The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins

Enjoy high maximum transfers into more than 120 currencies while saving up to 90% over local banks! The cheap, fast way to send money abroad. Free transfer up to 500 USD!

perfection. suzanne collins is a genius

BLEACH AND TONE. I hate Snow and I hope the next time he bleaches his hair it falls out (he’s so fine though)

Good but felt like I had some unanswered questions. I think it needed more info about what happened to Lucy. I know it was written from his perspective though but that part is irritating I like how it ties into the series though and shows snows perspective on a couple of things

Great look into Snow. Wow. At one point your actually rooting for Snow!!

The best in the series!. All I can say is that you have to read this book if you enjoyed The Hunger Games.

Incredible work. This book was amazing ! Definitely liked how it connects back to the original trilogy throughout the book. Loved the backstory to how Snow became the way he did. Lucy Gray was a great addition to Snow’s history. Would love to read her POV.

TBOSAS. This book was so incredible! Suzanne Collins is a master of her craft and she only writes when she has something worth saying! Watching young Coryo Snow devolve and change into the ruthless President Snow we got to know in the original series was quite a ride and Lucy Gray Baird is the cherry on top of this amazing treat of a book! She gives us so much knowledge and insight in to Snow that completely reshapes any interactions we have with him in the original series. Going back through and rereading the original trilogy with a new perspective on how and why Snow is who he is adds so much clarity and emotion to his character. A must read for any Hunger Games fan!

Great prequel. Gives great insight about Snow and his thinking process. A bit over explained in some spots but a good read. Interested to see how the movie plays in comparison.

Even better. I thought this prequel was even better than the first books. It took us into the heart and soul of the future leader when he was still a malleable teen and young man. It showed us how, despite his wrong-headed prejudices and egotism, to sympathize with him, and care about him. And it ultimately showed us how his heart, teetering between right and wrong, was turned forever to the evil path he was destined to take.

Love it!. It’s a super good book, it has some really good plot twits and is super well tied together. Im excited for the movie to come out.

Pleasantly surprised. Didn’t think I would be interested in President Snow’s origin story but it was a great read

So close to getting the point. Coriolanus gets so close to getting the point so many times, and yet, we still have another three books showcasing how far off the mark he got.

Amazing. I haven’t read a book in years, but I read this one in three days. I’ve never read anything that fast. Mysteriously, and unexpectedly, this was an amazing read.

Heartbreaking. The book was SUPPER good in my opinion so well written I think that in the end a lot of little things that went unnoticed were now revealed about the main character morals. I was kind in disbelief with the end but I think this being a villain origin story it was appropriate. Totally recommend reading definitely a great book to follow up the hunger game trilogy!!!

AWESOMENESS. I really enjoyed this book. I love the series so I was really excited when this came out.

Entertaining. Not my favorite book of all the Hunger Games, but it was definitely entertaining and fun.

A Thrilling, Intense Read. This book is many things: Fascinating, intricate, dark, and occasionally beautiful. It does not shy away from the darkest aspects of humanity, and it uses shock value in the most effective ways possible. Nothing in this book felt without purpose or direction - the entire time I was reading it I could see the road it was paving before me. Naturally it was never quite the whole story, as with many of the things in this book. If you are considering reading this book, I absolutely recommend it - if you can stomach a book with brutal honesty, and one that closely examines humanity’s worst sides.

Overview and opinion.. I liked Cornelius at first, except for his greed for power. But after he killed Bobbin you can see a downward spiral in his character that increases as time goes by. His love for Lucy kept him going for longer, but it had to end. At Peacekeeper training he goes up a little under the positive influence of his friends, but Seranges’s plot began the beginning of the end. With the death of the mayors daughter, his second kill, he digs deeper the tunnel that fully collapses with the death of Seranges and the following events. When he kills Lucy, he fully breaks down. From there it’s easy to see the bloody path that he follows to become the cruel power hungry tyrant from the Hunger Games trilogy. All in all I think this is a excellent book, well written and with plenty of Easter eggs to the original trilogy.

has really good and really slow moments. I do like the different character view this story has. Instead of being in the perspective of someone from the districts, it shows the perspective of someone in the capital. I also like how different everything is 64 years before the first book. However there are moments where this story feels rushed in some places, and way too dragged out in others. TLDR if you are a fan of the hunger games series it’s still worth the read

Favorite book in the series!!!. This book took over my mind and it was all I could think about.

