Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date published: May 19, 2020

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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 outmaneuver 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 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined—every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor 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 Review ⬻

I had mixed feelings prior to reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. On one hand, I missed Panem and was really curious about what that world looked like those many years before Katniss and her people were around. I was also very curious to find out how a twisted person like Snow came to be. On the other hand, I really really really hate President Snow and have not always had a good experience with spinoffs about series villains. In the end, my curiosity about the world and Snow’s origin story won out and I’m glad that I decided to read it. Here’s why.

The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes shared a different perspective with me (i.e. what the war was like on the Capitol side of things). I was also very happy to read about one of the first Hunger Games, before they became the spectacles they were by the time Katniss volunteered to take her sister’s place.

And again, I was very intrigued by Snow’s origin story. I really want to go into more detail about Snow, but realized that anything I might say might be a spoiler, so I’ll stop myself there. I recommend that you read the book and then pull me aside into a private chat!

I definitely recommend The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to those who want to know about the earlier Panem, earlier Hunger Games, and Snow’s origin story. I’m also really curious about what the experience with the Hunger Games series would be like if one were to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before the Hunger Games trilogy!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Since 1991, Suzanne Collins has been busy writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear and Oswald. She also co-wrote the critically acclaimed Rankin/Bass Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days…The books she is most successful for in teenage eyes are The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. These books have won several awards, including the GA Peach Award.

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⤖ Let’s Chat ⬻

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!