The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel)
Suzanne Collins
Subjects
- Action Adventures - chills, thrills and plenty of spills
- Fantasy Worlds - awesome adventures of magic and mystery
""Everything you would expect from Collins is here: fraught teenage love; plenty of violence... the themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression will please and thrill"" The Guardian ""It works beautifully... please don't make us wait another decade"" The Times Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price. It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - ; every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes. Three books, four films and one worldwide phenomenon, The Hunger Games changed the face of global YA. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a global number one hit in hardback. Soon to be a major feature film releasing in 2023.
Reviews
I really enjoyed discovering why Snow became the man he did and initially I felt very sympathetic towards him thanks to some great writing and the events that occurred. Felt the ending was a bit rushed though after how well the rest of the plot had been developed.
HB77
Essential reading for all fans of The Hunger Games. I always love finding out more about a character's backstory and this doesn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the insight into the origins and history of the games - and it definitely added to my reading of the other books in the series.
JessLetts23
Having read the original Hunger Games I really loved how this book gave the background to President Snow. As with the Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins drew you in to the characters and you always wanted to know more.
MrsLReads
I listened to the Audiobook, which was an epic 16 hours +. I enjoyed the story, but found it difficult to connect with Coriolanus Snow and get invested in his story. It was interesting to have a back story to the hunger games and how it evolved in the early days. I look forward to seeing how this transfers to film, but also makes me want to re-read the Hunger Games in future too.
Sara_Bee
Fascinating prequel to find out the backstop of president snow.
Kjames22
The prequel to the Hunger Games explaining the origin behind the games. An interesting melding of late Republic Rome and Romantic poetry. Coriolanus Snow is the anti-hero we cannot help but like until his narcissism and need to always land on top leads him to crimes we cannot forgive.
KMMatthews
I loved this book. Such an interesting prequel which gets you thinking about the way a character can be shaped by their past. I think Hinger Games YA fans will love this book.
ClaG77
Enjoyed this book as much as the others in the original series. It was interesting to find out more about Snow and his background. There are still some unanswered questions so hopefully another book will appear.
MCJ21
A much anticipated prequel to the Hunger Games- it does not disappoint. We learn of the origins of the Hunger Games through the eyes of Coriolanus Snow- the archvillain of the Hunger Games who eventually becomes President Snow. The start of the book, Coriolanus Snow is a teenager who is worried about money and how to get through his final year at the Capitol Academy and being one of the first mentors in the 10th Hunger Games. To his dismay, he is given Lucy Gray Baird, a district 12 competitor- unlikely to win- but Lucy is a real individual and perhaps it won't go so badly. For those of us that love the descriptions of the Hunger Games,this one has all that and it is really interesting to see Snow's descent from impressionable young man with ideals to become the all evil President. A very clever book which I couldn't put down!
kpeugniez
The first two thirds of this novel were well written. It has the same pacy tone as the original trilogy. However, the final denouement did seemed rushed and not true to the character development of the first two thirds.
kinedale
If you liked the Hunger Games books, then this prequel is for you! I couldn't wait to see how Snow became such a baddie and was surprised to find him such a likeable character, and I was routing for him for most of the book. Can't wait for the film version, it might help me pronounce some of the names and remember all the tributes and mentors better.
Sreads
Not as good as the original series but enjoyable
Lynspads