Pretty good. It isn’t my favorite book in the series or in general. I read the original trilogy in three days (one book each day) because I loved them so much. This took me a week to finish.

Amazing.. This story was amazing, definitely in my top. I decided to read this after I watched the movie, I wanted to see more of Coriolanus’s POV, and I did. This book was amazing. I almost felt sorry for him, but in the end I know Lucy is still out there, I got hope for my girl. This story was fascinating, thrilling, and terrifying. The end when he’s in the forest really was the cherry on top for me, it was as almost I felt his rage/sadness. Wish he never said anything about 3 people and went on to live with Lucy but without that we’d never have Katniss to thank for ridding the world of a terrible leader <3

Jayla the wiuiam h. The girl Lay Lay

Ayooooo😳😳❤️❤️😭😭. So…this book is really good. But you have to hate snow ALOT going in because this book almost made me feel sad for him. There. I said it. I love Lucy Gray, and that hanging tree scene blew me away 😳. I got chills when I realized (if you know you know). Her songs are so cool too. I’m so excited for the movie! I think I know why Snow hates Katniss…it’s because she reminds him of Lucy Gray, isn’t it? This is pretty much every emotion I felt in order: 😐😯🥺🫢😱🙄😰😭😱🫢🫡 Bye!

A great prequel.. Normally, I read the prequels before I read the main series, because it makes more sense to read it that way for me, but this is a book that I read after I read the Hunger Games and I’m glad. It gives you a lot more insight into President Snow and makes him seem more human. In the original series, the only thing we know about him is that he’s evil because he’s evil. There was no reason, but this books shows you why he hates Katniss and District 12 so much. Probably my favorite book out of the Hunger games books and one of my favorite books of the year.

Songbirds and snakes. It twisted and turned it certainly makes sense why katnis caught his attention

LOVED!. Absolutely loved this prequel - the “how the bad guy became the bad guy” story. First, with it being so long since I read The Hunger Games series, I forgot how much I love the author’s writing style - just enough explanation and scene-setting without overdoing it so you can make the movie inside your head. Second, the story itself and brainwashing into why The Hunger Games are necessary really got me. I unfortunately found myself nodding along and being like “yeah I kinda get what they’re saying”. Third, I absolutely loved how the author answered some historical questions that happened too long before the original series to explain them in depth, but are explained here. Lastly, I enjoyed how the themes of the book’s title played out multiple times in the story - ballad, songbirds, snakes - SO creative. Absolutely loved this book!

Interesting. I’ve seen many reviews from people probably who haven’t finished the book yet. Saying how getting to know Snow before he becomes president redeems him. I disagree. I certainly see how he is a person like anyone else but that capacity for self-preservation (as he put it in Catching Fire when talking about Katniss) is very evident in himself. He starts out innocent enough, most people can relate to wanting to be praised or comfortable. But he is very good at convincing people, most of all himself that his actions are warranted. So much so that he blurs the line between right and wrong more and more each time. This was more than anything a deep look into the mind of Coriolanus Snow. With some bright characters and captivating settings along the way. The finale of Lucy Gray left me wanting more but I think it wrapped up nicely and again showed you more of the psyche of Snow. an excellent prequel that leaves me wanting to recap the main series. I found myself connecting dots and realizing how all his annoyances in the prequel really tie into how and why he reacts to certain things in the main series. Say what you’d like but I’d say he is the most developed character in the series give how little we knew of him and after this how much we learned about him

SO GOOD. This might be my favorite out of all the hunger games books

So good!!!!!!!!!!. I loved it and it has a twist that you do bot expect. If you loved the hunger games you’ll LOVE this. It is a little graphic violence wise but it’s a great book. Totally recommend!!!

Beautiful. Loved this book. Beautifully tied together

Extremely frustrated. It’s not letting me read the book I bought

Fitting. Loved all her books. Excellent and surprising!

Amazing. Great book, still don’t like snow:)

Great book. Very good!

Amazing!. I read this book 1 and a half years ago and I loved it after the series it was an amazing view of snows rise to power. BUT! I have a suggestion for Suzanne Collin’s. PLEASEEEEE make a sequel for the capitol hunger games!!!!!!!! That the rebels make the capitol do

A smart perspective of the future tyrant. Suzanne did something I think was so smart in this HG installment — having Coriolanus’ perspective be told in the third person rather than the first. It was almost as if we got a safe distance from Coryo yet nonetheless got a good glimpse into his mind.

Sad. Well written.. Sad book but to be expected. Worth the read.

Extremely well written. Having read the Hunger Games trilogy I wondered how Collins would depict President Snow in his youth. I went in open minded and was immediately drawn to how well written this was. His youthful, innocent perspective was all I could see, and I loved coming to understand why/who he was. The turning point, towards the end, was a little too fast and easy. Snow was a deep thinker and mulled over every single circumstance throughout the entire book- and then everything simply changed when he had a few minutes to himself. Unanswered questions at the end were a huge disappointment, unless Collins plans to continue his story, and that of Lucy Gray Baird.

Not for me. I somehow don’t know why I wasted my time reading this. I was not satisfied.

Amazing. No lack of plot twists and exciting sequences in Suzanne Colin’s latest installment

Can't get enough of this world. I don't like rereading books or rewatching movies unless it's like this right here. I feel like it was so thought provoking caught me off guard forgetting young Snow became the President Snow. I don't know how but I felt like I was conflicted reading from his POV cause I understood something's and then just so smoothly would be Snow obsessing over something in the wrong way. I just love this book as I did the others.

Can’t wait for the new movie. Okay I just red this book and I liked how it from president snow’s perspective,but overall it was pretty interesting and really gave me more questions than answers.But I hope to find out more information about mags and finnick’s games,and if you go to YouTube and search up the 2nd quarter quell you can find a cut video from catching fire that shows how haymitch won.I also want to find out why the quarter quell was started and I believe that it was used to target certain people or districts like with 3rd quarter quell. Also check out a YouTuber named Christian Blanco he makes his own non-cannon hunger games and mixes them with the cannon ones. 😃🤩😎😀🥹

Full of twists and tragedy. This book got me back into reading, it’s incredibly well written and surprisingly gruesome for a young adult book. just like the others in the series. It doesn’t do much to justify its existence really, serving mostly as an extremely interesting read for fans of the series, but regardless it’s a great story.

4.3/5 for making me scream. It’s hard to enjoy a book where you despise the main character from start to finish, but this book pulled it off. I don’t understand other reviewers who are sympathetic towards Coriolanus Snow, he is clearly a sociopath from start to finish. Anyway though, this book was an amazing addition to the Hunger Games world. It didn’t get five stars from me because parts seemed to drag. The characters were the best part, each one of them from the most central to the plot to minor characters were well thought out and unique. I rather hated this book—in a very enjoyable kind of way. I recommend reading, just be prepared to rip some of your hair out trying to wrap your brain around Snow’s twisted worldview.

An excellent revisit. It was a really refreshing read into a world I thought I’d never get to see expand. The book twisted and turned in ways not what I’d predict, and amounted to a satisfying finish.

A good read. So good!

# I love this book!!🥰😊. I love this book because it’s all about Snow when it was the 10th hunger games And also had Lucy grey

Very entertaining. A really good recounting of Snow’s backstory and the foundation of the Hunger Games. If you enjoyed the trilogy, you’ll love this introduction to their antagonist’s mind and motivations.

Fascinating!. Excellent book! In many ways I found it the most intriguing of the series. Collins does an excellent job of capturing the ironies that create the human beings we become. The idea that war destroys the victor as well as the vanquished is a provocative idea. I would love to see books about Coriolanus’s rise and the ambiguity of Lucy Gray. Somehow I think Ms. Collins has wonderful permutations to choose from in future books.

