Author: Suzanne Collins Publishing Date: May 2020
War, Peace, and Music are the 3 words that come to mind after reading “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” written by Suzanne Collins. A story of a boy trying to figure out life after war and trying to find peace in the world of some much unknown.
Many of you have heard of and even read the Hunger Games trilogy. Well “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is a prequel to that series. It goes back in time to the end of the Civil War between the Capital and Districts of Panem and follows the life of the future President Coriolanus Snow.
It opens up at the reaping of the 10th annual Hunger Games where for the first time ever a student mentor is assigned a tribute to guide them through the Games. Coriolanus Snow gets handed a girl from District 12 by the name of Lucy Gray. Lucy Gray may have made an impact at the reaping however, she is still a very unlikely candidate to win the games. On the other hand, they actual make an unbelievable pair both professionally and personally.
Music was used in this book as a way for Lucy Gray to communicate her feelings throughout the book. It was a sense of relief and warmth that was needed during such a difficult time.
I personally believe that this book has come out at just the right time. As world is battling it’s own war against the deathly disease Coronavirus. In addition to The United States in it’s own civil war between the Capital of Washington D.C. and the states in the case race and police brutality.
Throughout the book Coriolanus finds himself stuck between believing whether the Capital is right with creating the Hunger Games and his best friend Sejanus Plith who is against having young children fighting to their deaths. This is an issue that challenges Coriolanus’s moral and human beliefs. As it is also an issue of human decency. Just has the issue of Race and Police Brutality is.
Suzanne Collins does a fantastic job depicting a character caught in the cross roads and just wants the best for his family’s future. She doesn’t leave anything out and wraps up the story very nicely. It is certainly a book that Hunger Game fans have been anticipating and will not be disappointed.
Hadley Books 