The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

“Snow lands on top.”

Suzanne Collins released the much awaited prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, last 2020, a masterpiece that deserves all the hype it could have.

Collins takes us to 18-year old Coriolanus Snow’s story before he became the ambitious, tyrannical president of Panem.

Aaron's copy

The Hunger Games fans were quite reluctant on Collins giving the trilogy a prequel through Snow, with his unlikable and evil personality, since he might be written in a way that would put him in the good light. As Aaron would put it, Snow’s redemption. Which on the contrary, Collins didn’t disappoint to maintain that evil streak on the young Snow, the character which we had come to know in the trilogy. In fact, it shows readers how the “Dark Days” and The Hunger Games made who he was.

Coriolanus Snow, being a natural-born Capitol Citizen, reeked of fortune and privileges with a prominent family name in Panem, not until the Dark Days. He’d lost everything during those times and would do everything just so “Snow lands on top.” Just like the older Snow, the 18-year old one is a mix of ambitious, opportunistic, clever yet cunning boy. The stakes are even higher when he became a mentor of Lucy Gray Baird, District 12’s tribute.

Collins wrote his character as if to gradually show readers how Snow himself can be conflicted sometimes with his own self and beliefs, until he realizes it himself of who he really is and shows more conviction of what he really wants. The way Snow builds up his character is kind of a push and pull, to whether like him or not but still ends up being unlikable.

“Do you always feel free to speak your mind, Coriolanus Snow?”

Diverse characters can also be seen in the story that actually represent the gap between the privileged and the oppressed, and the continual battle of survival. A mix of loving and hating the characters can be felt as the story progresses. Even if this was written in the third person through Snow’s perspective, the characters were still given individuality.

My copy

The way Collins wrote the book is quite impressive with good choices of words. She used the right metaphors that don’t feel out of place and befits the story itself. Its slow-paced in a manner that is also not draggy. It’s as if the book is taking you in slowly to how the story progresses, without expecting what happens next. A page turner at its best.

Though there might be times that some readers have to pause for a moment and read it again in a way to understand it more, or in a way to register that what you just read is even for real. The book pulls you in and out where you get torn how to actually view Snow and how to feel about him with his goals and personal interests. Some references can also be found in the prequel that connects and explains some points from the trilogy.

Just like Aaron, some readers might feel a roller coaster of emotions towards Snow, as the story progresses. But some might be really skeptical, like me, even if there are moments that he can be reconsidered as likable. There will be times that while reading, you can’t help but shout expletives given the circumstances that you don’t expect happening.

Collins did a great job of having her readers be absorbed by the story, without really letting them feel how it is to be like in the shoes of the vicious Coriolanus Snow. It’s not as perfect as you might expect since the annual Hunger Games was never perfect for one, but it is a perfect read especially for die-hard The Hunger Games fans and sci-fic dystopian readers. During these times, it can be quite timely to read this since it does seem like we are on Hunger Games.

When Aaron and I talked about the book after reading, regardless of loving it, we found some mixed reviews online with the book where some didn’t really love it while others did. Some even hated Snow even more which I actually think is quite the point of Collins’ writing, as Aaron would say, served its purpose. There might be some questions that still hang around in the end but then again, this was just a certain point from Snow’s and Panem’s story, not the whole picture.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes deserves a 5-star rating or even more. Though we still hope Collins would give us Haymitch’s story one day with crossed fingers.

“And try not to look down on people who had to choose between death and disgrace.”

P.S. Just a thought, there’s also an inside joke I’ve been having with Snow’s character that’s to be “broke with class.”


Writer,
Thin Girl, in collaboration with Aaron (This Lad Reads)