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A review by egbella
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
This book kept me on my toes! I’ve read the other Hunger Games books (and watched the movies) so I’m very familiar with the typical violence, political intrigue, and drama that the series holds. This contained the same elements but from a villain’s perspective – which was interesting! (It’s a prequel.)
The tie-ins to the rest of the series were fun, but overall, it was the characters that made the story for me. Each of them had so much depth and I never knew who to trust or to feel sympathy for. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, or what a plot twist would be, I was surprised by how much more was actually happening behind the scenes. I couldn’t put this one down.
And I chose it for this love theme because of the heartbreaking romance between main characters. It’s certainly not your typical happily-ever-after, but it made me feel so many different emotions and was very thought-provoking. What would happen if lovers were on opposite sides? Is there any way things could work out? This isn’t a light book, so read at your own discretion, but I enjoyed the dive into a character’s perspective that I previously took for granted, and the exploration of right vs wrong. A solid read!
Tricky Content: Brutal violence, bombings, war, scene hinting at cannibalism, death (beatings, poisoning, snake bites, hanging, weapons), character succumbs to rabies, brief kisses and references, mild language
I’d Recommend It To: Young adults and older that have read and enjoyed the previous Hunger Games books, can handle the violence and darkness of those books, and enjoy prequel stories with twisting and complicated character relationships, mystery, and plenty of political intrigue.
The tie-ins to the rest of the series were fun, but overall, it was the characters that made the story for me. Each of them had so much depth and I never knew who to trust or to feel sympathy for. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, or what a plot twist would be, I was surprised by how much more was actually happening behind the scenes. I couldn’t put this one down.
And I chose it for this love theme because of the heartbreaking romance between main characters. It’s certainly not your typical happily-ever-after, but it made me feel so many different emotions and was very thought-provoking. What would happen if lovers were on opposite sides? Is there any way things could work out? This isn’t a light book, so read at your own discretion, but I enjoyed the dive into a character’s perspective that I previously took for granted, and the exploration of right vs wrong. A solid read!
Tricky Content: Brutal violence, bombings, war, scene hinting at cannibalism, death (beatings, poisoning, snake bites, hanging, weapons), character succumbs to rabies, brief kisses and references, mild language
I’d Recommend It To: Young adults and older that have read and enjoyed the previous Hunger Games books, can handle the violence and darkness of those books, and enjoy prequel stories with twisting and complicated character relationships, mystery, and plenty of political intrigue.