Categories | Literature & Fiction |
Author | Suzanne Collins |
Publisher | Scholastic Press; Media tie-in edition (September 19, 2023) |
Language | English |
Paperback | 528 pages |
Item Weight | 13.6 ounces |
Dimensions |
5.2 x 1.3 x 7.9 inches |
I. Book introduction
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a dystopian action-adventure novel written by the American author Suzanne Collins. It is a prequel to the original The Hunger Games trilogy, set 64 years before the events of the first novel. It was released on May 19, 2020, by Scholastic with an audiobook of the novel, read by the American actor Santino Fontana, was released simultaneously. The book had a virtual launch due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A film adaptation by Lionsgate, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, was released on November 17, 2023.
Plot
To help revive the televised Hunger Games’ declining viewership, 24 Capitol Academy students are chosen to mentor tributes for the upcoming 10th Hunger Games and new features are added to the Games, such as tribute interviews and sponsors that gift supplies to the tributes. Eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow hopes to win the offered Plinth Prize to pay his way to the university and return the Snow family’s prestige.
Snow is assigned the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, a member of the Covey, a nomadic music band. District 12, the poorest district, has never produced a victor. However, during the reaping, Lucy Gray sparks the Capitol’s attention by defiantly singing and slipping a snake into the dress of Mayfair Lipp, the daughter of District 12’s mayor. Snow starts considering her a possible victor. He urges Lucy Gray to use her musical abilities to garner Capitol viewers’ favor and gifts during the Games.
During a Games arena tour, rebel bombs explode, killing several tributes and mentors. Lucy Gray chooses to save Coriolanus from a fallen beam while Marcus, the District 2 male tribute, escapes amid the chaos only to be captured, tortured and left to die in the arena. Lucy Gray and Snow overcome their mutual mistrust and share their first kiss the night before the Games. During the games, Sejanus Plinth, another academy student, sneaks into the games to mourn Marcus, and Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker, sends an indifferent Snow in to retrieve him, Snow succeeds but has to kill a tribute when exiting. With Snow’s help, Lucy Gray wins the games.
Dean Casca Highbottom discovers that Snow gave Lucy Gray unpermitted assistance, in the form of rat poison Lucy used to kill another tribute and a handkerchief with Lucy’s scent that was used to save her from snake mutts, and confronts Coriolanus with evidence of his cheating. Threatened with his family’s public disgrace, Coriolanus reluctantly joins the Peacekeepers for a 20-year contract, but requests to be assigned to District 12, hoping to see Lucy Gray again.
In District 12, Coriolanus and Lucy Gray resume their romance. Snow begins to suspect that Sejanus, who has also been forced into the Peacekeepers, is working with rebels and so secretly records part of a conversation between himself and Sejanus, implicating the latter, and sends it to Gaul. It is eventually revealed Sejanus is planning with rebel Spruce to smuggle other dissenters beyond Panem’s northern border. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray discover the plan and argue over Sejanus’ involvement. Upon discovering Mayfair eavesdropping with Billy Taupe, Lucy Gray’s ex-boyfriend, Spruce and Coriolanus kill them. Spruce is later captured for the crime and dies from his wounds. Later, due to Snow’s recording, Sejanus is publicly hanged.
Knowing he can still be linked to Mayfair and Billy’s murders, Coriolanus agrees to run away with Lucy Gray. In the process of escaping District 12, Snow finds the weapons used in Mayfair and Billy’s murder. Snow realizes that Lucy Gray is the only link to his crimes, and begins to turn on her. While searching for her in the woods, Snow is bitten by a snake, which he believes was a booby trap set by Lucy Gray. Snow chases after and shoots at her with the gun, but she escapes. While Lucy Gray escapes, Snow hears her sing the last stanza of ‘The Hanging Tree’, mockingjays echoing the melody repeatedly as Snow fires wildly into the trees. Later, Snow disposes of the guns and returns to District 12.
Snow reports for his training. He meets with Gaul, who reveals she exposed his cheating and arranged his military service, wanting to shatter his idealism and show that authority must contain humanity’s violent nature. Snow receives a spot at the University and Sejanus’ parents make him their heir, unaware he betrayed their son. Later, in the epilogue, Snow visits Dean Highbottom, who reveals his guilt surrounding the games’ creation, as it was a drunken idea which Snow’s father took seriously, before drinking a vial of morphling, unaware that Snow had poisoned it. As Gamemaker, Coriolanus introduces the Victor’s Village and rewards winning districts each year with money and food. This ultimately incentivizes the Games for both districts and the Capitol, thus beginning his rise to power.
