Tag Archives: Hunger Games series

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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**this review will contain spoilers**

OH MY GOSH. I can’t believe I kept pushing back reading this book and mainly doing so because of the popularity that has surrounded the new movie that released. I have always been a fan of the Hunger Games and I have previously read the trilogy on various accounts, so I have a good understanding on the concept of what it is but also the people involved.

This book revolved around younger President Snow and following his journey of Capitol success which started with him being a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games for Lucy Gray Baird. It was interesting to follow such a distinguished character and how he got to the point he is in the trilogies.

It begins with his family life, living with Tigris and Grandma’am with both his parents killed early on in life. Snow has dealt with financial struggles despite being a Capitol boy which is interesting since most people within the Capitol are financially stable. However, he begins his success being a mentor for the worst district but ends up obtaining Lucy Gray who is a performer. They begin to grow a strong mentor-candidate relationship with love and trust involved.

As the games begin, Snow does his best to help out Lucy Gray and even snuck in items for her to use, or to give her a significant advantage over her fellow competitors. With all this help, they end up actually winning the Hunger Games, but Snow is caught helping Lucy Gray cheat the games. Because of his actions he was sent to become a Peacekeeper where he was stationed in District 12 and got to rekindle his relationship with Lucy Gray who a singer that frequently entertained within District 12.

Snow and Lucy Gray continually get close but at this point in the book, Snow experiences a mental change in his attitude of how he proceeds with life. He begins to understand the doings on the Capitol and not sympathizing with Rebels even though he essentially was one during the Games. He ends up getting one of his good pals, Sejanus Plinth, killed and after this point Lucy Gray notices the distinct change and closes herself off. The book ends with readers not knowing whether Lucy Gray was killed or if she escaped and Snow returning back to the Capitol living life with the Plinths.

I find is interesting how the book ends because readers are left not knowing what happened to Lucy Gray after she disappeared from her hanging out with Snow and realizing he was the one who got Sejanus killed. Another thing that interests me is how the Plinths took him in knowing his financial struggles not knowing that he was the reason their son got killed. Also, the ending with Snow talking with Dr. Gaul and how she sent him to become a Peacekeeper for like an experience??? The Capitol is corrupt and has always been.

Honestly, if you read this book before reading the trilogy it makes sense but I would totally read the trilogy to get a full idea of how the characters interconnect. There are so many hidden things that make sense when reading all the books. Although I hate Snow for all the heinous activities he has done, nothing will beat….SNOW LANDS ON TOP.

-Madison C.

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.

Book vs. Movie: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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).
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

Character Talk: Characters to Look Out For

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There are so many books in this world. So many endless possibilities. However, there are also endless possibilities for characters. Because every good book needs strong characters that readers can get behind, right? Here are some of these characters–characters to look out for.

Some characters just resonate with you. There are ones that I remember years after finishing their book. One of which being Edilio Escobar from the Gone series by Michael Grant. In my opinion, he’s the best character that’s ever been created. I get the question “what do you look for in a friend?” a lot. My answer to that question lies in this character. He’s brave, kindhearted, and selfless. He is the guy who is always there to back you up, even when everyone else has deserted you. He will always be by your side, no matter what.

Another character I love is Finnick Odair from the Hunger Games trilogy. I am no longer a huge Hunger Games fan, but Finnick is one character that has stuck with me. He is not someone that attracts fans in the beginning, but what is so remarkable about him is how much he is able to change throughout the course of the series. He starts as this arrogant, obnoxious puppet, but later evolves into a sweet, kind, approachable human being. I love characters that experience great changes–look out for Finnick Odair.

Julian the Shadow Man of the Forbidden Game. Another character that will stay with you long after finishing the book he comes from. He is not by any means a protagonist, but he is a character with a wonderful backstory and compelling motive. He seems evil and controlling in the beginning of the book, but it turns out that, in the end, all he wanted was love. He is another character that grows and changes over the course of the book, which is one of the many things I love about him.

Are long stories better than short ones? That is what I used to think, prior to reading “Kiss the Boy,” a short story by Adib Khorram from Eternally Yours. It is only thirty pages long, but in those pages, I fell in love with all the characters involved in the story. Most notable, Samir Borhani, a young, sweet Iranian boy who is the love interest of the main character. He is very trusting and kind, and is definitely someone I would like to have on my side. He is loving and equally lovable–yet another character to look out for.

Those are just a few of the many notable characters out there. If you would like to see them for yourselves, check out their books! Please tell me in the comments who your favorite book characters are!

Gone by Michael Grant is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.