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

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Honestly I really loved this book. I liked learning more about Snow's story and getting to see how he developed from an annoying school boy into pure evil. I also liked seeing the state of Panem so soon after the war. 

I also enjoyed getting to learn how the hunger games operated in earlier years. How it was somehow even worse than in the OG trilogy and see how the foundations were laid for the format we already knew about. I was honestly shocked about the treatment of the tributes before and during the games many times. It was hard to read at times but it was worth it and gave me a lot to think about especially seeing as I often thought that the hunger games in the trilogy aren't that bad.

Can I just say though I'm so sad about Sejanus and want to fight Snow? I predicted really early on that he'd die so I saw it coming but I'm so sad about how it happened.

Also I do know that there is criticism about the ending but I don't share the same criticism. 

Personally I think there were hints that Coriolanus was getting annoyed with Lucy Gray and wasn't happy with her for multiple chapters before he decided to try to kill her. Plus with how he betrayed Sejanus and killed the mayor's daughter for his personal gain without a care, it didn't seem out of nowhere to me. Especially seeing as I personally never was convinced that Coriolanus fully loved Lucy Gray. To me it always read like he saw her more as something to possess rather than a living breathing girl with feelings. So personally I liked the ending and didn't think it was rushed and out of nowhere for him to turn on her. Especially for his own gain. 

The only thing is I wish I knew for sure what happened to Lucy Gray at the end but I am also satisfied not knowing because it parallels well with her ballad and you can kind of come up with whatever you wish so I can imagine whatever end I want for her and that will be my canon.

Anyways I loved this book and I really hope we get more books in the hunger games universe because I will literally read them all. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Police brutality, Blood, Child abuse, War, Classism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Cannibalism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Dementia

Mentions of sex work/prostitution that the character was forced into basically due to not having any other choice.