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A review by fayetree
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
4.0
Coriolanus snow you are my WORST enemy.
how anyone could have been persuaded into thinking he was ever a genuinely good person is beyond me. even in the beginning it was clear that he wasn’t a good person and that he cared about stays and power above all. he didn’t go through any changes, nothing happened to make him turn into the President Snow we know from the original trilogy, he was the same in the beginning as he was in the end.
i think he started out as a little bitch manipulated by the ways of the capitol and he had the chance to grow into a better person if only he allowed himself to be changed and influenced by the good people i his life— tigris, sejanus, and lucy gray— but instead he let himself be influenced by the negative things— dr. gaul, his fathers legacy, his grandmother, and the capitol, and so he changed into a horribly evil human being. he would’ve rather had power and control over those around him than be a good person and that’s why he ended up alone, because at the end of the day he’s a selfish, narcissistic asshole. like the thing is, he had the ability to feel empathy, there were moments when he did, but he always talked himself out of it. he always came up with reasons why he shouldn’t feel bad and why the things that he and the Capitol did were justified or why he was blameless (like saying ‘he’s just a kid and he doesn’t run Panem’ while actively supporting every heinous act the Capitol performed). so maybe he had the ability to not be evil, to not be a part of the Capitol, but he chose to because in the end he cared more about his own well being than those of others. it’s the major difference between him and Sejanus (who was his foil), Sejanus would rather risk his life and his future in order to do the right thing & help people, whereas Snow would rather other people, even those he claims to love, suffer in order to protect himself and his power.
all he did was deceive the people closest to him for his own gain. like it’s so clear that his love for Lucy Gray was never genuine , he just wanted to control her, as he wants to all aspects of his life. even in the beginning he constantly refers to her as something he owns and hates the idea of anyone thinking she had an existence before him. like if he didn’t find her attractive he wouldn’t have saved her!! he wouldn’t have even cared for her existence, he wouldn’t have batted an eye at her death!! he does not view her as a person, but as an object for his desire!!!! and he was never honest with her, even in his kindest moments, there was always him thinking of how it could help him. nothing he did in this book was genuine, he would have (and did) sell out anyone in his life in order to save himself. maybe he did love her, but it was never genuine enough to outweigh his selfishness.
he hates how love makes him feel, it makes him ‘weak’ and ‘vulnerable’ and so he got rid of everyone he cared for— lucy gray, sejanus, and eventually tigris.
and Tigris is perfect and we love her <3 she deserved a better cousin who appreciated her more and wasn’t literally evil incarnate :) like the way he looked down on her for the things she did to PROTECT him and literally would’ve rather not known about it just so HE’D feel more comfortable as if she didn’t make sacrifices her whole childhood for him and he couldn’t even handle some discomfort.
and poor, kind Sejanus, my heart breaks for him. He regarded Snow as his brother (or summ else…wink wink), the only person he could truly trust just for Snow to betray without care and then insert himself into his family and take their money as if he didn’t sentence their son to death. as if he didn’t spend the whole book judging them and thinking himself superior. Sejanus spent so much time worrying about possibly endangering Snow and he trusted him so much, when in the end Snow couldn’t care less about him. or snow DID care about him but betrayed him anyway, because he cared about himself & power more, which just makes it worse. no one spread bread crumbs over his body!!! he was so kind and caring to everyone but no one reciprocated it towards him!!! no one listened to him at all!!! all he wanted was to live a life outside of the Capitol and be free of his torment!!!
umm….. also…. marcus was sejanus’ childhood crush and he betrayed him (in his eyes) and then he was betrayed by his teenage crush (Coryo). like that’s MY truth. coryo may be an evil freak but he’s ALSO gay. “you have to stop saving me” “i cant” OKAAYYYY???? like get a ROOM!
in conclusion, lucy gray, tigris, and sejanus deserved better :(
also i just thought about how the Snows could have eaten the roses his grandmother ALWAYS grew in their roof during the war in order to avoid starving, but they’re Captiol idiots and didn’t realize the flowers were edible. silly willy’s!!
anyways, onto my actual thoughts on the book. it was rather slow and boring at times (mainly because who gives a fuck about snow and all his whining about his supposed suffering & difficult life) but i do think it was interesting to be inside of his head at times!! and im excited for the movie. obviously my favorite part was Sejanus i mean come on he’s perfection.
