The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel)
By Suzanne Collins
- Release Date: 2020-05-19
- Genre: Dystopian Fiction for Young Adults
Description
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.
Reviews
Good
4By #j.b.Good addition to the series! It was a bit slow going in some places, but that’s just meThrilling
5By PatrickAkridgeIt keeps you wanting more. Perfect length as well. Suzanne Collin's is always a hit!amazing and complex
5By clustermerelucy gray i love youHunger Games at its Worst
2By HAJS29Easily the weakest book of the Hunger Games series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes an interesting premise yet fails to deliver. The story revolves around a young Coriolanus Snow slowly feeding into his ambition at the expense of compassion. A welcome change from the action packed original trilogy, as this book was definitely more psychological, however the slow spiral into cruelty and cheating felt rather forced. What seemed to be a strong bond between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray all of a sudden collapsed as Coriolanus was provided with an out, something that surprised me as there seemed to be a multitude of alternatives to how he could have handled the situation. The Hunger Games itself definitely gave off the vibe of raw and still within its early stages, an interesting insight into how the games started off, not with intricate arenas and grandeur. The setting and early establishment of the games is what carried this book for me. I found it very interesting to see how early tributes were treated in comparison to the likes of Katniss in the original trilogy. It was more so the relationships that took away from the immersion. Coriolanus and Tigris were very close, and that somehow deteriorated, the same goes for Coriolanus and Lucy Gray. In essence, the early Capitol proved to be a deeply flawed society, struggling to gain viewership for an event that few wanted to witness, slowly improving on the spectacle year on year, something that really intrigued me. This intrigue faltered however with the characters, bland and evil for evils sake.Where are pages 40-50 of Chapter 3?!?!
1By RykleA full book would’ve been nice.A heartbreaking and fascinating read
5By kairiflame123A fascinating look into the deeply cruel mind of the future President Snow. Lucy Gray and Sejanus gave me hope for humanity before everything came crashing down. I loved this glance into the Gamemaker’s side of the Games and the excuses people use to terrorize others. I’m planning to reread it right after I finish writing this. :)Hunger
4By ayleigh the alienScary but very interestinglucy gray baird you will always be famous
5By aqsaessiei’m here, i’m there, i’m everywhere but you can’t catch me nowGreat prequel
5By dugedug89Really enjoyed this book! The character development was very well done and somewhat unexpected. Can’t wait to watch the movie now.Amazing Book!
5By Lizzy0965Awesome! The development of Snow over the course of the story is both sympathetic and chilling, and the story is extremely well written. I read many books, but this is one of those few I would come back to time and again.So so
3By DeltaLove4It was good but hated the ending. Should of had more explanationBallad of songbirds and snakes
4By kat lacy greyComplex characters and plot twists. Makes you think of nurture vs. natureA smart perspective of the future tyrant
5By NYCcrosscountrydriverSuzanne did something I think was so smart in this HG installment — having Coriolanus’ perspective be told in the third person rather than the first. It was almost as if we got a safe distance from Coryo yet nonetheless got a good glimpse into his mind.A Thrilling, Intense Read
5By msccrtcThis book is many things: Fascinating, intricate, dark, and occasionally beautiful. It does not shy away from the darkest aspects of humanity, and it uses shock value in the most effective ways possible. Nothing in this book felt without purpose or direction - the entire time I was reading it I could see the road it was paving before me. Naturally it was never quite the whole story, as with many of the things in this book. If you are considering reading this book, I absolutely recommend it - if you can stomach a book with brutal honesty, and one that closely examines humanity’s worst sides.Songbirds and snakes
5By Rae StormchildIt twisted and turned it certainly makes sense why katnis caught his attentionSO GOOD
5By emshute19This might be my favorite out of all the hunger games booksAmazing.
5By ashleyleventhalThis story was amazing, definitely in my top. I decided to read this after I watched the movie, I wanted to see more of Coriolanus’s POV, and I did. This book was amazing. I almost felt sorry for him, but in the end I know Lucy is still out there, I got hope for my girl. This story was fascinating, thrilling, and terrifying. The end when he’s in the forest really was the cherry on top for me, it was as almost I felt his rage/sadness. Wish he never said anything about 3 people and went on to live with Lucy but without that we’d never have Katniss to thank for ridding the world of a terrible leader <3perfection
5By get dat foshosuzanne collins is a geniusExtremely frustrated
1By grxfyjbdIt’s not letting me read the book I bought
