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

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

2.0

Hmmmmm... how do I feel about this book? I honestly dont really know. 
But one thing I do know for sure; I hate Coriolanus Snow. 
This book took a lot of effort for me to finish. I struggled to stay concentrated most of the time, and ended up listening to the audio book, otherwise I don't think I would have finished it. It was very long, and wasn't as enthralling as the original trilogy, so I must admit that I do feel quite disappointed. 
I understand that it was a way to show President Snow's back story, but in my opinion it was a little pointless as I still hate the guy as much as I did before following him on this long-winded spiel. 
It's really hard to write a prequel from the perspective of the antagonist, especially to try and make the reader sympathise with them. This book doesn't really do that at all. If I could have seen a deeper layer of Snow, then maybe I might have better understood why this book exists. 
I'm really hoping that Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on The Reaping will be more satisfying and enjoyable.