A review by dr_ew
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This was a really disappointing book. The writing itself was fabulous of course, but the story was bland. It was set up so well, and lots of the world building elements were really intriguing, but it went nowhere. Such a bummer.
By the end of the book Snow is different, I guess. But it’s hard to describe those differences as character development, as they didn’t seem to come from anywhere. Certain behaviors and choices could be explained by circumstance, but his ultimate shift seemed uncharacteristic, or at the very least unexplored. That would have been a much more interesting story in my opinion.
I also didn’t care much for the narration. Why did they get Santino Fontana and have him SPEAK the ballads???
By the end of the book Snow is different, I guess. But it’s hard to describe those differences as character development, as they didn’t seem to come from anywhere. Certain behaviors and choices could be explained by circumstance, but his ultimate shift seemed uncharacteristic, or at the very least unexplored. That would have been a much more interesting story in my opinion.
I also didn’t care much for the narration. Why did they get Santino Fontana and have him SPEAK the ballads???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: War