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Book Critique: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Well, folks, I did it. After three years of having it sit on my shelf staring at me, willing me to read it, I finally finished Suzanne Collins’ dystopian prequel to the beloved Hunger Games trilogy from my adolescence. You might be wondering, did it live up to the hype? Was it as gut-wrenching and emotionally volatile as the books that filled the dull hours of your seventh grade English class were? Was it the fiery, romantic story of heartbreak you were hoping it to be and then some? In this critique I plan to delve into all the nitty gritty details of President Snow and how he came to be one of the most detestable villains in YA history, while also be discussing the story itself, its shortfalls and strengths, and my overall thoughts on the novel. May the odds be ever in my favor after this.
Warning, spoilers ahead.
Praise for Songbirds
Being the naturally critical and argumentative person that I am, it’s easy for me to seek out flaws and pick apart a story to its bones like a literary-obsessed vulture (especially if it’s being made into movie/tv format) so I would like to begin with complementing Suzanne and the work she put into this over 150,000 word show-stopper.
One thing about this book is that despite its size, it’s an incredibly quick read. I finished it in less than three days…
