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wikitheunicornxx's Reviews (226)
I loooooooooooooved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are a big fan of the original trilogy YOU WILL LOVE THIS. I was very apprehensive before reading this for two reasons, 1) The original trilogy is AMAZING, do we really need more and how could it possibly live up to it? And 2) When the protagonist was announced, I was very unsure as to whether we need to hear from President Snow, can anything really justify or even explain his actions? Especially when a Haymitch prequel has been so heavily requested.
Nevertheless, my original concerns were quickly addressed.
1) Yes the original trilogy was amazing, this book did not take away from that. I do not like to compare them, it is not possible to say that this book was in any way better or worse than the rest of the series as in my opinion they work well alongside each other in a complementary way. I would certainly argue that this book added a lot of depth to the overall story of Panem and the Hunger Games, it also helps us understand why President Snow’s hatred for Katniss is so deep. This book also contains a lot of familiar names that fans of the original series will recognise, we also learn about how the Hunger Games have changed and the reasons behind that which was all remarkably interesting to read about for me.
2) This book, luckily, does not justify President Snow’s actions. Snow was an extremely well-written villain in the original trilogy and this book adds so much depth to his already complex character. Rather than being a justification for his actions, the book allows us to understand the series of events which led Snow to becoming who he was in the original series. Some of Snow’s traits, such as his ambition and hunger for power, were already rooted in him from the beginning of the book and motivated him throughout. At the end of the book, I still hated Snow, I understood his character much better, but he remains a villain, nonetheless.
I loved how nostalgic this book felt whilst I was reading it, I loved having the opportunity to immerse myself in the world of Panem once again. All the characters in the book, especially Lucy Gray, were so well-written. I have since read some of the criticism that this book received, with many readers considering it to be quite slow. While I understand that some parts of the novel lacked the fast pace that the original trilogy had, I personally enjoyed the thought-provoking themes that this novel also explored, with Snow’s exploration of the ideas behind social theory, government, and war.
There is something about the Hunger Games world that will always draw me in, therefore I would certainly not be opposed to Suzanne Collins writing more in this universe. I definitely recommend this book, it might not float everyone’s goat but it definitely makes for a compelling read.
Nevertheless, my original concerns were quickly addressed.
1) Yes the original trilogy was amazing, this book did not take away from that. I do not like to compare them, it is not possible to say that this book was in any way better or worse than the rest of the series as in my opinion they work well alongside each other in a complementary way. I would certainly argue that this book added a lot of depth to the overall story of Panem and the Hunger Games, it also helps us understand why President Snow’s hatred for Katniss is so deep. This book also contains a lot of familiar names that fans of the original series will recognise, we also learn about how the Hunger Games have changed and the reasons behind that which was all remarkably interesting to read about for me.
2) This book, luckily, does not justify President Snow’s actions. Snow was an extremely well-written villain in the original trilogy and this book adds so much depth to his already complex character. Rather than being a justification for his actions, the book allows us to understand the series of events which led Snow to becoming who he was in the original series. Some of Snow’s traits, such as his ambition and hunger for power, were already rooted in him from the beginning of the book and motivated him throughout. At the end of the book, I still hated Snow, I understood his character much better, but he remains a villain, nonetheless.
I loved how nostalgic this book felt whilst I was reading it, I loved having the opportunity to immerse myself in the world of Panem once again. All the characters in the book, especially Lucy Gray, were so well-written. I have since read some of the criticism that this book received, with many readers considering it to be quite slow. While I understand that some parts of the novel lacked the fast pace that the original trilogy had, I personally enjoyed the thought-provoking themes that this novel also explored, with Snow’s exploration of the ideas behind social theory, government, and war.
There is something about the Hunger Games world that will always draw me in, therefore I would certainly not be opposed to Suzanne Collins writing more in this universe. I definitely recommend this book, it might not float everyone’s goat but it definitely makes for a compelling read.
