The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has many twists and turns that will keep you wanting to read more. Fans can enjoy the other side of the games by reading from the point-of-view of a capitol citizen.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, a Hunger Games prequel, is set ten years after the first revolution in the city of Panem. Panem is made up of The Capitol, full upper class citizens, and then the 13 districts, which are made up of poor and middle class citizens.
This story follows the life of a young Coriolanus Snow. Snow has one chance to obtain the future his family has always planned him to achieve. When he is assigned to be an escort for the tribute from district 12, a district known to be weak and not to last long in the games, he believes he has no chance of getting a scholarship to the university that will help him move up in life.
But, after watching his tribute put on quite the show at the reaping, he decides not to give up just yet. After spending time with his tribute, Lucy Gray Bairid, and getting to know her, he falls in love with her charm. So, he decides to do the unthinkable and interfere with the games in order to stay with her.
These games take place ten years after the first revolution. Unfortunately District 13 and some other districts conspired a plan to take down the Capitol. In the process District 13 and everyone inside of it were blown up and destroyed. To punish and remind the Districts of what they did, the Hunger Games were created. One boy and one girl between the ages of 12-18 from each Distinct must go into an arena and fight to the death until one is victorious.
I would highly recommend this book since I’m an avid fan of the Hunger Games series and I’m glad to be able to dive into the perspective of President Snow’s life before Katniss. This book is jam packed with plot twists, doublecrossing, and connections between the first book and some lies in the prequel. And, as Snow always says, “Snow lands on top.”