The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic
Pages: 520
Format: Hardback
My Rating ★★★★
Ambition will fuel him.
Competition will drive him.
But power has its price.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmanoeuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District twelve, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
Competition will drive him.
But power has its price.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmanoeuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District twelve, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
My thoughts:
It turns out I was so ready to return to the world of Panem again. I loved the Hunger Games series when I first read them in my teens and was so excited to get my hands on this new addition to the series as soon as it was released here in the UK.
Suzanne Collins’s bestselling dystopian Hunger Games trilogy is set in a future America, Panem, whose capital city Capitol hosts a terrible annual tribute from the twelve Districts it rules. Teenagers are chosen to fight each other to the death in a televised competition. Only one survives.
In this new prequel, readers are invited to delve into the early years of the grim contest. The novel is set in the world of Panem 64 years before the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy on the morning of the reaping of the 10th Hunger Games—well before the lifetime of the story’s protagonist Katniss Everdeen. Whereas it was easy to root for Katniss, the heroine of the trilogy, as she battled her way through the Games, it’s harder to do the same for Coriolanus, watching safely from the sidelines. Just as you would imagine, he is ruthless and political throughout.
Initially I wasn’t overly thrilled about the prequel being based around President Snow, but I decided to remain open-minded. This was a bold decision by the author. Exploring a villain’s origin story is far less common in young adult fiction than it is in other areas of pop culture, and Snow has no fanbase. Readers will remember Coriolanus Snow as the ruthless and psychotic President of Panem. Here we discover his intriguing backstory.
Overall, I thought as a character study, this was really great. It’s also much more philosophical than the Hunger Games series. But as a big fan of the original series, I was also desperate to know more about the Dark Days that followed Panem’s failed rebellion. This entry does give some background to the dystopian world as well as Coriolanus Snow. I only wish there had been more history on Panem and how it came to be. There are some really wonderful little details included that readers will instantly recognise from the other books, though the prequel primarily focuses on adding greater depth to President Snow. Ultimately, Snow decides to remain a predator so that he wouldn’t become prey.
The story’s themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression make for a thrilling read. I couldn’t believe how quickly I was transported once again to Panem and the incredible world created by Suzanne Collins back in 2008. I felt like a young teen again.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes provides a completely gripping prelude to the well-known Hunger Games novels. It’s definitely a book worth reading, especially if you’re a big fan of the trilogy. Collins has created a dark prequel unlike any villain origin story you’ve watched or read before. And it is such a gripping read. It is in no way a fast-paced thrill ride like the original trilogy, and that’s fine because it works anyway. Just be prepared for most of the real drama to unfold in the final twenty pages or so.
It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it certainly was. If you’re someone who knows the original books very well, then I think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of it. There are so many references and nods to the original books that made this such a fun and intense read. I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t blow me away.
Overall reaction:
It turns out I was so ready to return to the world of Panem again. I loved the Hunger Games series when I first read them in my teens and was so excited to get my hands on this new addition to the series as soon as it was released here in the UK.
Suzanne Collins’s bestselling dystopian Hunger Games trilogy is set in a future America, Panem, whose capital city Capitol hosts a terrible annual tribute from the twelve Districts it rules. Teenagers are chosen to fight each other to the death in a televised competition. Only one survives.
In this new prequel, readers are invited to delve into the early years of the grim contest. The novel is set in the world of Panem 64 years before the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy on the morning of the reaping of the 10th Hunger Games—well before the lifetime of the story’s protagonist Katniss Everdeen. Whereas it was easy to root for Katniss, the heroine of the trilogy, as she battled her way through the Games, it’s harder to do the same for Coriolanus, watching safely from the sidelines. Just as you would imagine, he is ruthless and political throughout.
Initially I wasn’t overly thrilled about the prequel being based around President Snow, but I decided to remain open-minded. This was a bold decision by the author. Exploring a villain’s origin story is far less common in young adult fiction than it is in other areas of pop culture, and Snow has no fanbase. Readers will remember Coriolanus Snow as the ruthless and psychotic President of Panem. Here we discover his intriguing backstory.
Overall, I thought as a character study, this was really great. It’s also much more philosophical than the Hunger Games series. But as a big fan of the original series, I was also desperate to know more about the Dark Days that followed Panem’s failed rebellion. This entry does give some background to the dystopian world as well as Coriolanus Snow. I only wish there had been more history on Panem and how it came to be. There are some really wonderful little details included that readers will instantly recognise from the other books, though the prequel primarily focuses on adding greater depth to President Snow. Ultimately, Snow decides to remain a predator so that he wouldn’t become prey.
The story’s themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression make for a thrilling read. I couldn’t believe how quickly I was transported once again to Panem and the incredible world created by Suzanne Collins back in 2008. I felt like a young teen again.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes provides a completely gripping prelude to the well-known Hunger Games novels. It’s definitely a book worth reading, especially if you’re a big fan of the trilogy. Collins has created a dark prequel unlike any villain origin story you’ve watched or read before. And it is such a gripping read. It is in no way a fast-paced thrill ride like the original trilogy, and that’s fine because it works anyway. Just be prepared for most of the real drama to unfold in the final twenty pages or so.
It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it certainly was. If you’re someone who knows the original books very well, then I think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of it. There are so many references and nods to the original books that made this such a fun and intense read. I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t blow me away.
Overall reaction:
