Taking place 64 years before Suzanne Collins’ infamous Hunger Games series, a Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes features a young President Snow as he struggles to maintain his status within the Capitol after the Dark Days. With the goal to secure his future and the Plinth Prize, Coriolanus Snow becomes the mentor for Lucy Gray, a District 12 tribute in the 10th Annual Hunger Games, who he eventually develops feelings for. However, as time goes on, Coriolanus gradually rises to the top, becoming the president of Panem seen in the Hunger Games series.
- Crassus Snow’s Death
- Book: The Snow family receives news at the train station that Crassus Snow was killed by a rebel sniper.
- Movie: At the Snow’s apartment, Peacekeepers reveal how Crassus Snow was killed by a District 12 rebel.
- Jessup’s Rabies Infection
- Book: Jessup is bitten by a raccoon at the zoo, giving him rabies.
- Movie: During the train ride, Jessup becomes infected with rabies after being bitten by a bat.
- Arachne Crane’s Death
- Book: Arachne’s throat is slit by her tribute, Brady, and she is given a funeral alongside Diana and Apollo Ring, two other mentors who were killed later on.
- Movie: Brady stabs Arachne’s throat with a bottle, but she is never given a funeral.
- Clemensia’s Fate
- Book: After being bitten by Dr. Gaul’s snakes, Clemensia develops neurological damage, yellow eyes, a tongue that juts out periodically, twitching, peeling skin, and rainbow scales.
- Movie: Clemensia is dragged away and never seen again.
- The Rat Poison
- Book: Lucy Gray finds rat poison in the zoo’s monkey enclosure and stores it in a compact mirror that she received from Coriolanus.
- Movie: Coriolanus supplies both the compact mirror and rat poison.
- Lucky Flickerman
- Book: Lucky, accompanied by his parrot Jubilee, mainly interviews the tributes while Lepidus Malmsey covers the live recordings.
- Movie: Lucky handles both the interviews and live recordings (without the company of Jubilee).
- The Tributes’ Deaths
- Book: Wovey and Reaper are both killed after drinking poisoned water while Treech is killed by one of Lucy Gray’s snakes. Dill also dies because of tuberculosis.
- Movie: Dill drinks the poisoned water while Treech inhales rat poison, killing both of them. On the other hand, Reaper and Wovey are killed by Dr. Gaul’s snakes.
- Spruce’s Death
- Book: Spruce is beaten to death by Peacekeepers.
- Movie: Spruce is hanged alongside Sejanus and Lil.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 
I’ve read the book, but I haven’t seen the movie yet. Thanks for sharing the differences between them 🙂
I absolutely love the Hunger Games Trilogy and read/watched all the past movies. I recently saw A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and have never read the book. Thank you for distinguishing the differences!