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Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
299 reviews
uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
maryconney's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Medical content, and War
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Alcohol
jdgammons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was pretty much annoyed with Sejanus and Snow the entire book and found only Lucy Grey as the only semi enjoyable character but was consistently frustrated with her doe eyed complacency and ignorance. In comparison to Katniss who is one of the strongest women characters in teen fiction I found Lucy Grey lack luster in comparison.
Snow was the only person who had any sort of character development in the book and non of it good. I found the epilogue where suddenly Snow has no care for consequences very out of character suddenly when he spent the rest of the book careful of any repercussions that may come to him as well as the Plinth family adopting him as well as an easy way to wrap up loose ends with the Snow families low income and the Plinth's loss.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism
onefineelephant'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
SPOILERS:
As I said, I watched the movie before reading the book so I knew the events of the book. While watching the movie, I wondered if Coriolanus actually loved Lucy Gray like he said or if he felt attracted to her but was manipulating her for his own benefit. I guess both could be true, but the book makes it clear that he does actually love her even though his own paranoia, selfishness, and manipulation spoil even the most pure thing in his life. The concepts of trust and love come up in this book quite a lot, especially at the end, and I think it is fascinating to examine what those concepts look and feel like. Coriolanus claims to love and trust Lucy Gray (even to himself) but ultimately proves that while he may love her, he is incapable of truly trusting anyone. I think the only person Coriolanus ever truly trusted was Tigris and we know that he ended up having a falling-out with her later in life. Considering his actions throughout the book (causing Sejanus's death, murdering people, becoming a Peacekeeper/cop, horrendously improving the Hunger Games, turning on Lucy Gray), I take deep satisfaction that he grows up to be miserable and alone. Snow may land on top, but tyrants always fall eventually.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Torture, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Confinement, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and War
jessiesnoww'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
avazee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
maddielags'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
Going into it after the first three and how much of a bad guy Snow is, I really wasn’t sure if I would like it but I loved the character of Lucy Gray. Snow is… hard to like, but that’s kinda the point.
This book had little nods to the trilogy and explained the back story of some pivotal stories from the trilogy, such as seeing the story of the hanging tree and how the song came to be.
All that’s left for me to say is… read the book, if you liked the trilogy, you will like this book.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Vomit, Alcohol, and Classism
ratchetang'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
4.25
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
- 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
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.
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.devinjai6655's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Torture, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail