So this book came as a complete surprise to me. Such a bad Hunger Games fan I had no idea this book was coming out! However the day it published was the day I purchased! It then took me a while to pick up due to other reads and a personal reading slump, but finish it I have! So for any Hunger Games fan wondering if this lives up to the hype, yes it does! Shocker I know! Maybe I am just biased 😜
The story follows a young Coriolanus Snow on the 10th anniversary of The Hunger Games. So this is all before Katniss and Peeta and the rest of the gang. It is 10 years after the war and Coriolanus is experiencing first hand interaction with the Hunger Games by becoming a mentor to a tribute assigned to him. He also experiences the harsh rivalries and politics of the Capitol, slowly shaping the man we love to hate.
The first thing I have to say that I loved about this book were the clear relations to the beloved series; names are dropped, songs are sung and we are introduced to the people from families we meet a few generations later. I definitely got excited each time a subject or word was said that relates to what I know about The Hunger Games and love how Suzanne links these in a way of bringing them to life for the first time. Even though I already felt a connection to them they instantly became important at the start too, it was like witnessing the birth of something I knew to be special! Suzanne knew this was a Hunger Games book and did not worry about trying to keep this separate from the series, which as a huge fan I loved!
I have to admit my reading slump at the start of the book did mean I struggled at first. As not a huge enthusiast of Coriolanus I was not as interested to follow him with his fears and successes as I may have been with other characters, therefore it took me a while to get to grips with the story. It understandably needs to set the scene and introduce new characters and backgrounds, but with the main character being who he is I wasn't sold yet. Then something immense happens and I remembered... This is a Suzanne Collins Hunger Games story... surely this is going to be epic! Much like the series there are various things that will shock you with Suzanne's blunt telling which was always something I enjoyed about her writing. So if your like me a perhaps struggle at the start, do keep with it.
While it does follow the games and show how certain rules are born this is very much a Coriolanus Snow story and follows him before, during and after the games. It really helps us understand how he gets to be in his position with his opinions on people/the capitol/the districts etc. If your like me and President Snow was not your most loved character and are disappointed to learn this, don't be. It really shapes what we know about the games, and ultimately Katniss would not be who she is without the politics surrounding her actions, and it really shows this, prepping us for what we all know and love.
For anyone who has not read The Hunger Games series I may be tempted to suggest starting with this. I felt it gave nothing away apart from create the important tag lines woven throughout the trilogy, so if anything it adds more weight to what then follows. While also giving more background as to why the Capitol and its elite act and think the way they do, and showcasing the clear differences between them and the districts.
On top of the story itself the book was simply stunning, with artwork on the first page of each chapter and on the book itself under its sleeve. The size of the book is rather daunting but the artwork and text take up much of the space so once you get started you feel progress quite quickly. Keep in mind this is the hardback book as it was purchased on the publishing date, so if this is further down the line and you purchase a paperback this may be different.
Without wanting to give anything else away I shall leave it there with my goodreads rating and links below 😊
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Pages - 540
Goodreads rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