Mind Lab Pro boosts work performance and productivity with nootropics for focus, multitasking under stress, creative problem-solving and more. Buy Now!

One of my favs!. Definitely in my top books and 100% the best book in the hunger game series. Does exhilarating read offers thrill excitement an incredible backstory to Mr. President Snow. Highly recommend!

Hungry for more. This prequel of the Hunger games series is awesome. I’m not a big reader BUT I can’t put this book down. Exciting; and you really can not guess where the story will go next.

FANTASTIC. I had watched the first 4 Hunger games movies and was appalled when I saw this book the day it came out. I loved the progression and the way the focus of the book is less in the games and more on the tale and story of the characters. I will forever hate the way Lamina died but overall this book is fantastic, amazing, suspenseful, captivating and remarkable. When the movie adaptation is released I will watch it 100 times over and still find new clues and theories.

Spoiler Alert, but Amazing!. I bought it the day it came out. Literally. I never thought that Coriolanus (who I used to call Cornelius, sorry) would have this sort of amazing backstory! And so far people believe Maude Ivory is Katniss’s grandmother...? But anyways. Let’s move on to the best parts of the book. 1. The first word is Coriolanus, which corrected my mistake in my mind 2. WDYM TIGRIS IS HIS COUSIN- THAT’S THE BEST WHATEVER IT’S CALLED EVER! 3. Lucy Gray is just inspirational 4. Yay, it includes more songs! Is it just me, or do you pore over the songs for half an hour until you know them by heart? 5. Coriolanus doesn’t seem so bad now... 6. The expected l~o~v~e between Lucy Gray and Coriolanus was just amazing... 7. It gives a backstory to The Hanging Tree! Okay that’s enough for now, so if you haven’t gotten it yet, go get it, it’s worth it.

Okay. Filled in a lot of blanks in terms of story line but not the best of her books.

Beyond expectations. Couldn’t be assed spending money to see the movie, but i might have to this book was beyond my expectations, the relationships were very complex and turned so sour so quickly, great read.

Yes. Just yes.. I loved this. People say that I am too young to read young adult books but they’re really good. In the main series we didn’t get a lot of information on Snow, and we sort of just thought he was a baddie but in this it goes in to detail about what he was like before he became “evil”. I also absolutely adored how Lucy Gray and Coryo slowly came to love each other until the point where they were fully fledged boyfriend and girlfriend. I also liked how they showed that not all c as pistol citizens were ruthless. And last but not least, I liked how a capitol boy and a non-capitol girl got together. It really shows that if the capitol worked hard enough, they could all be friends with districts and everyone could live alongside each other in peace. To that one person who read all of this through, I thank you sincerely for your time. Goodbye.

