The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Suzanne Collins
Julia - Grade 11
4/5
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to The Hunger Games, taking place after a major civil war in the dystopian society of Panem. Each year, male and female tribute between the ages of 12 to 18 are selected from each district to fight to the death. The story follows the young protagonist, Coriolanus Snow, during the upcoming 10th Hunger Games where he is selected as one of the 24 students at the Academy to mentor one of the tributes in the Academy's new mentorship program. Students that perform well in this program are awarded a scholarship to university. Becoming a mentor is an opportunity that will greatly benefit him and his family since they have fallen into poverty during the war. To his disappointment, he is assigned a female tribute from District 12, known to be one of the weakest districts in the Games. However his tribute, Lucy Gray, proves to be an interesting character, gaining the Capitol's attention. Together the two work together to overcome the odds to try and win the Hunger Games. The novel was an enjoyable read with an amazing plot and great characters. Collins was able to take one of the most tyrannical antagonists from her previous books and show a more humane side yet still kept his character consistent. Although this novel is not as complex as the original series, I would still recommend this novel to fans of the series or to those who enjoy the dystopian novels.