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A review by abbimmorgan
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
I decided to reread the Hunger Games trilogy after 10 years and was pleasantly surprised by how well the books held up, especially being YA. I hadn’t read this prequel yet, so I was excited to give it a go. And how entirely underwhelmed and disappointed I was.
This book was boring. In the THG, Collins doesn’t waste a single word or sentence. Here, the book dragged out forever. I almost didn’t finish it. There were so many pointless details, long, unnecessary songs, and characters that could’ve been completely removed. It was interesting to learn more about the beginning of the games and how they evolved over time, and how the war affected the Capitol citizens, but this story could’ve been done in less than 300 pages. There was very little action, but when it did happen it felt very rushed. We had to hear details about every meal Snow ate, but the actual exciting parts were breezed by?
And as another reviewer put it, some of the Easter eggs for the original trilogy felt too “nudge nudge wink wink.” They were too in your face and overplayed.
I feel like overall this book was a waste of my time and I’m annoyed how many hours I spent reading it since it was so long. If it would’ve wrapped up after 250 pages, this could’ve been a 5 star book. But I’m left feeling very disappointed.
This book was boring. In the THG, Collins doesn’t waste a single word or sentence. Here, the book dragged out forever. I almost didn’t finish it. There were so many pointless details, long, unnecessary songs, and characters that could’ve been completely removed. It was interesting to learn more about the beginning of the games and how they evolved over time, and how the war affected the Capitol citizens, but this story could’ve been done in less than 300 pages. There was very little action, but when it did happen it felt very rushed. We had to hear details about every meal Snow ate, but the actual exciting parts were breezed by?
And as another reviewer put it, some of the Easter eggs for the original trilogy felt too “nudge nudge wink wink.” They were too in your face and overplayed.
I feel like overall this book was a waste of my time and I’m annoyed how many hours I spent reading it since it was so long. If it would’ve wrapped up after 250 pages, this could’ve been a 5 star book. But I’m left feeling very disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism, and Murder