Speechless. Here’s a speech. When I first saw this book at Chapters, I was extremely excited. I had read the Hunger Games trilogy around a year ago and I was obsessed with them. I wanted more, if you know what I mean. Not just more of the books, but more of the Hunger Games universe. I started reading this book and I was immediately hooked. Before I get into full detail, I want to say there will be spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book yet I wouldn’t read this review. A few non-important side notes I wanted to add. I love the names of the characters in this book. The name Coriolanus looks a bit odd on paper but I love saying and hearing it out loud. Sejanus, Clemensia, and Livia are all great names. I love both the cover of the book and the creativity of the name, although the meaning of the name took a while to understand. I also love the Snow family catchphrase. “Snow lands on top” is just so witty! I’m pretty sure if Dean Highbottom didn’t tell Coriolanus that he could hear snow falling, Coriolanus wouldn’t have poisoned him. Arachne’s death took me by surprise. It wasn’t until her tribute reached for the cheese knife that I realized she had made a terrible mistake teasing her. It was one sandwich! Although the tribute was probably starving, not having eaten in a few days. The bomb in the arena really added to the suspense. It not only changed the layout of the arena but also proved that Coriolanus and Lucy Gray were starting to trust each other more, as Lucy Gray saved Coriolanus from that burning beam. One of the things that makes this book so great is how the author shows character evolution throughout it. There’s a lot of firsts; first kiss, first murder, et cetera. I feel this really brings the reader along the character's path. When Coriolanus was sent to District 12 to be a peacekeeper, I thought he was going to stay there for a while and maybe even marry Lucy Gray. I knew it couldn’t last or else the Hunger Games series wouldn’t exist, but I didn’t know he’d abandon her. It started off well, with him coming to watch her at the Hob, him meeting her at the Covey’s house. They arranged to go off together and live up north, free of laws and expectations. When Coriolanus found the gun, I hoped he would leave it where it was and still go off with her, but he had other plans. He was going to tell Lucy Gray he was going back, but when the snake bit him, he went completely insane and started firing the gun, trying to find Lucy Gray to kill her. Hard to believe he did that all in panic. Then he went back to the Capitol. I’m not going to say I loved or even liked the ending, but I will say I understood it. The end suits the book very well and I think a happy ending not only wouldn’t have suited the book but wouldn’t have made any sense either. If Coriolanus had not killed Dean Highbottom at the end of the book and instead went back to Lucy Gray, this would’ve meant that there was still good in Coriolanus, and that would mean Coriolanus wasn’t the cold-blooded murderer he was in the Hunger Games trilogy. So once again, I did not love the ending but I understood it. All in all, this prequel to the Hunger Games was an amazing book. I read it and now I’m rereading the Hunger Games books. This book is an absolute must-read for any Hunger Games fan and, I have to say, one of the best books I’ve ever read. If you were one of the people to read this whole review, I just want to say my thanks. This is a very long review and it means a lot to me that you would read all of it. Thank you.

Interesting Read. This book is about Snow after the war, studying, and during the 10th hunger games. I was underwhelmed with the story and I feel it could have been told in a short 100 page story. The ending was expected and disappointing at the same time with the only worthy reading bits is in the epilogue. Read it if you like but I don’t think you are missing out on anything.

Fabulous prequel. I hope there might be more novels following Coriolanus Snow, what a character… love him or hate him is written with such a great mind, a very interesting study. Suzanne Collins really brings to life her characters and they are complex and more than meets the eye

wow, just wow. this book was incredible! i loved how it gave the reader a glimpse into Snows life before he became president and it also makes him seem more human like. this book explains and shows why Snow acted the way he did during the first 3 books. i am currently re reading the series right now, and after reading this book, i see Snow completely differently. this book was amazing i 100% recommend! p.s. this book is written in third person (i personally rather first person but i still loved this book!) :)

Discover how specific cryptocurrencies work — and get a bit of each crypto to try out for yourself. Coinbase is the easiest place to buy and sell cryptocurrency. Sign up and get started today.

I think that the title perfectly explains Coriolanus and Lucy Gray together.. I think this book is appropriate for ages 11+. This book is right for many ages and levels of reading for everyone. This book includes some violence, but for me it is wonderful. It really makes sense to add Coriolanus Snow’s background. It helps support his character in The Hunger Games. My personal favorite part of the book, like when I read The Hunger Games, the games in all the books are my favorite part.

Loved It!. I hope this is made into a movie. I really enjoyed all of the backstory and suspense! Great book!

.....what?. Honestly, don’t waste your time reading this. I didn’t set myself up for disappointment, got my hopes up, and was utterly annoyed that this book was ever made. (Still love you Suzanne Collins, just not one of your best creations) One star for this book ⭐️

Can’t put it down.. The hunger games made you hate President Snow. Now you just can’t help wanting him to succeed

Better then expected. I didn’t think this book would be very good ngl but it showed what made snow the way he is and how he got so evil and I wouldn’t spoil it but he went throw his own struggles before he became a dictator and had everything handed to him on a silver dish which idk about you but I didn’t expect that

Worth the Read for Hunger Games Fans. If you were a fan of the Hunger Games, you’ll appreciate being back in that universe with this prequel about President Snow’s origin. That being said, the book didn’t grab me like the original stories.

Pretty good.. I was super exited. This book was highly anticipated by me. And it didn’t really disappoint. You might be wondering, “Why four stars?” The answer is, I really liked it, but not as good characters/character development. Snow was as expected, but I kept getting some characters confused. Some of the plot got jumbled in my brain. That’s just me though. Overall, a really good book, and would highly recommend.

