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theaceofpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Set not too long after the war against the rebels, this book explores the Capitol and the early Hunger Games through the eyes of Snow (yes, that Snow). He is assigned as a mentor and plans to exploit this to ensure a good future for himself. Unfortunately for him, he is assigned the underdog of the underdogs - Lucy Gray Baird the district 12 female tribute. But she is not your usual district 13 citizen and Snow works with her to try ensure her survival and his future.
It's been a while since I've read the original trilogy (maybe I should reread them actually...) but I remember what reading it was like. I enjoyed the prequel but it reads a lot like fanfiction. And I don't necessarily mean this in a bad way. There are a lot of what feel like *see, see* moments (e.g. several references to the katniss plant, songs, I'm sure there are several others I'm missing). There were parts I absolutely loved and others that... Yeah. I think parts could have been better/explained more/etc. The book maybe tries to fit a bit too much story in. I'd say it maybe contains content equal to about two of the original trilogy. There were also parts of the end that I just didn't like, but others were interesting
It's quite a lot more violent than the original books. It gets quite disturbing at times. You get to see into parts of just how messed up the Capitol is. I absolutely loved the world building and the insight into the Capitol it provided. I think this was my favourite part of the book. Honestly, I'd be interested in reading more about it, particularly the
I wasn't a big fan of the main characters. I know other liked her but Lucy annoyed me, although I don't know how much of that is because of Snow's views. Snow... Well, I didn't like him. Not because of who he becomes but because who he is in this book. I know he's young but he's kind of all over the place. I think it might be an attempt to make him complex, but it just didn't work for me. It is an interesting look into how mind works though and his thought processes and reasoning.
Was it worth reading? Yes. Just be prepared for something far darker than the original trilogy that somehow managed to be the same and nothing like it at the same time. I think it delves into a lot of interesting ideas and expands on the world
Some notes on some of the content warnings (all are individually spoilered)
Child death:
Child abuse:
Murder:
War:
Gaslighting:
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Vomit, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation
andyandnormski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story follows Snow as a young teenager on the cusp of adulthood and shows you just how irredeemable he was from the very beginning. The narrative is haunting from his perspective. What you gain is a deeper understanding of how the games and Panem itself evolved into what we see during Katniss's time. Without giving too much away, all I can say is you'll likely find yourself wanting to personally punch Snow by the time the story is finished.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma
trashcanmoose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic
theuncannydani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Terminal illness
katattack345's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It is far more darker than the original trilogy but I still loved every page.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Body horror, Cursing, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Torture, Dementia, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Classism
marthadude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Terminal illness, Dementia, and Cannibalism
astrangewind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Hunger Games take on a whole new meaning in this book - only ten years after the war, before all the pomp and flair, from the perspective of not only a mentor, but Corionalus Snow, the Big Bad Villain Man in the original Hunger Games trilogy. Here, we see the televised nature of the Games as an awkward affair, which provide the barest suggestion of what they will become by the time Katniss gets to them. The Games themselves are distanced; we only see the violence that happens from the mentors' eyes, who are largely interested in their tribute's survival only inasmuch as their fame and recognition depend on it. So much unlike the original trilogy where the reader, too, is inside the arena.
It's 500+ pages of following around the future president of Panem; of course we know it doesn't end well. That's what makes this book so captivating - Coriolanus is not a hero. He's a bystander, only caring about others in terms of how they affect his long-term goals, willing to step on those he deems subhuman.
When I read The Hunger Games for the first time, I was barely in high school. Back then, the draw of the books for me was that a bunch of teenagers were killing each other. Now, as I read Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I wonder if the trilogy was this damn obvious. The reaping on July 4th, Coriolanus's hatred of Sejanus as a district-born Capitol citizen whose family has more money than his, the way he talks about the tributes other than his, the one he can use.
The Hunger Games were books about rebellion, revolution, fighting against oppression, no matter the cost. And there were costs. But this is a book about suppression. About how apathy and self-interest turns you into a monster that you don't care about becoming. About how the circumstances of your birth and life informs how you see others - that even though you might be eating cabbage soup inside of a penthouse with marbled floors, at least you're not district poor.
Coriolanus's obliviousness, selfishness, and downright sociopathy make him so unlikeable, but I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to see him punished - but, of course, why would he be? He gets the top spot in Panem's hierarchy.
Everything Collins does is clever: Sejanus's name, rooted from Janus, a god often portrayed with two faces; Coriolanus's abject hatred of the mockingjays as soon as he encounters them; the funeral of the Ring twins, where several tributes were dragged behind horse-drawn chariots, conjuring images of Achilles's dragging of Hector during the Trojan War. Her treatment of Coriolanus's PTSD from the bombings is superb and accurate. The characterization of Tigris as a mother figure, too.
Really just an incredible book that makes me want to reread The Hunger Games.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Slavery, Grief, and War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical trauma, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
percivaljoyce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
haley_reads_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
lindasoderlundd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Drug use