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amelia_m3llark's reviews
13 reviews
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
3.25
I genuinely enjoyed this book. Although it doesn’t compare to the original Hunger Games trilogy, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a really fascinating read.
I wouldn’t say it was fun, though… and that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Admittedly, it took me a while to read and didn’t really grab my attention. But that’s the thing about reading: just because a book doesn’t have a super fast-paced storyline doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I know a bunch of people have been saying this, but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes isn’t really a villain origin story. Coriolanus was evil all along, and would have always chosen a position of power, no matter who he would need to hurt along the way.
I think it’s so great that Suzanne Collins created a villain like Coriolanus Snow. While reading this book, there are certain parts where you’ll find yourself thinking that Snow really isn’t all that bad. You feel compelled to root for him and relate to him on a deeper level than you would think. But despite all this, appearances can be deceiving. It’s pretty amazing how Collins managed to write Snow to be someone who is seemingly likeable, yet doesn’t have a tragic backstory to explain his actions. Snow chose this life, and he wanted it all along.
Overall, pretty cool book. It’s so refreshing to read a prequel as unique as this one.
I wouldn’t say it was fun, though… and that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Admittedly, it took me a while to read and didn’t really grab my attention. But that’s the thing about reading: just because a book doesn’t have a super fast-paced storyline doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I know a bunch of people have been saying this, but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes isn’t really a villain origin story. Coriolanus was evil all along, and would have always chosen a position of power, no matter who he would need to hurt along the way.
I think it’s so great that Suzanne Collins created a villain like Coriolanus Snow. While reading this book, there are certain parts where you’ll find yourself thinking that Snow really isn’t all that bad. You feel compelled to root for him and relate to him on a deeper level than you would think. But despite all this, appearances can be deceiving. It’s pretty amazing how Collins managed to write Snow to be someone who is seemingly likeable, yet doesn’t have a tragic backstory to explain his actions. Snow chose this life, and he wanted it all along.
Overall, pretty cool book. It’s so refreshing to read a prequel as unique as this one.
Phantom Heart by Kelly Creagh
1.75
I was okay with this book until the end. The premise was a little weird to me, because Erik’s whole backstory was unnecessarily confusing in my opinion, and I thought the plot would be more similar to the Phantom of the Opera than it actually was.
Here’s my main issue with this book.The driving force behind Erik’s motivation to do all the things he did was his love for the main character. And the reason why the book went on for so long was because they could never be together. So the fact that at the end, somehow, Erik and Stephanie are together and totally happy and in love or whatever? Really pissed me off. Why did the book have to be so long if they were just going to end up together at the end? The whole point of the Phantom of the Opera is that it’s a tragic love story. The Phantom doesn’t get Christine in the end, and rightfully so, because she was never his to love. It would have made so much more sense for Stephanie to just be with the normal guy and not the ghost who’s been dead for centuries.
The ending pissed me off enough to give this book 1.75 stars, and even that’s generous considering how cheated out of any real character development Stephanie and Erik were.
Here’s my main issue with this book.
The ending pissed me off enough to give this book 1.75 stars, and even that’s generous considering how cheated out of any real character development Stephanie and Erik were.
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