The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to The
Hunger Games. It follows Coriolanus Snow, a young adult living in the Capitol.
He is chosen to mentor a tribute in the tenth Hunger Games and if he can manage
to mentor the winning tribute, he'll hopefully get enough money as a prize to
pay for university. If his tribute loses, the Snows will lose their reputation
as a rich and powerful family, one that they kept despite losing most of their
money to the war. When Coriolanus is assigned the girl from District Twelve,
he's sure that they're both doomed.
I really liked this book, but I would recommend that you
read the other books in the series first. It's very suspenseful, and there are
multiple twists. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is also a long book, 517
pages. Something that interested me was that the main character, Coriolanus
Snow, is the villain in the first three books of The Hunger Games. It focuses
on different philosophies about human nature, specifically the philosophies of
Hobbes, Lock, and Rousseau. Before you read this, you should know that it's
pretty violent. I think that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a great
book.
Reviewed by Izzy Jackson, Grade 8
Glendale Central Library
