Hey, all!
Before I go into reviewing this, stop. If you've read it, go ahead and continue. If not, I'm not going to be mentioning spoilers, but I beg you, if you have any regard towards TGH, pick this up. Order it, make it next on your TBR, go support your local bookstores... just go do it.
It's been a minute since I wrote a review, and I've finished many a book since then. However, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, by Suzanne Collins, was too interesting to not write about. I finished it last night and I'm still on an emotion I can't quite describe other than absolutely impressed. I understand that this book had/has some controversy surrounding it - why write a book about such an awful villain, if not to make us feel sorry for them? Upon finishing this book, I am amazed by how incredibly smart Suzanne Collins is. I will keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, so don't worry about reading on!
This book is the prequel to The Hunger Games, focusing on Coriolanus snow before he becomes president. He becomes the mentor of the 10th Hunger Games's female tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird, as a sort of school project. Having lost his family fortune in the war, he attempts to keep his name meaningful, while doing everything he can to help Lucy Gray win the Games.
This is a particularly difficult book to review. It is certainly a 5/5 star book for me, but finding the ways to explain why is quite peculiar. This is the first time I read a book from the point of view of the villain during their childhood. You'd think that that was just written for the author to get more attention.
This really wasn't the case.
Reading this book makes the original trilogy that much more complete. The weird spiteful fascination Snow had with Katniss in THG completely makes sense. The origin of many of the Games's events is now evident. Every bit of the original trilogy now makes sense, and this book make the trilogy a beautiful, whole quartet.
What impressed me perhaps the most was the fact that Suzanne Collins never, not once dried to make you feel sorry for Snow, or to side with him. Having such a morally ambiguous main character, to the point where none of his actions even feel remotely 'good', was incredible. You can truly see that the only thing that drives Coriolanus is himself, and his reputation. He doesn't truly do anything bad. But seeing his thought process always turn back towards himself and his own self-interest was fascinating. Until the end, you never really see him talk about good or bad - just what will serve him best. But even then, it's not always displayed blatant selfishness. But his title as a Snow is always in the background.
Snow falls on top.
The book has powerful side characters, ones that left a mark when reading. Lucy Gray, Sejanus, and so many others, as well as every little detail feels well thought-out, as if this story about Snow may have even been considered before the original trilogy was written.
Another thing I truly enjoyed about this book is that something about it - although I cannot for the life of me decide what it is (and I've been considering this since yesterday), is that it left me with the same feeling as YA used to, 10 years ago. There's a certain husky grittiness to it. It didn't try to be quirky or funny or lighten the mood with a sprinkle of romance. It just was. I haven't felt this certain about a YA book in a long time. I don't know how to explain it better than that, but hopefully you understand what I mean.
I could go on an on about this story, and especially about how Coriolanus Snow was written, but I can imagine interest will dwindle quickly
As aforementioned, I'm giving this 5/5 stars. This book deserves nothing less.
Stay bookish!
Caroline
