The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins -
Acacia Darlington - August 22, 2020
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
From Goodreads:
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 outmaneuver 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 favor 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.
General Questions:
- What were your first thoughts when you discovered the main plot of the novel?
- Did you find yourself relating to one or more of the characters?
- Did you find yourself relating to
Snow in some way or another?
Spoilery Questions:
Show
- What were your thoughts after you actually finished the novel, and how did they vary from your original perspective?
- How did you feel about the music incorporated throughout the novel, both old and new? Especially discovering the origins of the Hanging Tree?
- Did the plot of the book seem shocking? Satisfyingly fitting? What was your reaction to the overall novel compared to the original trilogy?
- What did you think of the ending itself? What do you believe truly happened to Lucy Gray?
- What were your thoughts about the connection between Snow and the mocking jays? Do you think it fueled his anger further during the revolution?
- What would you have done in Snow's position?
This is a discussion thread for people who have read or are reading the book in question. With that in mind, there are likely to be spoilers throughout. However, in the event of major twists or “how it ends”, please wrap content in spoiler tags.
Code:
[spoiler]Surprise!content here[/spoiler]
RE: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins -
Acacia Darlington - August 22, 2020
- What were your first thoughts when you discovered the main plot of the novel?
I had a mixture of emotions. Excitement to go back into the world of Panem, confusion as to what it might be about, then a hint of disappointment when I found out who it
is about.
- Did you find yourself relating to one or more of the characters?
Mainly Lucy Gray. She is quite the relatable character in her own right. I've always loved music, though I'll never sing as good as her. I probably would not have lasted as long as she had in Panem in general.
- Did you find yourself relating to Snow in some way or another?
To an extent. My family struggles a lot financially, and though I wouldn't go as far as he did to rise in the financial brackets, I know how it feels to have things seem hopeless as you struggle to keep control when you pretty much have none.
Show
- What were your thoughts after you actually finished the novel, and how did they vary from your original perspective?
I certainly felt less disappointed. Being able to see the beginnings of the games, and their developments after these incidents that showed how technologically flawed they were was interesting. What was also curious was how they did get into the mentality of the games. Having the capitol citizens just not like the games, and to see how and why that changed by Katniss's era seems fitting.
- How did you feel about the music incorporated throughout the novel, both old and new? Especially discovering the origins of the Hanging Tree?
Music incorporation was tied into the original trilogy, but not as heavily - to be fair, the originals were a trilogy and this is likely to be a single book. What I genuinely loved was the origins of the hanging tree. Part of me flashes back to how Katniss's mother got upset when Katniss was singing it at home, and it really drives it home that this was something more recent than I originally thought. It makes me wonder how long the hangings lasted, since her mother still remembered them from her youth.
- Did the plot of the book seem shocking? Satisfyingly fitting? What was your reaction to the overall novel compared to the original trilogy?
The plot felt predictable, but in a really satisfying way. We all knew that Snow wasn't going to end up without blood on his hands, given how he turns out. We all knew that he wouldn't be sympathetic to the districts by the end. But what really shocked me was when he went into twelve. Sent, really, but there nonetheless. More shocking is the fact that they used to actually go into the woods. When did that not become a thing? Was it Snow that did it, to cover his tracks? Did a previous president decide to bring up gates? Or a head peace keeper? To see Snow in the area that I always viewed as 'Katniss's place' seemed so shocking to me, just how they are connected that much.
- What did you think of the ending itself? What do you believe truly happened to Lucy Gray?
The small amount of an optimist in me wants to say she escaped and found a little colony up north and never had to think about Panem again - I mean, really, I know we see this world through Panem's citizens, but really, no other civilization survived? - but I'm fairly certain that these optimistic thoughts are only wishful dreams. She likely died, and it seems pretty obvious that she didn't make it back to the district either. Snow's ending makes sense, given his future. Overall, it was a satisfying ending when you like things to stay consistent. Though I will always find myself believing in dear sweet Lucy Gray.
- What were your thoughts about the connection between Snow and the mocking jays? Do you think it fueled his anger further during the revolution?
I'm sorry, I just found it so hilarious that he hated mocking jays that much. It felt ironic, made sense, and amused me every time the book brought it up. It didn't even need to be in there. 'Oh look, annoying bird mutts'. That's it, that could have been the entire thing. But just how much he hated those things is something I found amusing to no end. And yes, I think that he was very mad when it was then cast as the sign of rebellion. Thank you, strange little birds. Thank you for so much amusement.
- What would you have done in Snow's position?
