So The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to the Hunger Games series. I liked this book as much as I did the original Hunger Games book. But, there is a caveat as this is a Young Adult book again. This is entertainment and escapism, but not true literature. That is fine as long as you know that before reading this book or any in the series. There are A LOT of possible spoilers so I will not ruin it for anyone!
Interestingly, the reviews of this prequel are ALL over the place on Goodreads, but quite high on Amazon.
I believe that the Hunger Games fanbase is split over this prequel and whether this should be canon or not. I think it should be canon.
Finally, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie comes out on November 17, 2023. I had NO clue about the movie until I looked up how to spell Coriolanus!! If you want to read it BEFORE the movie comes out, now is the time! Here is movie information here if you are interested: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10545296/
REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing in this book is SIGNIFICANTLY improved from the Hunger Games series! It felt like this book was better planned, written, and somewhat better edited for publication. The ending and the epilogue were very good. But, I wish that the ending and the epilogue were the beginning of a 2nd prequel - this is where some editing would have helped!
Yes, it is a Young Adult book, but it was not as graphically violent which was a relief for me. I do think that this book does need a 12+ rating.
This book did not feel rushed like the last two books in the Hunger Games series. I do think that there will probably be two more books in the prequel series.
The narrator, Santino Fontana, did not do it for me. He read VERY, VERY slowly so I adjusted to 1.5X speed which worked well for me.
Character development: 4.0 stars
Again, there were a LOT of characters included in the plotline - at least forty (many were throwaway, a few somewhat important, and a handful very important). It became hard to keep them separate, especially during the 10th Hunger Games (the setting of this book). Since many of the names were similar and unusual, it was hard to separate Tribute from Mentor at times, but I just rolled with it. But, once there were fewer characters, the character development was very strong and very interesting. I wanted to know MORE about them!
The Coriolanus Snow character's development is really fascinating and shows how ONE event can snowball and completely change our lives. It will be interesting to see the parallels in Katniss' and Coriolanus' lives and how their lives intersect and develop. I really, really hate to say this, but I liked the Coriolanus character in this book. In future books, I hope NOT!
Storyline: 3.5 stars
The storyline is based on the 10th Hunger Games for about 2/3 of the book with about 1/3 spent out in the Districts. The differences and similarities between the 10th and the 75th/76th Hunger Games' are startling. I cannot really say much more or I will give it all away!
Book cover: 3.0 stars
Continuation of the boring covers.
Book title: 4.0 stars
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It really explains a LOT about the book in the title! VERY good title!
Gut feeling: 4.5 stars
This book was WAY more than I expected!
Definite RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) by Suzanne Collins
541 pages or 16 hours and 16 minutes
8 days to listen via audiobook (it took quite a WHILE to listen to it)
Listened to as a library audiobook - Los Angeles Public Library
Release date of 05/19/2020 (released during the pandemic)
https://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5588066073
https://www.scholastic.com/home
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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This was a REALLY good month for reading. I have my reading excitement back, especially after having Covid in April! I am so excited to share my reading journey with you!
The best book of May 2023: The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende - please read this beautiful book by an AMAZING and TALENTED author. I loved it!
STATISTICS:
11 e-books; 5 audiobooks
7 books were ARCS (Advance Reader Copies)
4 books were library books; 5 audiobooks were library books
Audio listening time 73 hours, 6 minutes
Reading pages 3,284 pages
All, but one book was written by women!!!
3 books were 5.0 stars
7 books were 4.5 stars
2 books were 4.0 stars
1 book was 3.5 stars
3 books were 3.0 stars
BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVER:
5.0 star books - 3
So Mockingjay is the final book in the Hunger Games series and it was a true disappointment. The Katniss character lost the spark that made her "The Girl on Fire" and never found it again after the Hunger Games. The ending was disappointing in many ways, but I will be careful not to ruin anything for anyone.
REVIEW: 3.0 stars
Writing: 3.0 stars
This book was MUCH more gory and violent than the other two books. To me, it felt gratuitous and unnecessary. Suzanne Collins writes for the Young Adult audience, but it was more violent than I would expect for a 12+ rated book. The series as a whole did NOT live up to the writing of the Hunger Games at all.
I felt like the author had not planned to write more than one book and was on a time commitment after the first book in the series took off. The writing had deteriorated and just was not as strong with each successive book.
