Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #0,5
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 825
Published: 2020, Scholastic Press
My Grade: 4 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

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

This book really made me miss The Hunger Games. I remember one of my hostkids in California 2013, when I was an au pair, who forced me to read them while I was there. One of the best recommendations I’ve ever gotten. We had so much to talk about after I had finished all three of them. It was nostalgic reading this prequel and I feel like I want to reread the trilogy (but who has the time?).

It was easy to recognize Collins’ writing, I was once again in Panem but this time at the time of the tenth Hunger Games instead of 74th. The games are not yet developed into the dramatic event it is in the trilogy, we get to see how it changed and that President Snow had a big part in it.

In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Coriolanus Snow (the awful president) is the protagonist and it’s amazing that you start to sympathize with him. Everyone knows how horrible he is, yet you root for him in this book. That’s excellent writing!

The book led me to think that he would actually turn out fine in the end, although I knew that he would turn into the monster that he is in The Hunger Games. But it wasn’t until the very last chapter that it all turned. I was always on edge, hoping that the historical events would change and Snow would finally get his girl. Sadly, no. Still unhappy ending.

Well worth a read! If you love the Hunger Games, you’ll definitely love this book too! 4 out of 5.