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ballousclues's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
"But deep down, things could never be the same between them. He would always be in her debt. She had the right to demand things."
I haven't read any of Suzanne Collins' other books, so I can't compare The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to her other works. That said, I've given it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars.
I came into this book with a pretty clear image of President Snow as a complex, yet undeniably cruel villain, thanks to the Hunger Games movies. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a fascinating dive into his origin story. It was intriguing to see this young man from the Capitol, someone who experienced the harsh realities of the districts firsthand, grapple with the morality of the Hunger Games.
For the majority of the book, there's a flicker of humanity in Snow. His connection with Lucy Gray was unexpected and added depth to his character. It felt like a genuine bond, at least on his end, and I was curious to see where their relationship would go. However, the narrative made it clear that their connection, while strong, was built on shared trauma rather than romantic love.
Snow’s internal struggle is fascinating. His decisions, particularly regarding Sejanus, show a man caught between his conscience and the ruthless world he’s being forced into. It’s clear that the latter half of the book is where Snow truly solidifies into the villain we know and loathe. His transformation is chilling, but also incredibly compelling. He really does remind readers that Snow lands on top, regardless of what it takes to get there.
Ultimately, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a well-crafted prequel that offers a fresh perspective on a familiar character.
I haven't read any of Suzanne Collins' other books, so I can't compare The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to her other works. That said, I've given it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars.
I came into this book with a pretty clear image of President Snow as a complex, yet undeniably cruel villain, thanks to the Hunger Games movies. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a fascinating dive into his origin story. It was intriguing to see this young man from the Capitol, someone who experienced the harsh realities of the districts firsthand, grapple with the morality of the Hunger Games.
For the majority of the book, there's a flicker of humanity in Snow. His connection with Lucy Gray was unexpected and added depth to his character. It felt like a genuine bond, at least on his end, and I was curious to see where their relationship would go. However, the narrative made it clear that their connection, while strong, was built on shared trauma rather than romantic love.
Snow’s internal struggle is fascinating. His decisions, particularly regarding Sejanus, show a man caught between his conscience and the ruthless world he’s being forced into. It’s clear that the latter half of the book is where Snow truly solidifies into the villain we know and loathe. His transformation is chilling, but also incredibly compelling. He really does remind readers that Snow lands on top, regardless of what it takes to get there.
Ultimately, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a well-crafted prequel that offers a fresh perspective on a familiar character.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = This book was phenomenal and very difficult to put down. The characters were lovable, the plot was great, and the writing was strong. Definitely have a book hangover. I know this will be a story I think about for a long time. Highly recommend to everyone!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = This book was very good but I was able to put it down for the night. The characters were good, the plot was fine, and the writing was good. I’ll recommend this book to others. There were definitely moments from the book I really liked, maybe even loved, and there were some parts that may have some room for improvement. I definitely recommend giving this book a try!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ = This book was fine. The characters, plot, and writing were all okay, but nothing extraordinary. I may have had an issue with some pieces in the plot or the writing. I may recommend this book to some people but not everyone I run into. It was a good book - it just wasn’t a favorite of mine.
⭐️⭐️ = This book was okay but far from a favorite. There may have been some moments that I liked, but overall, I may have had a bigger issue with the characters, plot, or the writing. I don’t plan on recommending this book to most people, or anyone at all. Just wasn’t for me.
⭐️ = This book I actually disliked. Definitely wasn’t my cup of tea and there wasn’t anything I enjoyed about it. I actually had a tough time getting through this book and may have not even finished it. I may have had major issues with the character, plot, or the writing. I do not recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Cannibalism
Minor: Drug use, Torture, Vomit, Death of parent, and Alcohol
The book is a lot more gory than the movies are. While the series implies there is a food shortage, it is more of a focal point of the book than it is in the movies, in my opinion.carillon333's review against another edition
5.0
I’ll be thinking about this book for a while now. The complex characters just make you want to think “Dang, I want to write an essay about these characters.” thank you Suzanne for feeding us with these books and I’m so excited for Sunrise on the Reaping.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: War
pazgordillo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: War
courtneys_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
Another book where the movie adaptation is almost identical. I guess I enjoyed more of the commentary from Snow's thoughts, it did give me more context for some scenes. But still it's enjoyable, you know you are going to get a solid story from the Hunger Games series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Death of parent and War
Minor: Addiction and Cannibalism
xtinareally's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read another review who said it best (@nataliya):
You don't root for young Hitler to find love and success... Coriolanus Snow cannot be redeemed. But he can be understood, to a point, and thats what Collins did well here.
I struggled to get into this prequel story knowing full well I would not sympathize with Snow, but I wanted to understand how history unraveled itself into the world we see by the 74th reaping. The level of foreshadowing Collins does within this story alone, as well as tying things into the original trilogy, is phenomenal. I am still constantly thinking back to how every action by the rebels in the future, knowingly or unknowingly, packs a bigger punch to the gut against Snow/against the capitol. Although I enjoyed the overall message, I really didn't care for a lot of the characters nor the games they played.
What I thought was originally just a love story gone wrong developed into more of a study on the human psyche, and for that, I did enjoy this read slightly more than average and more than what I expected.
For all these reasons, I am also glad I borrowed this from the library rather than spent the money as it would not have met my original trilogy Hunger Games expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and War
princess_marie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Gun violence, and War
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, Police brutality, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
jjacobs1126's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, and War
hayleycorrigan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, and War
bubblybelle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
meh?? this was fine i guess? snow’s personality felt very all of the place and wishy washy which made it hard to get any sort of grasp on him as a character. also for it being a villain origin story, it just didn’t work imo. we knew he was evil going into it, so 500
pages of him mostly just doing more cruel things wasn’t surprising.
pages of him mostly just doing more cruel things wasn’t surprising.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Cannibalism
popsicleplease's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Cannibalism