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

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's an extremely rare thing for a sequel to successfully build on themes explored in a text. For a series to not only have two sequels that do this extraordinarily well but also a prequel that does it arguably even better is almost unheard of. Nonetheless, Suzanne Collins has done just that with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is stupefyingly cruel, heartbreakingly passionate, and convinced of the innate power within every civilization to destroy itself. The prose is excellent. The split structure (before and during the games / after the games) is extraordinarily successful; it almost felt as if I were reading two deeply interconnected novellas. The ambiguity presented within is purposeful and immaculate. 
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