‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ — from someone who did read the book

Before I saw ads for this movie, I genuinely had no idea that “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (TBOSAS) existed. I had read and enjoyed all of the other Hunger Games books multiple times and watched the movies multiple more times, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that there was even more content to be consumed! I immediately got to work on the book to prepare to see the movie. TBOSAS follows Coriolanus Snow, future president of Panem, as he joins the first set of mentors for the 10th annual Hunger Games and attempts to keep his tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, alive. Drama, subterfuge, and romance ensue!

Let me tell you, this book is GOOD. Suzanne Collins popped off so hard. I enjoyed the original trilogy so much, but I don’t remember any of them really hooking me and getting me as good as “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” did. I did not want to do anything but read. I finished it in like, two days in the middle of the semester. The whole time I was reading I was BEGGING one of my friends to read along with me so that we could be amazed together.

I absolutely loved Coriolanus as a main character. So much of his internal monologue and motivations come through really well, and it shines a lot of light on things that happen later in the series. He’s so perfectly fucked up, and it’s astounding how he just refuses to be a good person over and over again. It sets him up soooo well for what goes down in the main trilogy, and I was basically frothing at the mouth every time something happened that I could recognize the ripples of.

Also, the plot of this book was INSANE. It was just constant whiplash of, “and then WHAT?!?!?!?” My jaw actually physically dropped open so many times while reading, I must have looked actually comical. I was so sucked in and everything was so crazy that I literally just neglected multiple homework assignments for days to just sit and keep on cranking on this book. I loved every second.

I’ve often said that I wish that I could read books again and experience them like it was the first time, and BY GOLLY do I want to do that with this book. It was a rollercoaster. It was wildly entertaining. It was wonderful. It was shocking. Please read “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”