Hello Gemmies! I have a new book review to share with you today. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is a prequel novel set in The Hunger Games universe. It takes place 64 years before the events of the original Hunger Games book. I have so many mixed emotions about this book. On the positive side, It is a well written dystopian fantasy and brought me right back into the Hunger Games world that I love. I enjoyed learning how the Hunger Games came to be, and see some familiar characters like Tigress make a return. On the negative side I'm not sure a book about a privileged narcissistic tyrant in the making and his perceived issues was a book I needed to read right now, especially with current events hitting a little too close to home. I was also disappointed with the lack of diversity as far as the characters go. I would have liked to see at least one POC represented here.
So I will say this, if you are a fan of The Hunger Games Series, then I think you will enjoy this book. But trigger warning if you need more diversity in your life and are tired of hearing about narcissists who pine for the good ole days and feel attacked because their privilege has been diminished then you may want to put this one on the back burner for now.
I give The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 3 out of 5 gems. It is published by Scholastic Press is available for order from all major booksellers. Happy Reading!
