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A review by librarybonanza
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
4.0
Age: Middle school-high school
As someone who loved the original trilogy, this prequel was extremely satisfying. Reading about one of the first Hunger Games was interesting but I was completely invested in President Snow's origin story. He is one of my most despised villains in literature and this book really elaborates on his descent into "justified" madness.
Throughout the novel, the reader sees a normal teenage boy with charisma, pride, and quite an aptitude for empathy and forging connections with people who may be seen as outsiders, as he is one himself. While the book documents Snow's occasional selfish thoughts and decisions, he turns on a dime in the end and it is terrifying. I love how Collins goes into his unreasonable hatred for mockingjays, providing a lovely backdrop for the original trilogy.
As someone who loved the original trilogy, this prequel was extremely satisfying. Reading about one of the first Hunger Games was interesting but I was completely invested in President Snow's origin story. He is one of my most despised villains in literature and this book really elaborates on his descent into "justified" madness.
Throughout the novel, the reader sees a normal teenage boy with charisma, pride, and quite an aptitude for empathy and forging connections with people who may be seen as outsiders, as he is one himself. While the book documents Snow's occasional selfish thoughts and decisions, he turns on a dime in the end and it is terrifying. I love how Collins goes into his unreasonable hatred for mockingjays, providing a lovely backdrop for the original trilogy.