If you enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy of books and movies, check out The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Set during the 10th games, long before Katniss and Peeta were born, readers learn more about the war that divided Panem and led to the brutal oppression of the districts. We also get a taste of how the games evolved into the made-for-television spectacle we saw in the original books. The story focuses on President Snow when he is a teenage student, chosen to serve along with classmates as the first-ever mentors to tributes chosen for the games. If you remember Snow as president, he was a ruthless leader, rumored to have poisoned his enemies to get to the top. The Snow we see in the prequel is humbler, both in circumstances and attitude, trying to secure a bright future to support himself, his sister and grandmother. As he connects with his assigned tribute, he struggles to balance his ambition with moral questions about the games. Personally, I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but perhaps that was just a result of my feelings for the characters being turned upside down by their ultimate decisions.
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AuthorMrs. McHugh is a librarian and instructional technology specialist. She loves talking books and pop culture with her students at Hanover High School. Archives
February 2024
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