About the Author (Suzanne Collins)
Suzanne Collins (born August 10, 1962) is an American author and television writer. She is best known as the author of the young adult dystopian book series The Hunger Games. She is also the author of the children’s fantasy series The Underland Chronicles.
Suzanne Collins graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham in 1980 as a Theater Arts major. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1985 with a double major in theater and telecommunications. In 1989, Collins earned her Master of Fine Arts in dramatic writing from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
Suzanne Collins began her career in 1991 as a writer for children’s television shows. She worked on several shows for Nickelodeon, including Clarissa Explains It All, The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, Little Bear, Oswald and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!. She was also the head writer for the PBS spin-off Clifford’s Puppy Days. She received a Writers Guild of America nomination in animation for co-writing the critically acclaimed 2001 Christmas special, Santa, Baby! After meeting children’s author James Proimos while working on the Kids’ WB show Generation O!, Collins felt inspired to write children’s books herself.
Her inspiration for Gregor the Overlander, the first book of The New York Times best-selling series The Underland Chronicles, came from Alice in Wonderland, when she was thinking about how one was more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole, and would find something other than a tea party. Between 2003 and 2007 she wrote the five books of the Underland Chronicles: Gregor the Overlander, Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, and Gregor and the Code of Claw. During that time, Collins also wrote a rhyming picture book, When Charlie McButton Lost Power (2005), illustrated by Mike Lester.
II. Reviewer: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
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1. MARIAH reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Listen, I hate President Snow as much as the next person.
But SNOW. FUCKING. LANDS. ON. TOP.
This is actually brilliant. Like genius. Critical, and scathing and thought provoking.
Sprinkled with moments where your jaw just quietly drops in shock and pain but you can’t do anything except keep on reading.
This book is hypnotic. It had an unputdownable quality I’m still unable to quite put my finger on.
Hats off, this is how you prequel.
The only reason I took off a star was because of the rushed ending. I would’ve easily read 200 or 300 pages more if it meant the ending was handled as beautifully as the rest of the book was.
2. PEYTON READS reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it certainly was. If you’re someone who knows the original books super well, then I think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of it. There’s so many references and nods to the original books that made me so excited! I also thought Snow’s perspective was super interesting to be in and it gave us loads of information about the world of Panem. We learned so much in this book! Overall, I super enjoyed it and I flew through it because I simply couldn’t stop turning the pages.
3. HANNAH AZERANG reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
“I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.”
i put off reading this book for 3 years because i was afraid i wouldn’t like it. but suzanne collins never disappoints and i never should have doubted her
4. MEAGAN ANDERSEN reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
As much as the idea of a whole book dedicated to the mind of President Snow reviled me, I knew this book would be as excellent as it was!
The most captivating piece of the book is in the early development and psychology behind The Hunger Games. It’s a fresh angle. We get to see Capitol citizens living in a post-war redevelopment stage, in which they’ve actually experienced starvation and fear. They have not yet been lulled into complacency regarding the depravity of the games. I loved reading the moral based arguments that eventually abandoned themselves for a fear-conditioned dependency on the power structure between the districts and the Capitol.
Without Coriolanus Snow, we would only have been able to read about this time through a newly made-up character. As loathsome as Panem’s president is, it was a brilliant and logical choice to write from his perspective.
It was fascinating to think of the Games before they were a huge production fueled by gambling, showmanship, and style. The classic arena with tickets, turnstiles, and viewing boxes and the delivery of the victors like livestock in a cattle car. The games of the past are the same as the games of the future, only played out on a smaller, more openly brutal and inhumane scale. No prize but survival, no posh meals (or food at all), no elegant outfits, no interviews, no tokens, no training, and no mentors. Until the 10th Hunger Games.
The mentoring system begins with students of the Capitol’s Academy, Coriolanus Snow being one of them. Several of the Capitol students bond with their tribute and mourn their death. This obviously eventually gives way to the Victor-Mentor system, because there has to be division between the Capitol and the Districts to continue the “eternal war”. One of my biggest questions in the original trilogy was always how none of the Capitol citizens objected to the televised murder of children. But seeing the early stages and development of the games through the eyes of manipulated Capitol teenagers makes the 75 years of terror plausible. Fear begets fear, hatred, and a desire to control. Some Capitol characters are even lovable, despite their willful ignorance.
