A review by laerkefugl
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

4.5

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is a fantastic addition to The Hunger Games universe. The backstory of Coriolanus Snow and the early years of the Games was incredibly engaging. However, I made the mistake of finishing the book right before bed. Which, in turn, rewarded me with a terrible night's sleep. That epilogue literally made me feel sick.

The way Coriolanus indirectly got Sejanus killed, watched his hanging, and still felt comfortable taking his fortune and family? That was one of the cruelest things I’ve ever read. It pissed me off. Sejanus deserved better. The way he yelled “Ma!” right before he died completely broke me—this book was playing with my emotions.

Another part of the epilogue that stood out was Coriolanus’ conversation with Dean Highbottom at the Academy. That’s when Casca revealed how The Hunger Games were first conceived. It immediately took me back to the end of Mockingjay, where Katniss and the remaining victors vote on whether the Games should continue. Katniss wonders if this was how the Games were first considered. But no—it’s somehow even worse. The entire concept of the Games was a drunken mistake by Casca Highbottom, which Crassus Snow turned in for a grade. Just the thought of that is insane. That one selfish act—Crassus betraying Casca (much like Coriolanus betraying Sejanus, by the way)—eventually led to over 1,700 children taking their last breaths in the arena.


Spoilers aside, I love how Snow was written as a character. He’s not framed as a misunderstood antihero like some villain origin stories tend to do, but he’s also not a cartoonishly evil caricature. I liked the balance. Suzanne Collins did a great job portraying him as the young and developing fascist he was meant to be.

I also loved seeing the Games from a different perspective. In the original series, we experienced them through Katniss inside the arena. Here, following Coriolanus as a mentor added a fresh and intriguing layer to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If it weren’t for Sunrise on the Reaping coming out soon, I’d be sad to see this series end. That said, I do agree with others who felt some parts dragged—particularly Part Three: The Peacekeeper. I found myself skimming at times when not much was happening. While I still enjoyed the story, the pacing lost some momentum until the ending, which completely redeemed itself.

A solid 4.5 stars. I’d possibly reread it someday alongside the main series.

|—TL;DR—|

Focus Genre: Sci-Fi/Dystopian
Nostalgia: Disqualified
Personal Enjoyment: 4⭐
Plot: 5⭐
World-Building/Setting: 5⭐
Characters: 5⭐
  • Relationships: 5⭐ (includes friendships, rivalries, etc.)
Writing: 5⭐
Pacing: 4⭐
System/Tech: 5⭐
Social Commentary: 5⭐ | Human nature, Ethics vs Control and Power, Authority and oppression, Much more+ |
Themes/Philosophy: 5⭐
Ending: 5⭐

=Overall=
4,36-stars⭐ ≈ 4,5-stars⭐

~13/02/25~
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