The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

by Suzanne Collins

hardcover, 528 pages

English language

Published May 19, 2020 by Scholastic Press.

ISBN:: 978-1-338-63517-1

(10 reviews)

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.

11 editions

Matt K reviewed The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

A good prequel with a windy path

3 stars

This is a pretty decent book! It’s YA and if you appreciate it as such, it’s rewarding. It’s good to see a villain get a good backstory. The first half drags a little- takes forever to get to the actual hunger games, but the author is setting some traps for us to later stumble into.

It really picks up in the second half with some twists that bring Coriolanus Snow closer and closer to his true self as a sort of talented Mr Ripley.

The ending is vile and well done.