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alavenderlibrary 's review for:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first book I've heavily annotated in YEARS. I really struggled writing this review because of HOW much I loved it. I felt like, how do you write a comprehensive review about a masterpiece of storytelling? Every sentence is handcrafted, every piece of information given intentional, even the structure of the story is so perfect in my eyes. Of course no author or work is without flaws, but honestly this book is one of my all time favorites—as a writer, if I could aspire to be even close to the level of Suzanne Collins' writing, I would be satisfied.
Unfortunately, I will never have the experience of going into these books blind—having seen all of the movies and so many book spoilers online. However, even with ALL of that information I still found myself being surprised at twists and things I didn't expect. There's a level of literary analysis that comes with reading that the movies just can't capture. And after reading, I feel like I have an entirely different perspective on both Coriolanus Snow and The Hunger Games series.
There just SO much of everything, but I didn't feel like the plot was rushed at all. The pacing was perfect, both slow in the right parts and suddenly quick in the climactic scenes. Coriolanus Snow is an unreliable narrator, and so the pacing reflects his mental state and how he feels about his life. Moments of dread, despair, disgust, indifference, etc. are followed by slow scenes. They drag out in Coriolanus' mind (e.g. his time in the peacekeepers before Sejanus, waiting for something to happen in the games, being confronted with how poor his family is). Moments of happiness, fear, anxiety, anger, etc. are quicker scenes. He's more likely to make impulsive decisions and often is in danger, which is reflected in the pacing (e.g. the arena scene, the last chapters, moments of vulnerability with Lucy Gray, the times he cheats in the games).
I could write a full essay about Coriolanus' descent into the person we see in the main trilogy, especially when it comes to the symbolism we see every time he's presented with a choice: his mother or father? rebel or loyalist? lover or loner? And ultimately, his desire for control leads him to determine that the power and legacy the capitol can offer are the most important things in life.
Unfortunately, I will never have the experience of going into these books blind—having seen all of the movies and so many book spoilers online. However, even with ALL of that information I still found myself being surprised at twists and things I didn't expect. There's a level of literary analysis that comes with reading that the movies just can't capture. And after reading, I feel like I have an entirely different perspective on both Coriolanus Snow and The Hunger Games series.
There just SO much of everything, but I didn't feel like the plot was rushed at all. The pacing was perfect, both slow in the right parts and suddenly quick in the climactic scenes. Coriolanus Snow is an unreliable narrator, and so the pacing reflects his mental state and how he feels about his life. Moments of dread, despair, disgust, indifference, etc. are followed by slow scenes. They drag out in Coriolanus' mind (e.g. his time in the peacekeepers before Sejanus, waiting for something to happen in the games, being confronted with how poor his family is). Moments of happiness, fear, anxiety, anger, etc. are quicker scenes. He's more likely to make impulsive decisions and often is in danger, which is reflected in the pacing (e.g. the arena scene, the last chapters, moments of vulnerability with Lucy Gray, the times he cheats in the games).
I could write a full essay about Coriolanus' descent into the person we see in the main trilogy, especially when it comes to the symbolism we see every time he's presented with a choice: his mother or father? rebel or loyalist? lover or loner? And ultimately, his desire for control leads him to determine that the power and legacy the capitol can offer are the most important things in life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse, Cannibalism