Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads Summary:

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, 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 outmaneuver 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 favor 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.

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Coriolanus Snow broke my heart and that's something I hadn't expected. Of course, we all know Snow to be the dictatorial ruler of Panem, about sixty years after this book, in Collins' Hunger Games series, but this prequel sets you up to empathise with him, to root for him. That is, until he breaks your heart.

Once Coriolanus is assigned to be Lucy Gray's mentor in the Games and ensure her survival- Collins' gives you a first hand look into Snow's aspirations and beliefs, and the path that led him to power, greed and destruction. As you watch him fall in love and lose everything he holds dear, you learn of his blind allegiance to the Capital which he doesn't seem to realise himself.

Everything RIGHT with this book:

- Extensive use of imagery and description, hard hitting.

- Character development.

- No cringe worthy moments.

- Lucy + Coriolanus = <3

And everything WRONG:

- Coriolanus becomes a dictator in the end :/

- and he breaks my heart :/

If you're a fan of the Hunger Games, this book is definitely worth the read! And if you haven't read the series yet, this book could be a great start!

Also, check out this Buzzfeed quiz (I'm sorry I had to) and find out which character from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes you are!

Rating: 5/5