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

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Although I recognize it won't work for all readers, it was a perfect read for me. The pacing and the writing were both great, as well as the development of the characters and expansion of the world for fans of the original trilogy. I actually wanted to keep reading and was constantly thinking about the book, but I do understand all the people that have said it is slow or too boring, as that can be the case if you don't connect with the characters. Again, I can't compliment the writing enough, there are so many beautiful lines and it felt very dreamy at times, whilst the book was tackling very heavy topics. 

If you enjoy understanding the mind of nuanced, imperfect characters, all while diving into some interesting discussions about humanity, then this is the book for you. Additionally if you loved The Hunger Games trilogy, it'll be interesting to notice all the parallels, knowing what comes after. Snow's descent into madness and loss of empathy as the book progresses is flawlessly executed, which makes the ending all the more heartbreaking and bittersweet. Once again, it won't work for everyone and I believe this has been a very polarizing book thus far, but I enjoyed every aspect about it. 
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