It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
While I did enjoy the original Hunger Games series, I was never that into it. I probably missed the hype by a bit, or perhaps by the age I was reading it, I was already in a different stage of life to really get into it. However, a friend did suggest to me that this prequel was very good, and I can safely say that I agree. I really enjoy learning backstory, and I think this book also read a bit like a thriller, which really worked for me.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which is quite a long title, although apt, revolves around the backstory of Coriolanus Snow, who will later become the president in the original series of The Hunger Games. This story follows the 10th ever Hunger Games, and Coriolanus’s involvement as a student of the academy in the Capitol. Suffering from the war that birthed the games in the first place, the Snow family has lost their family fortune, and Coriolanus is determined to keep up appearances while he devises a way to win it all back.
This novel really did it for me in terms of seeing the whole development of Coriolanus snow into the eventual President Snow we all love and probably despise. Although presented and casted a major anti-hero, I couldn’t help but at least empathize and really see where it all went south. If you ever wanted a strong story about the loss of innocence and slow descent into…whatever you classify Snow as, you really got it in this book. I was definitely rooting for Snow this whole book, and even if I don’t agree with his methods, I could really put myself in his shoes and that was very gripping.
Unsurprisingly, none of the other characters were nearly as well developed, but that didn’t bother me much. I came for the “birth” of President Snow, and I got exactly what I wanted. Most of the other characters were just used to show how Snow developed, but I think they were used well. The other characters and experiences were all presented in a very logical manner that laid out how Snow’s character would progress. Why I say it read a bit like a thriller is because the ending is already set in stone (The Hunger Games version of Snow), but despite knowing that, it is still an exciting tale of how Snow became the way he was.
While I really enjoyed the fall from grace and the descent (or ascent) into his current form, I do wonder how much of his “true nature” he actually changed. The “innocent” child and “goodness” were mentioned a couple of times but I never really saw Snow as such. Rather, I saw the manifestations of the little “weaknesses” in his character that were nurtured and developed into something uncontrollable mostly at the hands of Dr. Gaul, but also the Capitol and the games themselves.
I recently watched the movie (actually, I watched the movie first), and I found that the two media naturally have a lot of differences. I think overall the effect was the same, we have a brilliant anti-hero that I couldn’t help but cheer for, yet feel slightly disapproving of his moral compass and actions. It was interesting in that I felt like they changed only very minor things, but the minor things really re-framed the way I perceived the rest of the (same) actions. I think overall the movie was well done too, but I definitely enjoyed the book more for the deep dive into Snow’s thoughts and motivations. If you’ve seen both, let me know how you felt about it too!
For those looking for more of the general Hunger Games franchise at play in this prequel, I think you will be a bit disappointed. The book really is almost purely a study on Snow’s character and his development during his time as a youth and as a student and beyond. If you aren’t personally that invested or interested in Coriolanus Snow, I’d be more hesitant about picking this book up. There are a lot of little Easter eggs and tidbits put into the prequel though, which I think is really nice. I caught a few, but definitely missed many because I read the original series way too long ago. Still, I enjoyed this book a lot!
Overall Recommendations
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes revolves around Coriolanus Snow in the 10th Hunger Games, back before he was President Snow. This novel is the prequel to the Hunger Games series and offers us a deep foray into the mind of Coriolanus, his upbringing, and how the events of that year really helped to shape him into the man he eventually became. Full of Easter eggs from the original series and a thrilling plot, this was an excellent read, certain to answer many of the questions you may have had of President Snow. Watch the movie too for another perspective!
Down the Rabbit Hole 