Exciting and eye opening. I think that the book was interesting. I love how Suzanne Collins added a origin story of the main bad guy. It adds why he’s like that and explains a lot in my perspective. The book explains how Coriolanus is to different people.

OMG. The ending omg😨😱 This book is soooo amazing you should definitely read it

Snow. It pulled me in to thinking Snow actually was a good person but I should have known better. Kept me reading to the end hoping that I was wrong and made me really dislike him as much as I did when reading the Hunger Games.

One of my new favorite books. This book isn’t what I expected it to be at all and I am very glad it isn’t. The author did an amazing job tying in all the different elements from the hunger games book to the prequel.

Overall, very well written. I won't lie, I did have some problems with the book. I thought it was a little bit too long and could have been shortened by leaving out some extra details. These problems were minor, however. The book itself was very well written and left me stunned by the end. I didn't even figure out the title until after I finished reading. Lucy Gray was the songbird, Coriolanus the snake, and this was a ballad about them. Their story. The whole time, Suzanne Collins leaned between making Coriolanus a decent person and making him seem like he actually cares about Lucy Gray, and showing his more selfish, ruthless, and manipulative side, (despite that fact that we already know is in President Snow.) I felt for Snow, even knowing what he would do in the future. In addition, the book explained many things about Snow as well as Katniss and her father, and showed how the Hunger Games evolved from the 10th to 74th Hunger Games, which I, as a Hunger Games fan, felt was interesting to read about. These are my thoughts on the book.

Must Read! (Ivywhisker of AU TC). 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 This is a great book that, even though I haven’t read the hunger games since last year, drew me right back in. I’ve read it 3 times since I got it and I rarely reread books, I just speed on to the next one since I LOVE TO READ. |vy or Ivywhisker of AU ThunderClan Rainfall the RainWing SkyWing Kirana the Froster (KOTLC) Dessa, daughter of Medusa and Jafar (descendants) Ke’dara the Twi’lek (Star Wars) Hamiri, the female tribute from District 12 (shame on me I’ve forgotten what the others specialize in)

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. I loved it it was everything I hoped for .❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Twists and Turns. I loved this book. It left me hoping for more about Snow. The way that Collins embeds little pieces of the Hunger Games story really makes for a rich read. I hope she writes more!

Bad. Book P.S pee pee poo poo fart dab poop head P.P.S again this is to annoy u and I have way more time so it will be extra long hope u enjoy 🙃 M M 🧛🏻‍♂️

Not what I Expected. Interesting idea but the plot was too long and things seemed to fit weirdly together.

Decent. I enjoyed the book personally. Although it’s not as popular as the other books. It has a good story and makes you feel emotion for the characters. Although it did get lagging at times it was honestly a good book. I’m not giving it 5 stars because it didn’t go in detail as much as I wanted it to

Snow is Out of Character. Snow’s character is not what I expected. He is too compassionate, empathetic, and full of love until the end of the book and it switches all of a sudden. We see too much of the anti-hero these days having our sympathies for the life and plight of the villain. Collins does a good job of taking away any warm and fuzzy feelings for Snow in the end in my opinion, but leads us on that Snow is something he is not. The book may have also tried too hard to connect too much to the Hunger Games Trilogy. I feel that’s unnecessary. It should have been more natural connections or leave it where it is. It reminded me of the old fashioned movies from the 50’s and 60’s when the climax would happen right before the movie ends. That was how quick Snow’s character changed. I do love that there is more of Panem, more Hunger Games to read and experience and I hope there is more in the future. I’m a fan either way. Love the world that Collins has created for us to be part of.

Good. Being the fact that this is my first hunger games book I enjoyed it Suzanne Collins didn’t pull a j.k. Rowling with snape( even though snape I decent in my opinion) I enjoyed Lucy gray and I enjoyed Maiah Wynnes covers for it.

