A review by readsinbloom
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Spoilers Ahead:
I really enjoyed the nods to the original books and seeing how the Hunger Games became what they were during Katniss and Peeta's first game. It also provided a lot of insight on why Snow made some of the choices that he did. I think Suzanne Collins did a lot of amazing things throughout this book. For example, I felt that I never truly got to know Lucy Gray through this book. I did not feel like I had a solid understanding of who she is. However, Snow didn't either. Snow just used her as a means to an end. To further himself. Snow did not care enough to know Lucy Gray, so we did not either. 

However, ultimately I found I did not care much about this book. 

The plot was not exciting. If I stopped the book at any point, I would not be upset if I never picked it up again. I would not be left wondering what happened next. I believe a lot of this is due to the lack of investment I had in the characters. 

Snow could have been a character that I loved to hate. I could have wanted to continue reading to see what vile thing he would do next. He also could have been a character I loved, despite knowing what he would do in the future. There was such potential for Snow's character to be interesting. However, I did not find him very compelling. 

I did not hold any strong feelings for him throughout this book. I think part of this is at the fault of the already existing universe. I knew what would become of Snow. I was not on the edge of my seat wondering if he would be killed for his involvement with the murders. I was not concerned about him getting into college. I already knew he would become President, and I did not find myself concerned with how he got there.