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A review by aslowreader
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
3.0
i want to start this off by saying that this book doesn't really need to exist, but i'm also not necessarily mad that it does. also, i'm being vague-ish in this review to keep it spoiler-free.
i enjoyed this book for the most part. it was awesome being back in one of my favorite fictional universes, and there were a lot of great elements to this story - the old and very low-budget hunger games which is nothing like we've come to know them; the development of some darker, more game-showy elements of the games; the capitol perspective of the war and the aftermath; development of cornholeanus's relationship with tigris who otherwise has a pretty minor part in the series; and the empathy/internal battle cornholeanus appears to have throughout most of the book - that i thought were really well done/added a lot to our overall understanding of panem and how it became what we know it to be at the start of katniss' story.
that being said, i probably would have given this book more stars if the ending had been better/not so rushed in comparison to the rest of the story - the book is roughly 500 pages, and the major shift happens on page like 495...... not much time to really understand or flush out why things happen the way they do (although i guess there could be an argument to the contrary, that the situation cornhole is in called for such a quick and decisive move..... but i don't think so). also, where his teacher and the dean are concerned, things wrap up just a little too conveniently for him at the end. you spend most of the book being like "how is this going to get to where i know it gets (because of the other three books)!?" and then..... there really isn't a great payoff for everything cornhole goes through.
like i get that snow lands on top or whatever, but it's all just wrapped in a neat little bow for him at the end (minus lucy gray, who gets a very vague and, honestly, cheap/lazy ending) and it doesn't feel satisfying for the reader, especially because it feels a little too satisfying for cornhole. like he seemingly has all of these experiences throughout the book which force him to undergo some major character development/really question whether the capitol/government is in the right and then within pages it's all undone for him to be on track to becoming the snow we know him to be in the present hunger games....... it cheapens the story and makes it much less believable, honestly. all his trauma, all his empathy, all his perceptions of what is right and wrong are completely undone in no time at all and it's just so disappointing. but then again, maybe that's how wealthy people born into lineage think? and i'm just expecting too much from a character that we already knew going into this book is a piece of shit? i just don't know.
i'll come back in a few days and clean this up, but this is my general impression having just finished the book last night. i'm eager to discuss this book with other people who know and love the series so we can compare notes/theories; i fell like that will help me solidify my thoughts and allow me to better express them.
i enjoyed this book for the most part. it was awesome being back in one of my favorite fictional universes, and there were a lot of great elements to this story - the old and very low-budget hunger games which is nothing like we've come to know them; the development of some darker, more game-showy elements of the games; the capitol perspective of the war and the aftermath; development of cornholeanus's relationship with tigris who otherwise has a pretty minor part in the series; and the empathy/internal battle cornholeanus appears to have throughout most of the book - that i thought were really well done/added a lot to our overall understanding of panem and how it became what we know it to be at the start of katniss' story.
that being said, i probably would have given this book more stars if the ending had been better/not so rushed in comparison to the rest of the story - the book is roughly 500 pages, and the major shift happens on page like 495...... not much time to really understand or flush out why things happen the way they do (although i guess there could be an argument to the contrary, that the situation cornhole is in called for such a quick and decisive move..... but i don't think so). also, where his teacher and the dean are concerned, things wrap up just a little too conveniently for him at the end. you spend most of the book being like "how is this going to get to where i know it gets (because of the other three books)!?" and then..... there really isn't a great payoff for everything cornhole goes through.
like i get that snow lands on top or whatever, but it's all just wrapped in a neat little bow for him at the end (minus lucy gray, who gets a very vague and, honestly, cheap/lazy ending) and it doesn't feel satisfying for the reader, especially because it feels a little too satisfying for cornhole. like he seemingly has all of these experiences throughout the book which force him to undergo some major character development/really question whether the capitol/government is in the right and then within pages it's all undone for him to be on track to becoming the snow we know him to be in the present hunger games....... it cheapens the story and makes it much less believable, honestly. all his trauma, all his empathy, all his perceptions of what is right and wrong are completely undone in no time at all and it's just so disappointing. but then again, maybe that's how wealthy people born into lineage think? and i'm just expecting too much from a character that we already knew going into this book is a piece of shit? i just don't know.
i'll come back in a few days and clean this up, but this is my general impression having just finished the book last night. i'm eager to discuss this book with other people who know and love the series so we can compare notes/theories; i fell like that will help me solidify my thoughts and allow me to better express them.