Amazing!. this is my favorite book in the hunger games. i love how you go from hating Snow to wanting him to succeed. i love how much detail Suzanne put into this book. made my heart race. i could never put it down… i went from loving Lucy Gray to hating her. this book is amazing and i definitely recommend! (thought i do recommend reading the first 3 books so you understand the main concept, then move on to this book. either way, this is a great book and i’d love to see more people read it!

Snow Lands On Top. If you want to hate President Snow even more, read this novel.

Must Read. Gripping from beginning to end. If your a Hunger Games fan this book does not disappoint!

Perfect Prequel. This was what I needed in my life!

Deadly Choices. There are hard to describe nuances that make the Hunger Games series more engaging for audiences beyond the intended age range. Maybe it’s the coming of age story that grates so violently against the bitter reality of life that we all know. These passages often trigger reflections of when our own romantic ideals of the world went up in smoke. Or maybe it’s the myriad of questions about the order of things that that the series prompts. Like how does the world whittle down to a contracted state like that of Panem and it’s Districts? Are we good natured at the core, and then pushed over the line by circumstance? Or rather, is who we really are just revealed by the pressure of our environment? Collins has done a great job recreating those same debates and introspections in this prequel. Though at times predictable and slow, it does pull you in and the characters are given proper development and mystery. I only wish that the pre-war Panem was covered more in the prequel than just Snow’s backstory.

Unexpected and Compelling. Taking the time to illustrate the history of what drives Snow, this book is quite a fine maze of plots and subplots. The pacing is such that I couldn’t put it down! While it doesn’t quite leave you feeling a kinship with the young ruler-to-be, it does help to understand his motivations, such as they are. I enjoyed this read immensely!

Woah. I have a lot of thoughts 1: Why would Snow still let the freaking hunger games go on if he had to go into the arena once? 2: I’m confused 3: Ummmm why???

Good. Book

Not what I thought it would be. So Snow starts out as a sorta ok person, the author even tricks you into liking him, (great writing on her part) and I even liked him with Lucy Gray, too bad that didn’t work out, Snow might not have been evil with her influence but nope. Anyone else think Lucy Gray is somehow connected to Katniss? Idk that might just be me but pretty good read, The plot twist at the end is very unexpected but it explains a lot. Four stars.

BEST BOOK EVER 🤗. This book was amazing just like all of her others. Although it’s a cruel story with death,love, and hardship. When she writes it it’s almost like a fairytale. They should totally make a movie!!! Anyone reading this should by it NOW!!!!

Nice. The effort of this book is AMAZING! Hope she will make a sequel!

Lagged on/ no character growth. A lot of details was not necessary, and even for a villain to be the main character he should of had at least some character depth/growth into why he becomes a tyrant but no he’s a tyrant through and through which what made the story fall flat to me, but if you don’t mind a character growth kudos to you. The story was pretty decent. Overall the way he view the world never changed which was a big reason the story didn’t live up to its potential. Hopefully the movie fix the problem. Enjoy.

Worth Your Time!. If you are a fan of the Hunger Games series, make sure that you have finished every book before this one in order for this to make sense. This is %101 worth my time and I’ve reread it multiple times since last year

Bored. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen.

Awesome book, 200000000000 stars, not five.. I really love this book I was super happy/sad when Snow killed Lucy Gray and loved all of the connections to the hunger game (The song The Hanging Tree, the lake and the concert houses, Lucy Gray talked about katniss roots, etc) over all this was favorite book in the series, started reading the first one fourth grade (2018-2019) and finished the series this year! Highly recommend Maze Runner if you liked this series!

I hate this book. I HATE THIS BOOK ITS TERRIBLE ITS LITERALLY WORSE THAN DORA THE EXPLORER OMG I HATE THIS BOOK

Brilliant. Brilliant! The character development of snow was superb and left me wanting more.

