Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

493 reviews

lillik19's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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peskyybee's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I think my expectations of the book has lead to a lower star rating. That being said it was interesting seeing Snow evolve and change through a single year. The ending brings up questions of nature vs nurture, not really giving an answer but we do know where the main characters lie in the argument.
I wish more of the book was focused on Snows time at the academy and less pining over Lucy Gray. Although I see how that was a turning point for his character so that’s where we start. I didn’t care too much about the 10th hunger games because I knew the outcome. Finding out that Snows father is the creator of the hunger games at the very end of the book didn’t feel as impactful as it seemed it was supposed to be. Ignoring my expectations for this book, the tragic love story between the two was something I did enjoy reading about.
I found the later half of the book far more compelling. Overall, it was enjoyable and gave some insight into the monster we see in the main series. 

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tamaraepps's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

While a fairly easy yet intriguing read, this book feels unnecessary and doesn't really add anything of value to the world of Panem and The Hunger Games, beyond a glimpse of history. 

As a fan of the Hunger Games trilogy I certainly found it interesting, but don't think I would be missing anything if I hadn't read it. 

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westonreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’m so glad I’m starting this year off on such a strong note. This book made me never want to put it down and had so many twists and turns! definitely one of my favourites

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itsdelulu's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Take a shot every time Coriolanus says “Snow lands on top.” 

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waltjessexo's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

it's about the worst man you've ever met and how his *potential* to be good is meaningless without acting on it, and if anything it makes his cruelty worse.

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ctriinnn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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liesthemoontells's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

For a long time I had limited interest in reading this book. I found the last half of Mockingjay to be messy and disjointed to the point of unreadable, and I struggled to see the hook of President Snow's origin story. Eventually my curiosity overcame my disinclination, and I'm glad it did!

I was impressed by this book for both its villain origin story and its worldbuilding. It isn't easy to write a compelling antihero who you can both root for and be repulsed by at the same time, but Suzanne Collins makes it feel effortless. I was completely hooked by the interiority of young Coriolanus Snow from the first few pages. 

It was thrilling and shocking to see the casual inhumanity of the Capitol towards people from the Districts through the eyes of the oppressors; the choice to frame Coriolanus and his peers as traumatised children of war added complexity to characters who would otherwise be monstrous brats. 

I don't know how convincing I found Lucy Gray as a foil to Coriolanus, and the last third of the novel
set in the Districts
felt a little rushed. Overall, however, I found this book to be a compelling, intelligent and entertaining read. I thought the book successfully injected new life into the series, and it makes me excited to further revisit the world of Panem.

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zoeelora's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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leiftheuncanny's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When I first heard of this book, I was hesitant. I had grown tired of stories that turned terrible villains into poor wretched victims, asking the audience to believe they hadn't had a choice, that trauma and circumstances had forced them to become the vile person they were in the original story. 
So it took me a few years to warm up to the idea. I must apologize for not trusting Collins to know what she was doing when she gave us Snow's backstory. 
This novel is a fascinating study of privilege, trauma, propaganda, and core beliefs. Snow is not without his troubles, despite growing up in the capital and coming from a rich family, his circumstances are dire and he is always one bad day away from complete ruin. The face he presents to the people around him is always carefully curated, and he has developed an ease with lies and manipulation that have kept him and his family afloat. It's clear there are seeds of goodness in him, and a desire for happiness, comfort, friends, etc. However, enough lying to others and it becomes far too easy to lie to oneself, to make up stories and rationalizations that are easier to live with than the truth. And watching his descent, tracking his decisions, his justifications, and his motivations, as he becomes closer and closer to the man we see in the original trilogy, is fascinating, terrifying and tragic. 
I could talk forever about Coriolanus and his merits and flaws, the moments he could've tried another way, the pieces of beauty he cut out of himself to be the person he thought he needed to be. I wish he could've lived another life, but the tragedy of prequels is knowing how the story ends.

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