The Spoonie Village Book Blog - June 2021
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The Spoonie Village Book Blog - June 2021- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
By Olga
Over the last month, I have been slowly making my way through “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins, the latest instalment of The Hunger Games series. I am sure we have all heard of The Hunger Games - a very popular book series published in 2008, with an even more popular movie adaptation series. Now, if you have not read the original Hunger Games trilogy, you really ought to. It’s dystopian, it’s political, it deals with some pretty good themes and obviously features a very famous love triangle.
The fame and popularity of this trilogy is not just hype, it is honestly one of my favourite series, and I love how a well-written series, such as this one, allows you to really dive deep into a fantasy world, to really get to know the characters, the stakes and to deeply care about the outcome of the plot. When you finish the original trilogy, if you love it, you will undoubtedly be left wanting more, especially to discover more about the history of the world of Panem. And, if you are anything like me, who loves a good villain origin story, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is EXACTLY what you have been waiting for.
Now, I have not actually finished this book yet, because brain fog has been metaphorically kicking my butt, but I am really thoroughly enjoying the journey so far. This prequel is set when future president Coriolanus Snow is still a teen at the Capitol Academy, during the year of the 10th Hunger Games. Through his experiences, we learn a lot more about what the war was like for the people of the Capitol. In addition, we learn about his life and his motivations, and we see him slowly turn into the man he will become.
This is the first year where mentorship is introduced to the Hunger Games, and we witness how a lot of the systems in place during the original trilogy were introduced and thought of. The Capitol Government is trying very hard to make their people care about Hunger Games, and to get them to watch them, and it is incredibly interesting to see the evolution of the Games to what we then experience with Katniss in the original trilogy.
This story doesn't much deal with disability issues, but honestly, it does effectively help you forget about your problems as you get totally absorbed into the world of Panem. Every time I pick up the book, I am left wanting to read just one more page, just one more chapter.
Full post reading by Jenni Pettican