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A review by stephanieluxton
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
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
3.5
I loved the beginning and the end of this book. The unfortunate part was the middle which felt more drawn out than it needed to be.
The characters were great. The main characters were nicely fleshed out. They felt complex and interesting. I loved their introductions and watching their relationships grow and change. I enjoyed seeing how they reacted to the dire situations they found themselves in.
The actual hunger games part was pretty dull. This is a prequel so the games are significantly more primitive and less wild than in the main series, but I didn't feel immersed. I suppose that's largely because we are seeing the games from Snows perspective, and he is a spectator.
Then there's a good chunk of story after the games that I just felt was dry and slow. It didn't pick up again until the very end where some major changes happen.
I can see why some people wouldn't like the ending but I thought it was satisfying enough, although it felt quite rushed compared to so much that comes before it.
As far as prequels go, this was decent. It's not better than the hunger games or catching fire but. I think I enjoyed it more than mockingjay.
The characters were great. The main characters were nicely fleshed out. They felt complex and interesting. I loved their introductions and watching their relationships grow and change. I enjoyed seeing how they reacted to the dire situations they found themselves in.
The actual hunger games part was pretty dull. This is a prequel so the games are significantly more primitive and less wild than in the main series, but I didn't feel immersed. I suppose that's largely because we are seeing the games from Snows perspective, and he is a spectator.
Then there's a good chunk of story after the games that I just felt was dry and slow. It didn't pick up again until the very end where some major changes happen.
I can see why some people wouldn't like the ending but I thought it was satisfying enough, although it felt quite rushed compared to so much that comes before it.
As far as prequels go, this was decent. It's not better than the hunger games or catching fire but. I think I enjoyed it more than mockingjay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Cannibalism, and Sexual content