A few such lovable characters are Tigris and Lysistrata; compelling characters with moments that at least hint at un-Capitol opinions on The Games. Or at least a sadness over the lost of certain tributes and a recognition of their humanity. I also liked Clemensia although she wouldn’t feed Reaper, because her storyline was so intriguing to me. She experienced the snakes and their aftermath first-hand and knew what it was like to be afraid for her life the way the district tributes did. The scene where she and Coriolanus turned the paper in to Dr. Gaul was actually my favorite scene, because I enjoyed the slow, dreadful dawning of what was about to take place in the snake habitat. And of course, Sejanus Plinth. He was too good and too gullible. I loved when he broke into the arena to sprinkle the bread on Marcus’ body, but I wish he’d died there so that his end didn’t have to hurt so much.
President Snow’s character, thankfully, is hardly ever lovable. Even his best moments are manipulative and calculated. Collins does a great job of creating charmingly insincere interactions between Snow and his acquaintances/friends/enemies that showcase his desire to protect and advance his status at all costs. His need for control and order is highlighted not just through his sadistic additions to the games, but in his relationships. He constantly refers to the girl he ‘loves’ possessively – as his girl, and is fraught with jealousy concerning her ex beau that she expresses no continuing interest in. As much as you pity his circumstances, and are impressed with his ambition, he would be distinctly unlikable even without the foresight of his future in The Hunger Games Trilogy. You root for him to make the right choice, while knowing he won’t.
Snow’s snake-like charm made it difficult to love Lucy Gray by association. She was a very unique character that I found well-developed, but had a hard time identifying with. I think having insight to Snow’s character makes it hard to support any girl that finds him lovable. It makes her seem naive and foolish, although she was being played like Master of Puppets. I appreciated that she values trust more than love, and that realizing Coriolanus’ lie is what caused their fallout. I like to believe she was clever enough to get away from Snow and escape to the north! Since the book is from Snow’s perspective, he has to believe that she’s most likely dead, and we get to believe that she’s now a hopefully less dystopian, Canadian free bird.
I loved the tie-ins to the trilogy. I loved getting to learn The Valley Song that made Peeta fall in love with Katniss and the origins of The Hanging Tree. It was interesting to read about a District 12 that was free to go the meadow and the lake and free to play music in the Hob. At certain points I felt like there were too many tie-ins to be realistic, particularly in the mirrored figures of Lucy and Katniss, but I appreciated the sentiment all the same. Despite their relationship as protagonist and antagonist, you get the sense that Katniss and Snow understand each other. They do agree “never to lie to each other” and hold true to that agreement. But seeing her through Snow’s eyes – as a sort of reincarnated Lucy Gray – justifies that understanding. Her name alone brings him back to a time at the lake with Lucy. The songs she sings are Lucy’s songs. Her defiance, her talent, her “star-crossed love” as ill-fated as his own. Her mockingjay pin and Peeta’s frosted cookies, both tokens of his betrayal of Sejanus. The parallel of Snow giving the snakes Lucy’s scent in the arena to protect her and giving the snake-mutts Katniss’ scent so they could hunt her to her death was wicked cool. All brilliant… but almost too brilliant to be believable. Seeing Snow in all of Katniss’ old haunts felt more fan-service than authentic.
It’s never clarified, but in my mind, Snow’s old penthouse becomes the training center. This is based off nothing except my wild imagination and maybe some strategically reminiscent verbiage? The Snow family lives on the top floor – the same floor that might eventually be where the District 12 tributes stay. There’s also a flat roof with a garden, very like the one where Katniss and Peeta spend some secluded time. And Coriolanus and Tigris both mention an elevator several times, which gave me déjà vu to when Katniss first rides the elevator in the tribute center and almost asks Effie if they can ride it again. Especially because selling or repurposing the Snow family’s ancestral home would provide another reason for Tigris’s hatred of her once loved cousin. Yes, I know lots of buildings have penthouses, flat roofs, and elevators. There’s no proof, but I like the theory and I’m sticking to it.
Anyway, all this to say I loved it. It was a great read and it made me want to reread the trilogy which I just read a month ago. Thank you, Suzanne Collins!
5. LAINEY reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
OH YOU WANT BOILED CABBAGE?!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a mesmerizing journey back to the origins of the Hunger Games! Suzanne Collins masterfully weaves a rich and complex narrative that delves into the early life of Coriolanus Snow. The character development is incredible; you really see his transformation and the moral dilemmas he faces throughout the story.
The world-building is as immersive as ever, with vivid descriptions that bring Panem to life in new and intriguing ways. I found myself completely engrossed in the story, rooting for unexpected characters and experiencing a whirlwind of emotions. Collins has crafted a thought-provoking tale about power, ambition, and the choices we make. This book is a must-read for fans of the original series and anyone who loves a compelling story!
