By Nola Minogue ’21
The Hunger Games phenomenon rocked the Young Adult and Dystopian novel world when first released in 2008- since then, Connecticut native Suzanne Collins has shredded and destroyed the heartstrings of millions of readers. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes may have topped it off for how far a mainstream novel can go to terrorize its audience, yet still make them question the very threads holding together their society and societies across the globe.
We meet Coriolanus Snow, a borderline sociopathic power hungry teenager with an agenda constantly in mind. He evaluates each person he lays eyes on for their potential worth to him. He is conniving, conspiratorial, and scared me half to death. Enter Lucy Gray Baird. She’s hypnotically well spoken and one of the most original female YA characters I’ve seen in awhile. She radiates light and compassion, and is everything Coriolanus could ask for in a Tribute.
This novel was amazing at illustrating what war does to us all, and is an explanation for longtime Hunger Games fans for how the Hunger Games could actually occur.
Photo is property of the LA Times https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2019-10-04/hunger-games-prequel-title-ballad-songbirds-snakes
