The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games Prequel)

Collins continues her unflinching exploration of power and morality in this prequel set 64 years prior to the events of the Hunger Games trilogy. In a challenging move that considers the journey from complicity to what lies beyond, the story centers on Coriolanus Snow, archvillain of the Katniss Everdeen era. Obsessed with restoring his family's grandeur and securing a rosy future for himself, the 18-year-old Academy student is selected to mentor a competitor in Panem's 10th Hunger Games. Though Snow feels slighted by his assignation, a tribute from lowly District 12, his mentee, songstress Lucy Gray Baird, shows an audacity and showbiz flair that captures the country's attention. Over the course of the Games--a relatively low-tech affair set in the war-scarred Capitol's crumbling arena--the two begin a close partnership. While Snow experiences moments of doubt about his participation, his ambition draws the attention of the sinister Head Gamemaker, Dr. Volumnia Gaul. Providing a counterpoint to Snow is classmate Sejanus Plinth, wealthy and compassionate, who must mentor a tribute from a district he still views as home. A gripping mix of whipsaw plot twists and propulsive writing make this story's complex issues--vulnerability and abuse, personal responsibility, and institutionalized power dynamics--vivid and personal. Ages 12-up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (May)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 9 Up—Coriolanus Snow still lives in his once-great family's Capitol penthouse, but now he repurposes old shirts and eats boiled cabbage to quell his hunger pangs. He keeps up appearances among his fellow students and the faculty at the prestigious Academy, and remembers the war that ravaged the country, including the Capitol, 10 years earlier. During the reaping for the 10th Hunger Games, he's selected to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, a talented singer from District 12, and their success will determine whether he receives a much-needed scholarship to the University. This prequel takes place 64 years before The Hunger Games and follows the boy who will become cruel President Snow. Like the first book, this novel provides thrilling action and chilling gore, but the pace lags at times with school minutiae. The romance between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray feels forced, and much of the narrative functions mainly as world-building for the original trilogy. Fans will appreciate revisiting the world of Panem, and teens may relate to Coriolanus beginning to grapple with big ideas like human nature and whether people on opposite sides of a war are fundamentally different. Sejanus, a new money classmate from the districts, provides balance as he recognizes the Games as monstrous from the start. VERDICT An entertaining, if uneven, volume. Recommended for fans of the blockbuster series.—Katy Hershberger, School Library Journal

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:

#1 USA Today Bestseller
#1 New York Times Bestseller

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes delivers a mesmerizing look into the life of Coriolanus Snow and the root causes of his villainous behavior. Collins once again proves that she is a master of building a fascinating world around complex characters who must grapple with the complications of chaos and control and their effects on human nature. — The Associated Press

It is a steep challenge to write a book whose hero is, everyone knows, destined to become deeply evil. Do we want to hear — now, after we know the endgame — that the young Voldemort was unfairly saddled with a demerit in class or that the adolescent Sauron fretted because he had to wear hand-me-down clothes? Yes, please. — New York Times

For true fans of The Hunger Games, Collins shines most as she weaves in tantalizing details that lend depth to the gruesome world she created in the original series and Coriolanus's place in its history. — Time

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is your apocalyptic escape from our current apocalypse. — Vox

It's the pull between Coryo's head and heart — and the realization that he actually has a beating heart, not just a rose-scented lump of coal — that makes the future President Snow very worthy of a 517-page prequel. — Washington Post

[B]y introducing a new cast of teenagers, Collins is able to raise questions about privilege, the uses of violence, and the futility of war. — People

Collins's themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression, as well as the extra layers of lore about mockingjays and Capitol's history, will please and thrill. — MSN

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes describes how most lives are actually lived, the consequences of countless small choices that ultimately amount to a big one: not just how to feel but who to be. — Slate

Collins reminds readers that even the most horrible people may have at one point done the right thing, but that doesn't make them any less despicable or less worth overthrowing. — Polygon

* Both a tense, character-driven piece and a cautionary tale.... The twists and heartbreaks captivate despite tragic inevitabilities. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A gripping mix of whipsaw plot twists and propulsive writing make this story's complex issues — vulnerability and abuse, personal responsibility, and institutionalized power dynamics — vivid and personal. — Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Hunger Games:

I couldn't stop reading. — Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly

The Hunger Games is amazing. — Stephenie Meyer

Brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced. — John Green, New York Times Book Review

Praise for Catching Fire:

Whereas Katniss kills with finesse, Collins writes with raw power. — Time Magazine

Collins expertly blends fantasy, romance and political intrigue. — People Magazine

Praise for Mockingjay:

Fans will be happy to hear that Mockingjay is every bit as complex and imaginative as Hunger Games and Catching Fire. — Entertainment Weekly

Suspenseful... Collins' fans, grown-ups included, will race to the end. — USA Today

At its best the trilogy channels the political passion of 1984, the memorable violence of A Clockwork Orange, the imaginative ambience of The Chronicles of Narnia and the detailed inventiveness of Harry Potter. — New York Times Book Review

Unfolding in Collins' engaging, intelligent prose and assembled into chapters that end with didn't-see-that-coming cliffhangers, this finale is every bit the pressure cooker of its forebears. [Mockingjay] is nearly as shocking, and certainly every bit as original and thought-provoking, as The Hunger Games. Wow. — Los Angeles Times

* This concluding volume in Collins's Hunger Games trilogy accomplishes a rare feat, the last installment being the best yet, a beautifully orchestrated and intelligent novel that succeeds on every level. — Publishers Weekly, starred review