Scan barcode
bxnny's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Death, Body horror, Blood, Animal cruelty, Child death, Deportation, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, War, Xenophobia, Animal death, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Chronic illness and Excrement
joselyn_wren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Child death
Moderate: Cannibalism, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Body horror, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Chronic illness, and Gun violence
vannahcabana's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Classism, and Alcohol
kaylaswhitmore's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Police brutality, Blood, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gaslighting, War, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Grief, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Cannibalism
kkalicky94's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Drug use, and Grief
chrisljm's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Going to expand on my review for the sake of explaining that I don't dislike this book. I just dislike losers. I liked that Suzanne Collins gave us a prequel and gave background to the games and how it essentially all started, but I just wasn't too invested in the story because I never cared to learn more about Snow's life.
I think it's fair that other readers didn't enjoy this book because it does get a bit long and the last third does drag, but I think the people who see this book as an attempt to sympathize Snow as a villain just doesn't understand Suzanne Collins or what she wrote. We see how Snow had a tough childhood, being poor and living through war, but he is very much still cruel and narcissistic. There is in no way for this book to be taken as an attempt to get you on Snow's side.
While I personally didn't give a fuck about Snow's backstory, I think this is worth reading if you want insight on how the modern version of the games came to be. In my opinion it's less about Snow and more of an origin story to the Panem we see in The Hunger Games trilogy, and I think the book is more enjoyable if you read it with this in mind.
I also want to say that the dislike this book gets makes me firm on my stance in hating when people ask for more books on the other Hunger Game years. We have all we need to know from the trilogy. It's unnecessary and just another way for people to thoughtlessly consume media. The Hunger Games portion of this book was very uncomfortable to read, especially since I already sat through the cruelty of the games twice for the trilogy. If we were to read anymore of the games, it would just become cruelty for entertainment, which literally goes against the theme of the series.
Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Addiction, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Gore, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Suicidal thoughts
haley_reads_books's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, War, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Classism, Chronic illness, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Death, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Torture, Gore, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
wilamina's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
So in conclusion, the ballad of songbirds and snakes was annoying average, with few redeeming factors to warrant it a slightly higher grade, but without it's association with the hunger games, it would probably never have been shelved.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
mscalls's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Xenophobia, Addiction, and Cannibalism
mothdan's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Drug abuse