Return to Panem

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The needle of his moral compass had swung madly without direction

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, prequel to The Hunger Games, chronicles the rise of Coriolanus Snow. His gradual descent into moral bankruptcy makes compelling, thought-provoking drama. The tale is everything readers have come to expect from master storyteller Suzanne Collins: violent often gristly scenes, compelling plot twists, and fascinating world building.

The narrative opens about sixty years before the time of Katniss Everdeen. Young Coriolanus of the Snow family aristocracy has completed his studies and hopes to build a future for himself at the Capitol. The once proud and influential family consists of only three: Coriolanus, his cousin and their grandmother. Impoverished, they reside in the family’s palatial home but subsist on cabbage soup and Lima beans. Without a scholarship, university studies are out of the question. Coriolanus is determined to vaunt himself into prominence within the Capitol hierarchy.

He loves his grandmother and cousin. He is kind to classmate Sejanus Plinth. But it’s Lucy Gray Baird, the tribute from District 12, who captivates him. He is intrigued by her unassuming nature, individualistic style, fearlessness and mesmerizing singing. An outlier who eschews identification with traditional District classification, she is unlike anyone Coriolanus has ever known. His interest blossoms into affection. The two share tender moments and stolen kisses.

He wrestles with his conscience as he weighs his choices and the possible results of his decisions. There is a lot of interior dialog. How far is he willing to go to protect Lucy Gray? Will his relationship with Plinth hurt or help his chances for advancement? He is an expert at rationalizing his motives and finds an uncanny way to work every situation to his advantage. Rarely does his conscience win in his ruminations.

The names! Where did Collins come up with such unique character name? Hilarius Heavensbee, Vipsania Sickle, Dean Highbottom, Volumina Gaul. The author embeds clever double entendre and onomatopoeia into each moniker.

There are striking parallels with the current political culture. Children in cages. Young tributes who arrive at the Capitol are placed in zoo cages and attended to by a vet. Media manipulation of public perception. Increasing viewership of the broadcast games is the objective. It’s all about ratings. The maxim: when hit, hit back harder echoes a tactic espoused by some individuals.
This richly textured tale of the road to hell, i.e. all-consuming greed and power serves as a chilling reminder of the consequences of authority gone awry.

Collins brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. However, she leaves some important plot threads dangling. This reader will wait for hours in an interminably long line for a follow up to Songbirds and Snakes. Please don't make me wait too long, Ms. Collins.

Electronic copy provided by publisher

​Pub date: May 19, 2020  Publisher:  Scholastic Press  ISBN: 978-1338635171