The Other View. A moment too see the other side, the other view and peak inside the mind of a future tyrant. What a journey of thrill. I dedicate this read to Lucy Gray who I’m hoping is haunting every Snow in every song they hear

i love this but soooo expensive. ok lemme just say in advance that the hunger games is my favorite book series of all time and i have all of them hardcover and downloaded and ive watched all the movies several times now........imma speak my mind WHY THE FUDGE IS THIS BOOK TEN DOLLARS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE FIRST ONE THE FIRST ONE IS EIGHT BUCKS AND THIS IS EIGHTEEN THAT IS MESSED UP ok thx

Good Show!. This book was impressive. Following President Snow as a young man was a surprising journey into the elitist psyche that we came to hate in the previously published Hunger Games novels. What begins as a coming of age story becomes much more than that. Introducing moral quandaries, mystery, romance, and psychological thriller component keeps the reader engaged in a variety of ways. I always liked Coriolanus Snow as a character, and for those of you inquisitively eying him in the Hunger Games novels and wanting more, this book is for you. Aside from a few examples of what seems like on-the-nose fan service, this is a highly entertaining delve into the Snow we love to hate.

Okay. The best part was when that guy said, “ you hear that Cornelius it’s Snow falling” DANG!!! 😂

MORE MORE MORE. This might be my favorite book by Suzanne Collins to date!! I really caught myself rooting for Snow and wanting him to triumph even though I know what he becomes. I hope that she writes another prequel in his perspective!! I really fell in love with Snow in this book, and the twist at the end was so unexpected, even though I would have expected it before reading, if that makes sense?

Really really really good book. I love the hunger games like soo kuch and when I read this one I was shocked cuz this book shows how Coriolanus was nice at first but then he turned evil. SPOILER ALERT: I think that Lucy gray is katniss grandmother because like only she and the covey knew the hanging tree song. Also where did Lucy gray go?? Did she die or like disappear?? Also y would she want to make Coriolanus get in trouble? A lot of my questions were left unanswered but like it was still very mysterious at the end and emotional. The songs in this book are also amazing!! Loved it.

Great addition to the Hunger Games series. Great read that incorporates so much history of the original books that leave you pleasantly surprised. It makes you almost want to root for Snow at some points before you remember just who your dealing with. I’m so happy this books exists and honestly would love if she decided to indulge further into this perspective, even to go as far as to bring His point of view on Katniss during those games. I was worried about this was not going to live up to the other books, but it definitely does.

Terrible. I absolutely loved the Hunger Games Series but this was not even close to that standard. I kept waiting for something to change my mind and kept getting let down.

Amazing. Great prequel. Loved the themes.

Amazing. I can’t even put into words how excellently written this was. Would give this ten stars if I could. Finished in a day, such an addictive read.

Really worth a read. I read The Hunger Games trilogy when I was younger and instantly fell in love with those books. Originally I was on the fence about reading this one when I found out it followed President Snow as a young adult but I can honestly say that it was the right call. Suzanne Collins really delivered on details about the early days of the games. Highly suggest you give this one a read if your a fan. All in all a great addition to a series I love.

Huge hunger games fan. So I’m just going to say that I came into this without very high standards. And I don’t mean this to say I thought Suzanne isn’t an amazing writer because she is, I just was a little worried it would be one of those sob stories where you are supposed to feel bad for a psychopath murderer. But it was more like an adventure into Snows twisted mind. And at times it really messed with me where I began to feel like I was him. Something I can say that I really appreciate was the way she wrote his thought process. He was shrewd, calculated and seemingly had no moral compass. And she didn’t try to hide that or sugarcoat it. He was a bad person putting up the facade of being innocent, benevolent and an advocate. But only when it benefited him. Lastly I really really hope to see more content released, specifically the backstory of Haymitch Abernathy and his personal experience in the games. I want to know more about him, given he was such a major character. And maybe even a spin-off of Gale Hawthornes backstory and then his new life in district two

Decent read. The book overall was alright. I really wanted to like the different take on how the “Hunger Games” were presented in this but it fell slightly short. For me, the character development doesn’t really match expectations and at certain points feels extremely forced. Characters who were previously presented as heartless and coldblooded aren’t given experiences that would match up to who they become. While there are some very heart wrenching scenes in this book it wasn’t enough to keep me wanting more. I did however enjoy the origins of certain songs that were in the original trilogy. Additionally, the use of a certain bird upon Snows third murder was by far the best part of the book. This is worth the read if you enjoyed the original trilogy but just don’t set your expectations too high.