The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Dystopian)
Name: Kaelyn B.
Book Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Dystopian
Number of Pages: 517
Rating: 5/5
It's not over 'til the mockingjay sings.
Character List:
- Lucy Gray - Lucy Gray is a poor girl from District 12, but what is she supposed to do when her whole life is uprooted after being chosen for the 10th annual Hunger Games?
- Coriolanus Snow - Coriolanus will do anything for power, to uphold his family's reputation, to get to the top, to take revenge on the people who hurt him. Anything. What a strange opportunity the 10th annual Hunger Games would hold to keep up the facade of his family’s wealth.
- Sejanus - Sejanus misses home, but what is he to do about his old home in the districts when he lives in the capitol. He should be grateful, but something isn’t right with the capitol. Then again, what would be the cost of speaking out?
- Billy Taupe - Billy knows he’d be described by many as a scoundrel, a heart breaker, a thief, and a lowlife. But that’s not what matters is it? It’s every man for himself out in the districts, and in the long run, if he survives on top, who cares who he hurts?
- Dr. Gaul - Dr. Gaul knows how humanity works. How people need herding, and everyone has a place. It’s like an experiment isn’t it? How much till people break, how much till they fall in line, or how much until they rebel. Those few who rebel don’t fit into her plan, but disposing of them won’t be an issue.
Review:
Coriolanus Snow has done a good job of concealing his family’s poverty, but soon he will have to pay a lot of money to continue this reputation by going to his graduating school. Coriolanus doesn’t have the money, but the 10th annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death with 24 of the district's children as punishment for uprising, is coming up, and the government is offering a scholarship for schooling if one of the Capitol’s students mentors the winning tribute. This is his chance, but when he meets an unlikely match for a mentee he finds himself in an increasingly difficult situation. Lucy Gray is a peculiar girl, but what will happen if things fall apart? What will happen if someone gets in the way? A story of the rise to power taking place shortly after the district's rebellion in Panem during the 10th annual Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a dystopian book about adventure, betrayal, and the prequel to the Hunger Games Trilogy.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes fills in many gaps in the original Hunger Games series, and also provides a backstory to President Snow and his journey to power. The plot is thick and will keep readers invested the whole time, while the pacing makes the story easy to keep up with. The book does describe gruesome murder and violence, but the story overall helps add to the Hunger Games Trilogy and shows the inner workings of a well known character, and is a great book for previous fans of the Hunger Games series, as well as dystopian readers.
