Citation: Collins, S. (2020). The ballad of songbirds and snakes. Scholastic.
Content Warning: Death and violence towards children.
This prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy (review here) follows the 10th annual Hunger Games. By the time Katniss volunteers for the 74th Hunger Games, Coriolanus Snow is better known as the villainous President Snow, but in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, he’s a regular teenager in the Capitol assigned with mentoring the female tribute from District 12. As the games go on, Coriolanus makes increasingly erratic and illegal decisions as he cheats the system to ensure his tribute’s victory.
This book is perfect for anyone still in their Hunger Games phase or anyone wishing dystopian YA would make a comeback but may be less suited for readers who didn’t enjoy or haven’t yet read the original trilogy.