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A review by becandbooks
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Did not finish book.
DNF @ ~50%
I don't normally write DNF reviews. But because The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was such an anticipated book, both for myself and others, I feel like I want to share some thoughts.
I want to start by saying that there wasn't anything particularly bad about this book. I didn't have any ill thoughts about centering the antagonist as a main character. And I didn't think Collins developed a story of sympathy for Snow either.
Note: I am highlighting these points because they were some of the initial concerns about a Snow-centered prequel.
The reason I DNFd this book is because I was bored. This book was, overall, just ridiculously dull to me.
Let me clarify a bit. The Hunger Games is obviously a series that you think of as fast-paced with high stakes. The first book, which is clearly centered around the Games, characterizes this incredibly well.
As the trilogy continues, the books become more political and pull away from the Games in particular (a typical plot line for typical dystopian trilogies). Because of this, some people thought the end of the trilogy was less exciting.
Personally, though, I loved some of the political discourse and the revolution plot the series took. I didn't think it was dull and I honestly thought that this prequel would be similar in that sense. A story of the inner politics that led the Hunger Games and the Districts to where they are in the original trilogy.
And I think Collins tried to do this. But it wasn't great.
We had a couple of intriguing characters, in particular Lucy Gray and Volumnia Gaul, but they felt watered down. The other characters were all pretty forgettable.
And then there is Snow himself. I am sorry but he may be the dullest character I have ever read. The story was supposed to be about how he became what he is in The Hunger Games. And while there some development arc present it is SLOW and felt incredibly flat.
I wanted more of Gaul and the reasoning behind the "old" Hunger Games vs the "new". This Gamemaster was fascinating but she didn't really have a role in the story despite her presence. And I truly wish Lucy Gray had just been more. For the girl who was a gypsy and a circus performer, who was a key factor in making Snow who he became, she just didn't feel important.
I know that there is some discussion in reviews that the ending really solidifies what the book was going for. But I got to a point of reading in which I just DIDN'T CARE where the story was headed.
Oh and the audio for this book? DULL.
I don't normally write DNF reviews. But because The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was such an anticipated book, both for myself and others, I feel like I want to share some thoughts.
I want to start by saying that there wasn't anything particularly bad about this book. I didn't have any ill thoughts about centering the antagonist as a main character. And I didn't think Collins developed a story of sympathy for Snow either.
Note: I am highlighting these points because they were some of the initial concerns about a Snow-centered prequel.
The reason I DNFd this book is because I was bored. This book was, overall, just ridiculously dull to me.
Let me clarify a bit. The Hunger Games is obviously a series that you think of as fast-paced with high stakes. The first book, which is clearly centered around the Games, characterizes this incredibly well.
As the trilogy continues, the books become more political and pull away from the Games in particular (a typical plot line for typical dystopian trilogies). Because of this, some people thought the end of the trilogy was less exciting.
Personally, though, I loved some of the political discourse and the revolution plot the series took. I didn't think it was dull and I honestly thought that this prequel would be similar in that sense. A story of the inner politics that led the Hunger Games and the Districts to where they are in the original trilogy.
And I think Collins tried to do this. But it wasn't great.
We had a couple of intriguing characters, in particular Lucy Gray and Volumnia Gaul, but they felt watered down. The other characters were all pretty forgettable.
And then there is Snow himself. I am sorry but he may be the dullest character I have ever read. The story was supposed to be about how he became what he is in The Hunger Games. And while there some development arc present it is SLOW and felt incredibly flat.
I wanted more of Gaul and the reasoning behind the "old" Hunger Games vs the "new". This Gamemaster was fascinating but she didn't really have a role in the story despite her presence. And I truly wish Lucy Gray had just been more. For the girl who was a gypsy and a circus performer, who was a key factor in making Snow who he became, she just didn't feel important.
I know that there is some discussion in reviews that the ending really solidifies what the book was going for. But I got to a point of reading in which I just DIDN'T CARE where the story was headed.
Oh and the audio for this book? DULL.