The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: TikTok made me buy it! (the latest blockbuster, bestselling Hunger Games novel) (The Hunger Games)
£5.00£8.99 (-44%)
NOW A MAJOR FEATURE FILM STARRING TOM BLYTH, RACHEL ZEGLER, VIOLA DAVIS and PETER DINKLAGE. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the best Hunger Games movie of them all” USA TODAY
“Everything you would expect from Collins is here: fraught teenage love; plenty of violence… the themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression will please and thrill” The Guardian
“It works beautifully… please don’t make us wait another decade” The Times
Ambition will fuel him.
Competition will drive him.
But power has its price.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – ; every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
- Three books, four films and one worldwide phenomenon, The Hunger Games changed the face of global YA.
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a global number one hit in hardback.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Scholastic, 1st edition (8 July 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 528 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0702309516 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0702309519 |
| Reading age | 12+ years, from customers |
| Dimensions | 14.3 x 3.4 x 19.8 cm |
by Kindle Customer
As a teen I remember reading the Hunger Games trilogy and was enthralled by the world Suzanne Collins created. Collins is a fantastic writer who brings depth and humanity to her characters. The plot is always well thought out, the pacing is spot on. I was a little hesitant about reading this one as it was from Snows POV, however Collins does such a phenomenal job in weaving the narrative that at some points I forgot I was not supposed to like this character! Would recommend reading if you like the original trilogy and even if you haven’t read them it’s still a fantastic standalone. Now I am looking forward to watching this as a film.
by Ancsarunner
I read the previous books after I watched all the movies. I wanted to read them as I heard they give you a little bit more details. I understand the story better. The books however weren’t near as good as the movies. I didn’t like the style. When I heard a new book coming out I knew that means a new movie. I waited until the book came out paperback but few days after I purchased the book I bought a kindle and I read the book in kindle version. From the first page it was very catching. It nailed it. I had to hurry as its coming out in the cinema today and wanted to finish it before I watch it. I read 80%of the book in 2 days. I hope they done a good job with the movie too.
by Alice • Lune Selvatiche
I waited for ages before deciding to read this book because the reviews put me off.
Then I saw the trailer for the movie that is coming out in November and it intrigued me, so decided to read it. How wrong I was in trusting the negative reviews!
This book is great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It explains why President Snow is such a horrible person in the Hunger Games saga, why he hates Katniss so much and it gives you hints about Katniss’s lineage.
WARNING – MINOR SPOILERS from now on:
When I started reading I was confused, as Coriolanus Snow at the beginning seems a nice guy. We learn he grew up during the war, that he lost his parents and lives with his “Grandma’m” and his cousin Tigris (whom we find again in Mockingjay) and he seems to love them.
We see a kid that has known fear and hunger and we see someone that fears the Capitol and to a point he’s rebellious against it, especially when it comes to helping Lucy Gray in the Games (such a great character, we need a book about her!!).
At the same time we clearly see that he IS a Capitol kid and is not able to distance himself from certain ideologies.
BUT one could think it’s normal as he’s only 18 and hasn’t developed his ideals yet. The first part of the book almost makes you wonder how on Earth he became the President Snow we all know… but I obviously knew since the beginning that something would start to go wrong at some point.
And yes, while the story goes on, we see his inner dialogue become more and more unhinged and we start seeing his true colours. Coriolanus snow is a narcissist and probably a sociopath and although he tries to fit in and make himself believe he is capable of emotions, he indeed is not. He thinks he loves Lucy Gray but as soon as he understands how different they are and that she can be a threat to him, she doesn’t mean anything anymore to him, showing that he really doesn’t feel anything except hunger for power. I also started to distrust him greatly for his hate for music and birds: I mean, who of sound mind can hate music and birds??
Anyway, I loved everything about this book and although I didn’t talk about Lucy Gray in this review (unfortunately she is a secondary character which is why I think she deserves her own story) I truly loved her and the Covey. The ending was spot on as it’s clearly thought to be exactly like the end of the Lucy Gray poem by Wordsworth. Although to be honest I would love to know what happened to her!
Anyway… don’t listen to the negative reviews, read the book and decide for yourself! 🙂
by Chelsea
I’m a huge fan of the hunger games and wanted to read this before watching the movie. Couldn’t wait to read Snow’s story. Rally liked the final few chapters. Still have questions but looking forward to the movie adaptation.
by Amazon Customer
Recommended to me by a friend after she began reading it and loved it, we were both big hunger game fans so I figured this would be a cool insight into Snow’s rise to power. It’s not, not exactly. It’s something so much more exciting to read.
A real insight into the early evolution of the hunger games and the capitol, the effects of the war between the capitol and rebels, and a real deep look into the mind of a teen that becomes this cruel heartless figure we see in the Main trilogy. It’s not a book about a good person, it’s not trying to trick you into loving Snow or seeing him as right or anything – its a book about someone really who is just trying to survive and climb out of this ‘survival’ mode by aiming for power above all else. And it really shows.
by Harrison
Gripping all the way through, can’t wait to see the film! Could believe how everything spiraled near the end and the switch of atmosphere.
by Mr. David Tutt
I read the first books twice before the films came out then watched the films then read the books another two times then re-watched the films but now found myself wondering if Suzanne Collins had just sort of cashed in and written a book just to set the scene and maybe she had spoilt things for a committed believer of the world she created. I am some 30 pages in and already I am hooked. How does she do that? I’m fast approaching my 65th year and see all around me the very world that these books are depicting like it is a plan that our poisonous leaders are intending to tread and I see parts of Snow in every one of them. Is that an accident or just poetic licence? Read things like “A Planet for the President” by Alistair Beaton or “1984” for examples how are we to tell if art is mirroring life or the stories told by our novelists are actually the catalyst for what is happening in the world. It is impossible to write something without being affected by what is going on around you but likewise you cannot read something without being directly affected by it and I feel that this and the other books from this writer are things we should be aware of in our own futures.
Fantastic books and story and I am sure that as I proceed through this ones pages there will be yet more insights into Snow and the rest of the characters that spawned Katnis.