Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

289 reviews

_dina's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, War, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Medical content, Grief, Addiction, Gaslighting, Blood, Alcoholism, Death, Classism, Bullying, and Alcohol

megan_is_aa's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Child abuse, Child death, and Confinement

Moderate: Death, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Minor: Violence, Drug use, Cannibalism, Addiction, Murder, and Alcohol

macety's review against another edition

adventurous funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Suicidal thoughts, War, Grief, Gun violence, Child abuse, Violence, and Classism

galbi's review against another edition

dark reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I enjoyed the movie, but am SO glad I read the book. There were many changes from the source material—arguably not consequential ones, at least individually, but IMO the totality of these differences resulted in a significant departure from the book in terms of character and thematic elements.

Suzanne Collins really said, “Your pretentious classmate who makes sweeping statements about the inherent depravity and violence of ‘human nature’ is a selfish asshole who’s going to end up going to hell if they don’t get their head straight on.” And good for her. Good for her. 

Reminded me a little bit of one of my favorites, Tender is the Flesh, in that the protagonist is an excellent showcase of a truly horrible person who is probably more like you(/me/any of us) than is comfortable to admit. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Child death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Classism, and Death

Moderate: Cannibalism

imiinbook's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I came into this book with no expectations whatsoever and I really enjoyed it. It's got depth and the lack of redemption was refreshing - who wants to see Snow in a positive light?! He killed children!

I really liked experiencing and watching the development of a monster. Corilanus is so manipulative, self serving and opportunistic; but he also seems to be constantly convincing himself that he's making the right choices. I also love how Collins uses his internal monologue to foreshadow and allow the reader to predict his behaviour; fairly quickly into the book, you can immediately get a sense of what choices Corilanus will pick when he is presented with them because you know he will calculate what will benefit him most. Having said that, sometimes he does have a tenderness which caught me off guard a few times. I think the book really benefits from the complexity that these moments bring.

His interactions with the Plinths are one of my favourite parts of the book. The juxtaposition of how they see him and how he sees them is a fascinating part of his villain arc; and his conversation with Papa Plinth, where his expectation of some kind of monetary reward for saving Sejanus is thwarted, is one of my favourite scenes. Satisfying to see someone who sees all of his relationships as transactional be denied; but also oddly satisfying as a whole to see Corilanus succeed in the majority of his manipulations and deceits. Snow always comes out on top ;) Perhaps the satisfaction comes from knowing your assessment of him as an asshole is right?

Also hot take but I don't think Corilanus ever loved Lucy Gray. I think he loved the idea of her and the idea of what she could give him but I think that's as far as it goes. Curious if other people feel the same about that.

A final small note: I also liked that Collins stuck with the full 'Corilanus' name rather than referring to him as Corey. I enjoyed the sense of detachment that it brought - I didn't feel like I was supposed to like him or warm to him; or feel forced into familiarity.

This was a satisfying read and I really enjoyed the writing. Great to get back into some Suzanne Collins after so long.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Child death, and Classism

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Murder, Classism, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Police brutality, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Alcohol, War, Misogyny, and Addiction

Minor: Vomit, Infidelity, Excrement, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Confinement, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcoholism

enchante's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Death of parent, War, Child death, Cannibalism, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Torture, and Grief

Minor: Alcohol

erikalv97's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Death, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Violence, Classism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Slavery, Cannibalism, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Bullying, Alcohol, Addiction, War, Toxic friendship, Ableism, and Toxic relationship

eguare's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The primary tension of this book comes from its status as a prequel, wherein the reader already knows that the main character is the primary villain of the Hunger Games trilogy 60-ish years after the events of this book. Knowing that, the book has a dark, ominous cloud over it even in the parts that would, in any other book, provide hope for the protagonist's redemption. The characterization and deep dive into the motivations of "future President Snow" were fascinating and often heart-droppingly horrifying. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, War, Toxic relationship, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Gore, Genocide, Animal cruelty, Death, Classism, Body horror, Animal death, Blood, and Child death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

Minor: Cannibalism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

lj_sophia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow. This was a much more complex story than that of the original Hunger Games trilogy. It's violent, dark, compelling, and a wonderful way to set up Katniss's story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Child death, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Violence, War, Death, Classism, Blood, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicide, Cannibalism, Infidelity, Addiction, and Grief