lots of talking and jockeying and rivalries and image-cultivation. The second half is when shit hits the fan and heads begin to roll. There’s more nuance and commentary in the first half, but the second half was what made me stay up reading till 4am, and different people will enjoy each to differing degrees.

It’s hard for me to judge this book neutrally because of my love of the original series, but I also think it would be a mistake to judge this book out of context. This is a book designed to add to and comment on the original series (and even elements of Songbirds & Snakes, so read that or watch the movie beforehand). Collins does bring in some familiar characters, but all in ways that actually serve the story and the world and don’t feel like cheap cameos or fan-service. 

I would also argue that this book is very timely. This is not a spoiler, but spoiler warning anyway: Haymitch does not completely topple the totalitarian regime (otherwise, we wouldn’t need Katniss or her trilogy). But this book specifically explores small rebellions and their impacts, even when it feels futile. In a time when people feel powerless in the face of fascism, sometimes small rebellions are all we have. For a generation raised on stories of Chosen Ones and Exceptionally Gifted Teenager Heroes, it’s helpful to see that progress is frustratingly incremental, and the fruits of our labor often take time to blossom.

Not a perfect book, and definitely not a particularly happy one, but one that feels refreshingly relevant and gives young readers the respect and depth they deserve.

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book gave me chills while reading because it was so good. There is a lot of emotion, Haymitch has a great backstory worth your time. It gives you some background information for certain things such as why Haymitch calls Katniss sweetheart in her books. I would read 'The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes' before this book to make some of the scenes more clear so that you can understand it better. 5 stars easily.

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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dark sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This filled in so many blanks and answered so many questions we have asked for years about the series. I hated Haymitch like Katniss did in the beginning and now he is such a lovable character. My heart hurts for him

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings