Week 47 Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

From Goodreads:
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-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 out charm, 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.

My first review of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
My Review:
I had such a great time reading this book again! I had to, given the movie has come out, and I'm glad that I did! Knowing how it would end for the pair of them, it was really interesting to see where Coriolanus starts off at. It's just such a great story! 

The thing about Coriolanus is that he is very focused and deliberate, pretty uptight, and so very concerned about image, the one that he puts off, and what others display. Which is not necessarily a bad trait. But between the war, and the events in this book, for good and bad, shapes him into the president we know in the main series. 

He's not a good person, but he's also in a position where his family had privilege-which disappeared because of the war, and they as a family are just trying to keep their troubles hidden. So being in a bad place, he's initially sympathetic. But those little comments about others, the way he treats other people, in consideration for what it could get him, yeah, that wears away that sympathy, and we get a better picture of who he is. 

I really feel for Lucy. That her game was the one that started the Hunger Games as a form of entertainment instead of just being a punishment. She probably wouldn't have survived the games, but she also wouldn't have met Snow. Since the ending is up to the reader to decide if she lived or died after that final confrontation or not, makes you wonder which she would've chosen.

Really, this book is a warning. We saw what became of the Hunger Games in the original trilogy, and now we got to see how normal people, people who have a lot of power and privilege, can justify atrocities. Though I wonder if we'll ever know how bad it was that caused the first rebellion, because you know it had to be bad, but I can't see how it could be worse then what they ended up with. 

Loved reading this book, and now I can't wait to see the movie! 

Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #0
First Read: June 15th, 2020

Read: November 22nd, 2023
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading, and it's a 2023 Dystopia Book and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book!
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: May 19th 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars