jairereads 's review for:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

3.0

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I read this more in preparation for Sunrise On The Reaping than out of genuine interest in Snow’s backstory. For how much time you spend inside Snow’s insular conscience, I wish this took the opportunity to do more sophisticated or ambitious character work instead of relying on plot to propel the story along, but this plot focus seems endemic to the YA genre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Alcohol, War, Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gore, Police brutality, Toxic friendship

Minor: Adult/minor relationship