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A review by writteninthestarwars
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I'm not sure how, but I went the past three years since this book was published not knowing anything about it other than it was about a young Snow. I'm so glad I didn't know anything else, because everything was a genuine surprise. I advise others who haven't read it yet to do the same. I've tried to keep my below review as broad as possible.
One of the complaints I remember hearing when this book was announced was that people didn't want to be forced to sympathize with Snow. They wanted an evil character to just be evil. I didn't feel that way when reading, and I think it's because Suzanne Collins does a great job of letting Snow be his true self, which includes his evil nature and his complicated background/experiences. Understanding where he comes from does not excuse his actions, and Collins doesn't try to. She just lets him be. This is especially obvious in the last third of the book, which is, in my opinion, the best written and most 'enjoyable' of it all.
Though I enjoyed Snow's complicated and tense perspective, I do think there were limits to the book focusing solely on him that made truly connecting with Lucy Gray Baird difficult. But, maybe that was the point. Regardless, I'd love to one day get something from Lucy Gray's perspective. I feel like there's so much we could learn from her still.
One of the complaints I remember hearing when this book was announced was that people didn't want to be forced to sympathize with Snow. They wanted an evil character to just be evil. I didn't feel that way when reading, and I think it's because Suzanne Collins does a great job of letting Snow be his true self, which includes his evil nature and his complicated background/experiences. Understanding where he comes from does not excuse his actions, and Collins doesn't try to. She just lets him be. This is especially obvious in the last third of the book, which is, in my opinion, the best written and most 'enjoyable' of it all.
Though I enjoyed Snow's complicated and tense perspective, I do think there were limits to the book focusing solely on him that made truly connecting with Lucy Gray Baird difficult. But, maybe that was the point. Regardless, I'd love to one day get something from Lucy Gray's perspective. I feel like there's so much we could learn from her still.