Also, AGAIN, while listening to the book was the overuse of "I say" or "she says". It didn't add clarity and was highly annoying.
AGAIN, Tatiana Maslany does a fabulous job as the narrator!
Character development: 3.0 stars
Again, there were a LOT of characters included in the plotline, but just too many were thrown away in grisly deaths which was disturbing. There was no real character development for them.
The Katniss character became personally and physically weaker as the book progressed. I expected so much more from her. At the end of the book in the epilogue, she settled. She did NOT put herself first which was incredible considering just how strong she was in the first book.
Since this book is going to be read by impressionable young adults, Katniss becoming a strong female character again would have been so much better.
Storyline: 3.0 stars
I mean how much war, violence, and horror can Katniss and her friends really endure? Well, the storyline proves that there was not enough in the previous two books! Let's just shovel more and more violence into this book. This was just over the top for me. Yes, war is ugly, but I don't read for pleasure to read about ugliness.
The ending and the epilogue were just not believable to me. It was just too tied up in a big bow. YUCK!
Book cover: 3.0 stars
Flat and uninteresting.
Book title: 3.0 stars
Mockingjay. It really was not about Katniss - it was about power, control. and a horrible war. The title should have been WAR.
Gut feeling: 3.5 stars
It was not what I expected. Disappointing!
LUKEWARM RECOMMEND - read to complete the series
INFORMATION/LINKS
Mockingjay (Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins
400 pages or 11 hours and 19 minutes
3 days to listen via audiobook (I had a migraine and listened to it)
Listened to as a library audiobook - Los Angeles Public Library
Release date of 08/24/2010
https://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5579681464
https://www.scholastic.com/home
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
So full disclosure, I have read all of Lian Dolan's books and have enjoyed them so much!! This book was read chronologically out of order, Lost and Found in Paris is the most recent publication. It really doesn't matter, however, because all of Lian's books are stand-alone novels.
REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
Lian Dolan is a very good writer, but her books are escapism for me and so much FUN!! I really did laugh out loud because it was a perfect description of sisters and family! Honestly, I inhaled this book once I started reading it because I loved it!
Character development: 4.5 stars
The protagonists of the story are THE Sweeney sisters and they are AWESOME! Exactly like so many sisters that I have known. Every sister has her designated role in her family and carries out their role perfectly! The best part was seeing the growth of the sisters and choosing family over EVERYTHING. So lovely!!
Storyline: 4.5 stars
The storyline was great, but I am being very careful as there are some bombshells along the way in this novel. It really sets up nicely, digs deep, and then ends beautifully. I really enjoyed it!!
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Colorful with SO much meaning!!
Book title: 4.0
The Sweeney Sisters is a great title for this book!
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
It was exactly what I expected from Lian Dolan - another great novel!
Highly RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan
304 pages
4 days to read
Read as a Kindle library book - Los Angeles Public Library
Release date of 04/28/2020
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5499269243
https://www.harpercollins.com/collections/william-morrow
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
So this is the second book in the Hunger Games series and the weakest of the two so far. I hope that the third book is GREAT as this book really just set everything up for the finale!
REVIEW: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Suzanne Collins totally writes for the Young Adult audience. Not to say that that is bad, but it is not my favorite style of writing. It is all about action with bland descriptions and character development. It wasn't as good as the first book.
Also, one thing really bothered me while listening to the book was the overuse of "I say" or "she says" which I don't know if this was to add clarity. But it annoyed me.
Finally, Tatiana Maslany is a masterful narrator!
Character development: 3.5 stars
There were so many characters and a lot of them were "throw-away" characters so there wasn't good character development at all. The character development in District 12 was the most interesting part of the entire book. The Capitol character development just did not interest me at all - it was weak.
Storyline: 3.5 stars
There was not much friction and interaction between Tributes in the Arena which is the most interesting part of the book. The strategy and alliances are what makes these books work. Also, it was evident that this book was setting up the third book in the trilogy. It just fell flat to me.
Book cover: 3.0 stars
Boring, boring, boring.
Book title: 4.0
Catching Fire. A good title as it was a setup book - CATCHING, not CAUGHT.
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
It is what I expected. Just okay!
RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
Catching Fire (Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins
391 pages or 11 hours and 5 minutes
5 days to listen to via audiobook
Read as a Kindle library book - Los Angeles Public Library
Release date of 09/01/2009
https://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5569547003
https://www.scholastic.com/home
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