RE: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins -
Sisse Thompsett - December 31, 2020
I've been really eager to read this to the point of avoiding absolutely any spoilers about this book and hungrily devouring it the second it was in my hands. At first I was unsure of the setting and what it would lead too, each segment I thought
this is where she is going to ruin it and each section I was proven wrong. Suspecting who the main character was it made the premise interesting and odd, clearly it wasn't going to end up a hero type of story but the development and the way Suzanne Collins developed and wrote Coriolanus's thoughts especially in the end really brought it right around. There were times I thought the book dragged, that elements of it seemed a bit off, but in the end I thought she did a wonderful job tying everything into the Hunger Games series I know and love and explaining things from the other side. Especially in how a guiding hand can make so much of a difference.
That said, I shall now answer the questions above, since I finally have the luxury of reading this thread.
- What were your first thoughts when you discovered the main plot of the novel?
It was an interesting premise but I really wasn't sure one, how she'd tie it all in, and two how it would actually be successful. I fully expected to be let down.
- Did you find yourself relating to one or more of the characters?
I think Lucy Gray's love of freedom and her idealistic attitude peppered with her pragmatism rang with me.
- Did you find yourself relating to Snow in some way or another?
His love of his family and his ability to try and help them out.
Show
- What were your thoughts after you actually finished the novel, and how did they vary from your original perspective?
I thought that Suzanne Collins did a very good job with it. As I mentioned earlier I was a bit wary and at times wondering what the heck she was doing but she pulled it altogether beautifully. The first section started to feel a bit murder mystery for my taste. The second one you could see him sympathizing with Lucy Gray and Sejanus and could see him leaning that way, but given the confines of the book you knew it wouldn't work out that way. I started to think at that point that Suzanne Collins was getting too good at writing the hero type story and perhaps it would have gone that way if she isn't so good at the mental aspects of writing a book. Like in the original series she did an excellent job at portraying PTSD with Katniss. Which brings me to part there, the part where you knew it was all going to fall apart. You could feel the shift in his thinking, the thoughts that would lead him to his role in the original series and the final part with Lucy Gray and the internal dialogue pulled the whole book together to truly peel the pieces together. That last part was what I expected the whole book to be, but I think the book was all the much better for the jarring change from the beginning to the end and the full growth and development of Coriolanus. Although, I do feel that Dr. Gaul shaped a lot of his thoughts and ultimately he let her win over the influence of Sejanus and Lucy Gray.
- How did you feel about the music incorporated throughout the novel, both old and new? Especially discovering the origins of the Hanging Tree?
Okay, time for the brutal truth. There was too much music. I felt like she was pandering to the CD that was made called "Songs of District 12". I few here and there like in the first book would have been good but the idea of the Covey still feels jarring against the whole series. The end where it says music is basically banned made it make a lot of sense to tie it into the original series, but still. That said, I loved the original two songs from the series that were put in and the Hanging Tree. I just didn't think it needed soooo many songs and performances.
- Did the plot of the book seem shocking? Satisfyingly fitting? What was your reaction to the overall novel compared to the original trilogy?
I was a bit confused at the beginning when the Hunger Games didn't look like what we expected, but it was really cool to see the hints of the games that Katniss is familiar with peek through and start to develop - as well as the development of Coriolanus's rumors as he starts to ascend the ladder. His original mind set is very different at the beginning then what I expected, but as I said earlier I thought that made the book - watching it change and develop. I think it fit and expanded on the world of the original trilogy. It didn't make me bawl at the end, but it had the same depth, questions, and psychological nature that made the first books so complex.
- What did you think of the ending itself? What do you believe truly happened to Lucy Gray?
I think it made it. For reasons I've outlined above. I don't know what happened to her, but I rather think Suzanne Collins likes that ending. It reminds me of Katniss's little sister and of course the Lucy Gray ballad. That said, part of me wishes she stayed on the lowdown and ended up in 12 as Katniss's grandmother or something.
- What were your thoughts about the connection between Snow and the mocking jays? Do you think it fueled his anger further during the revolution?
It definitely felt like foreshadowing, but a bit much for my taste. I couldn't see it was a reason for truly fueling his anger more than it was a writing tool for Suzanne Collins to pull it all together. Although a girl from 12 with a mockingjay definitely had to get under Snow's skin so even if I thought it was overdone I definitely think it helps explain Snow's singling out of Katniss after the first games.
- What would you have done in Snow's position?
Not what he did. I felt like almost every decision he made he did the opposite of what I would do.
Side note, but Suzanne Collins seems to be really good at writing characters who have a very very large hesitancy to have kids/families. She writes it in as side notes here and there but I thought it was interesting enough to point it out.
Also I loved Tigeris being in the book. It was a beautiful touch. If we have another (which I really really hope isn't about him, because she did such a good job to add to it would be to add too much clarity) I would love to hear her story. To see how the stylists were added to the games. The hints were there with her fixing Lucy Gray's dress and the parade was even there with the tour of the arena, but I do think seeing the war days through her memories and how the Hunger Games develop further would be excellent.