6. TORYROXX reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
A greater insight into the world of Panem
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes brought insight to the world of The Hunger Games that we have all come to know of. As a prequel, this time we experience the world through the eyes and experiences of Snow , although he is not yet the President of the Capitol , but a student in it. As he weaves through the intricately laid plans of the academy as a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird – a newly selected District 12 tribute- for the hunger games still in its infantcy.
Although the film is already out and ready from streaming. I would suggest picking up this book to get more details and backstory that may have been missed in the filming process. It’s another great book in Suzanne Collins repertoire and a fantastic addition to the Hunger Games series.
7. GENE reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
An interesting but ultimately unneeded prequel to the Hunger Games
The book was well written and was able to get the reader to relate with Coriolanus Snow without agreeing with him. The book does a good job showing how a person can go from a struggling student to a ruthless ruler. The book also explains the origins of the hunger games and how they went from a simple event that nearly no one watched into the major spectacle that captivates the nation we see in the story of Katniss Everdeen. I enjoyed reading the book, but ultimately it wasn’t needed and I don’t think anyone was asking to know the back story of Coriolanus Snow, the villain of The Hunger Games novels.
8. MOMMALAYNE reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
A Gripping Prequel Exploring the Roots of Power and Morality
“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins serves as an enthralling prequel to The Hunger Games series, delving into the early life of an iconic character, Coriolanus Snow. Set against the backdrop of the tenth annual Hunger Games, the novel follows eighteen-year-old Coriolanus as he prepares to become a mentor in the brutal competition, a role that could restore his family’s tarnished legacy. Faced with the daunting task of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, one of the least desirable positions imaginable, Coriolanus finds himself grappling with his ambitions and the harsh realities of a society steeped in inequality and violence.
As he navigates the treacherous waters of the Games, Coriolanus must balance his desire for power and prestige with a growing emotional connection to his tribute, forcing him to confront the moral implications of his choices. The tension mounts as he learns that every decision could lead to triumph or ruin, both for himself and for the girl he is supposed to treat as a mere pawn. Collins expertly weaves themes of ambition, ethics, and the consequences of one’s actions into a compelling narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” not only enriches the world of Panem but also invites contemplation on the complexities of human nature and the price of power, making it a must-read for fans of the series and newcomers alike.
9. EMMA GRIFFIOEN reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
“Well, you know what they say. The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,” she said.“The mockingjay?” He laughed. “Really, I think you’re just making these things up.”“Not that one. A mockingjay’s a bona fide bird,” she assured him.“And it sings in your show?” he asked.“Not my show, sweetheart. Yours. The Capitol’s anyway.” pg. 168
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was an absolute masterpiece! I think this might even be my favourite book in the series. I read The Hunger Games trilogy for the first time when I was 12, and as I get older the books (and movies) only get better as I understand them at a deeper level and see the resemblances to our world today. The amount of thought and detail that was put into Panem is astonishing, every detail is so well thought through, Suzanne Collins’ mind is truly incredible. It was so interesting to read this from Snow’s perspective, I loved how it gave so much context to his actions in the original trilogy, especially his hate for mockingjays, which the movie omits. His inner monologue as he descends into madness is gripping. Collins does a brilliant job of making Snow fluctuate between good and bad choices, which at times can make you question whether or not you are rooting for him. Tigris was by far my favourite character, and Hunter Schafer did a stunning job as her in the film. I really enjoyed all of the subtle callbacks to the original trilogy, like the relatives of different characters, The Hob and The Seam, and the hidden meaning behind it being “a little too early for katniss”. The thought of Snow hearing Katniss sing ‘Deep in the Meadow’ for Rue in the 74th Hunger Games and ‘The Hanging Tree’ as the song of the rebellion in Mockingjay, had me cackling after learning the background of the songs. He seriously deserves to rot in hell. I highly recommend picking this up if you’re a Hunger Games fan, it will not disappoint!
“Lucy Gray’s fate was a mystery, then, just like the little girl who shared her name in that maddening song. Was she alive, dead, a ghost who haunted the wilderness? Perhaps no one would ever really know.” pg. 514
10. BONNIE reviews The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
reread november 2023
reread this baby before seeing the movie and i’m so glad i did because WHEW. i never came to write a better review and i still will not be but this absolutely holds up. suzanne collins is the GOAT. being back in the hunger games world is always the best, my most beloved<3
first read may 2020
it’s 3am and i’m loopy on sleep meds so better review to come but this was just ADDICTING and all the little nods to the originally series oh oh oh my heart
and no, it doesn’t romanticize snow or try to give him a redemption arc, not even close
III. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Quotes by Suzanne Collins
The best book quotes from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
“Coriolanus felt sure he’d spotted his first mockingjay, and he disliked the thing on sight.”