SORRY for writing so much, no one is going to read this & i keep reupdating it but i have A LOT to say!!! this is for ME not you
how anyone could have been persuaded into thinking he was ever a genuinely good person is beyond me. even in the beginning it was clear that he wasn’t a good person and that he cared about stays and power above all. he didn’t go through any changes, nothing happened to make him turn into the President Snow we know from the original trilogy, he was the same in the beginning as he was in the end.
i think he started out as a little bitch manipulated by the ways of the capitol and he had the chance to grow into a better person if only he allowed himself to be changed and influenced by the good people i his life— tigris, sejanus, and lucy gray— but instead he let himself be influenced by the negative things— dr. gaul, his fathers legacy, his grandmother, and the capitol, and so he changed into a horribly evil human being. he would’ve rather had power and control over those around him than be a good person and that’s why he ended up alone, because at the end of the day he’s a selfish, narcissistic asshole. like the thing is, he had the ability to feel empathy, there were moments when he did, but he always talked himself out of it. he always came up with reasons why he shouldn’t feel bad and why the things that he and the Capitol did were justified or why he was blameless (like saying ‘he’s just a kid and he doesn’t run Panem’ while actively supporting every heinous act the Capitol performed). so maybe he had the ability to not be evil, to not be a part of the Capitol, but he chose to because in the end he cared more about his own well being than those of others. it’s the major difference between him and Sejanus (who was his foil), Sejanus would rather risk his life and his future in order to do the right thing & help people, whereas Snow would rather other people, even those he claims to love, suffer in order to protect himself and his power.
all he did was deceive the people closest to him for his own gain. like it’s so clear that his love for Lucy Gray was never genuine , he just wanted to control her, as he wants to all aspects of his life. even in the beginning he constantly refers to her as something he owns and hates the idea of anyone thinking she had an existence before him. like if he didn’t find her attractive he wouldn’t have saved her!! he wouldn’t have even cared for her existence, he wouldn’t have batted an eye at her death!! he does not view her as a person, but as an object for his desire!!!! and he was never honest with her, even in his kindest moments, there was always him thinking of how it could help him. nothing he did in this book was genuine, he would have (and did) sell out anyone in his life in order to save himself. maybe he did love her, but it was never genuine enough to outweigh his selfishness.
he hates how love makes him feel, it makes him ‘weak’ and ‘vulnerable’ and so he got rid of everyone he cared for— lucy gray, sejanus, and eventually tigris.
and Tigris is perfect and we love her <3 she deserved a better cousin who appreciated her more and wasn’t literally evil incarnate :) like the way he looked down on her for the things she did to PROTECT him and literally would’ve rather not known about it just so HE’D feel more comfortable as if she didn’t make sacrifices her whole childhood for him and he couldn’t even handle some discomfort.
and poor, kind Sejanus, my heart breaks for him. He regarded Snow as his brother (or summ else…wink wink), the only person he could truly trust just for Snow to betray without care and then insert himself into his family and take their money as if he didn’t sentence their son to death. as if he didn’t spend the whole book judging them and thinking himself superior. Sejanus spent so much time worrying about possibly endangering Snow and he trusted him so much, when in the end Snow couldn’t care less about him. or snow DID care about him but betrayed him anyway, because he cared about himself & power more, which just makes it worse. no one spread bread crumbs over his body!!! he was so kind and caring to everyone but no one reciprocated it towards him!!! no one listened to him at all!!! all he wanted was to live a life outside of the Capitol and be free of his torment!!!
umm….. also…. marcus was sejanus’ childhood crush and he betrayed him (in his eyes) and then he was betrayed by his teenage crush (Coryo). like that’s MY truth. coryo may be an evil freak but he’s ALSO gay. “you have to stop saving me” “i cant” OKAAYYYY???? like get a ROOM!
in conclusion, lucy gray, tigris, and sejanus deserved better :(
also i just thought about how the Snows could have eaten the roses his grandmother ALWAYS grew in their roof during the war in order to avoid starving, but they’re Captiol idiots and didn’t realize the flowers were edible. silly willy’s!!
anyways, onto my actual thoughts on the book. it was rather slow and boring at times (mainly because who gives a fuck about snow and all his whining about his supposed suffering & difficult life) but i do think it was interesting to be inside of his head at times!! and im excited for the movie. obviously my favorite part was Sejanus i mean come on he’s perfection.
SORRY for writing so much, no one is going to read this & i keep reupdating it but i have A LOT to say!!! this is for ME not you