Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

299 reviews

ratchetang's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

Watched the movie before I read the book. Very descriptive. Great at exploring the insight of a characters thoughts. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use and Injury/Injury detail

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.

-

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ = 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.

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

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. 

---

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

aino_maria23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit and Stalking

writing_bear's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Collins has done a brilliant job with this prequel to the Hunger Games. I was absolutely riveted learning Snow's story.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Dementia, and Cannibalism

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This books starts on July 4th, so what a fitting day to finish it! I loved The Hunger Games series when I first read it, devouring each book within just a couple of hours. Still, for some reason, I wasn’t all that interested when I heard about this prequel. Who wants to read about the man we know becomes the ultimate villain? Turns out, I do.

Even if I hadn’t known the future of Coriolanus Snow, I would’ve hated him. From the very first page, he is vain, selfish, and entitled. There are plenty of new characters to love and root for in this book, but never once did I find myself rooting for him. Collins does an incredible job of giving us a look into the mind of a narcissist. 

Like the other Hunger Games books, this one is easy to binge. Even when there’s not a lot of action on-page, it spurs you forward and you’ll look back and wonder how you just blew through 200 pages at a time without realizing it. I’m glad I decided to read it, and I’m looking forward to the next prequel she has planned!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit, Cannibalism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

essypierrot's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

oceanbluetay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, and Cannibalism

gabi_715's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use