Genre: Dystopia
Pages: 528
Available formats: Hardback, Audiobook, eBook

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, 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.

Loved this. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes wasn’t what I expected it to be but I really enjoyed how it ended up. I wish the book discussed more about the war over Panem and the Dark Days. Also I think too many scenes or moments connected back to Katniss and the events in the original series. A bit of foreshadowing would have been ok but I think there was a bit too much of it. That said, its still full of suspense and engaging throughout. Overall, a great read start to finish.

100% recommend to fans of The Hunger Games but I wouldn’t recommend reading this without reading the original triology first. It assumes you already have enough background knowledge before starting the book and its doesn’t try to hold your hand through it.