Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Length: 541 pages
Genre: Young Adult; Dystopian; Fantasy; Science Fiction; Romance
Series: Hunger Games #0
Overall Rating: 8 / 10
Overall Thoughts:
The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes is an amazing novel that filled me with nostalgia, reminding me of the days when I first read The Hunger Games. However, this novel has a much more serious take to it than the original trilogy, it feels much more real. Post war, young Coriolanus Snow (President Snow in The Hunger Games) is struggling to maintain a high status life while living in poverty. He gains the opportunity of a lifetime, to become a mentor in the tenth Hunger Games where if his tribute is successful, it would increase his odds of a brilliant future within the Capitals university and funds to keep his family afloat. But when assigned the female from district 12, Lucy Gray, he allows his feelings to blur the lines of his composure and aspirations.
The flow of this novel had me shocked multiple times throughout, you quite literally never expect what’s coming next. Especially the ending. This is the villain origin story of the decade.
Coriolanus in a very in depth character with a hard exterior that very few people can break through, he is the type to get what he wants no matter the cost. This story follows him through his multiple priority changes and watches how he is willing to drop everything else for his current focus. But at what cost?
If you loved The Hunger Games, give this a read. It will not disappoint you.
What I would change: I love Lucy Gray. The only thing that would have made me love this novel more is if we got more memory of Lucy Gray in the main novels. More references or influence. Seeing Snow think of her years later would have been satisfying.
“Well, you know what they say. The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,” she said.
“The mockingjay?” He laughed. “Really, I think you’re just making these things up.”
“Not that one. A mockingjay’s a bona fide bird,” she assured him.
“And it sings in your show?” he asked.
“Not my show, sweetheart. Yours. The Capitol’s anyway,” said Lucy Gray.””
Page 245
Illustration Discussion:
A simple but beautifully powerful cover. The dark green / black with the gold really makes the gold stand out. I love the stylization of the bird (the mockingjay) and the snake resting on the tree branch. I can only imagine that the bird signifies Lucy Gray while the snake ends up being Coriolanus Snow.
Spoilers Bee-ware!
You have been swarmed. Reading past this post means that you understand that you might spoil the book for yourself.
Stats + Facts:
Coriolanus’ love for Lucy Gray is referred to 21 times.
This novel takes place 64 years before the first Hunger Games novel.
Coriolanus is 17 making him 81 in the first Hunger Games Novel.
The movie releases November 2023.
Buzzing for Books 
One response to “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – Review”
[…] The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Review […]
LikeLike