Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2020
517 pages
Summary: Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.
Personal Thoughts: I was super excited to read this prequel to the Hunger Games. I love that series so much. I remember borrowing the books from the library and having to wait desperately for each book to come available! So when I heard about "Songbirds and Snakes" I was ecstatic for the chance to read it.
Unfortunately, it did not meet up to the hype of the book nor the level of writing from the rest of the series. This book was at least 100 pages too long and the story just dragged. The excitement of the Hunger Games simply wasn't there. Perhaps it was because Collins concentrated almost exclusively on the character development of Snow. Perhaps it was because I knew what was to come 75 years later in the Panem world. I'm not completely sure. All I know is that the story did not meet my expectations.
That being said, it was still a good book overall, even if it was longer than required for the story. It was interesting to hear more about how the Hunger Games got started and why Snow turned out to be the man we know later in the series. If you can leave your expectations at the door, it is a decent read. Just not to the level I know from Suzanne Collins.
No comments:
Post a Comment