““Well, you know what they say. The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,” she said.”
“This reaping day, like most, was shaping up to be a scorcher. But what else could you expect on July 4th?”
“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.”
“You’ve no right to starve people, to punish them for no reason. No right to take away their life and freedom. Those are things everyone is born with, and they’re not yours for the taking. Winning a war doesn’t give you that right. Having more weapons doesn’t give you that right. Being from the Capitol doesn’t give you that right. Nothing does.”
“Well, as they said, it’s not over until the mockingjay sings.”
“People aren’t so bad, really,” she said. “It’s what the world does to them.”
“I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.”
“That is the thing with giving your heart. You never wait for someone to ask. You hold it out and hope they want it”
“Before need, before love, came trust.”
“What are lies but attempts to conceal some sort of weakness?”
“And try not to look down on people who had to choose between death and disgrace.”
“The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,” she said.
“The mockingjay?” He laughed. “Really, I think you’re just making these things up.”
“Not that one. A mockingjay’s a bona fide bird,” she assured him.
“And it sings in your show?” he asked.
“Not my show, sweetheart. Yours. The Capitol’s anyway.”“You’re mine and I’m yours. It’s written in the stars.”
“The strain of being a full-fledged adult every day had grown tiresome.”
“You can blame it on the circumstances, the environment, but you made the choices you made, no one else. It’s a lot to take in all at once, but it’s essential that you make an effort to answer that question. Who are human beings? Because who we are determines the type of governing we need. Later on, I hope you can reflect and be honest with yourself about that you learned tonight.”
“There is a point to everything or nothing at all, depending on your worldview.”
“What young brains lack in experience they sometimes make up for in idealism. Nothing seems impossible to them.”
“Courage in battle was often necessary because of someone else’s poor planning.”
“For a moment he laughed, forgetting where they were, how depressing the backdrop. For a moment there was just her smile, the musical cadence of her voice, and the hint of flirtation. Then the world exploded.”
“Afraid of everything. If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life . . . then how did you survive? Not by trusting them, that was for sure. And if you couldn’t trust them, who could you trust? All bets were off.”
“Trust is important.” “I think it’s more important than love. I mean, I love all kinds of things I don’t trust. Thunderstorms . . . white liquor . . . snakes. Sometimes I think I love them because I can’t trust them, and how mixed up is that?”
“She could fly around District 12 all she liked, but she and her mockingjays could never harm him again.”
“Coriolanus could see that Festus was falling for her. Did you tell your best friend his crush was a cannibal? Never a rule book when you needed one.”
“Deep in the meadow, under the willow A bed of grass, a soft green pillow Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes And when again they open, the sun will rise. Here it’s safe, here it’s warm Here the daisies guard you from every harm Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true Here is the place where I love you.”
“I’m planning to,” said Sejanus. “I’m planning to build a whole new beautiful life here. One where, in my own small way, I can make the world a better place.”
“Why not? If they have merit.” Dr. Gaul tossed the stack of questionnaires onto the table. “What young brains lack in experience they sometimes make up for in idealism. Nothing seems impossible to them.”
“What was there to aspire to once wealth, fame, and power had been eliminated? Was the goal of survival further survival and nothing more?”
“His mind could fixate on a problem like that — anything, really — and not let go. As if controlling one element of his world would keep him from ruin. It was a bad habit that blinded him to other things that could harm him. A tendency towards obsession was hardwired into his brain and would likely be his undoing if he couldn’t learn to outsmart it.”
“We control it,” he said quietly. “If the war’s impossible to end, then we have to control it indefinitely. Just as we do now. With the Peacekeepers occupying the districts, with strict laws, and with reminders of who’s in charge, like the Hunger Games. In any scenario, it’s preferable to have the upper hand, to be the victor rather than the defeated.”
“Who needed wealth and success and power when they had love? Didn’t it conquer all?”
“Good-bye, District Twelve. Good-bye, hanging tree and Hunger Games and Mayor Lipp. Someday something will kill me, but it won’t be you.”
“And if even the most innocent among us turn to killers in the Hunger Games, what does that say? That our essential nature is violent,” Snow explained. “Self-destructive,” Dean Highbottom murmured”
“Everyone had learned to despise waste. It was creeping back into fashion, though.”
Excerpted from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
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