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elenabluenette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Drug use, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Dementia, and Alcohol
rhiannonhoward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
theirgracegrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The story follows a tense summer in the life of Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president that we meet in the main trilogy sixty-odd years later. He is eighteen years old and slated to be mentor to Lucy Gray Baird, a Covey girl living in District 12. He develops an infatuation with her early on, and much of the book is given over to how he tries to keep her safe before and after the 10th Hunger Games.
The characterization of Coriolanus is incredibly moving, showing how the idealistic teen has his critiques of and subtle attacks on the Capitol used against him and against Lucy Gray. It crushes his spirit, and turns him into the monster who betrays everyone and trusts no one that we later see. Nostalgic nods exist to the main series are plentiful, as it appears that the young Coriolanus was instrumental in the implementation of much of the horror of the Games.
All-in-all, a wonderful (if stressful!) book that played with my expectations just as cleanly as the Games themselves. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the main series and wants to hear a tale of how it started!
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity and Excrement
Two of the tributes contract rabies and it is described in detail when they suddenly show symptoms in the arena. Snakes (including snake attacks, one of which is fatal) are common in the book, as the title suggests. There are two hangings of criminals that occur in the book in the latter portionbxnny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Deportation
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Chronic illness and Excrement
bass_clarinet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Cannibalism, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny and Vomit
decie's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Cannibalism and War
Minor: Vomit and Abandonment
jessmbark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Xenophobia and Classism
loveisabird's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
but between the book and the movie together i think i’m even more taken in by this era of THG storyline than the original trilogy. don’t get me wrong i love the story of the final rebellion. but i also just adore worldbuilding and seeing the world of panem getting built, setting up the eventual rebellion, at this earlier point is entrancing to me. the way it recontextualizes things from the original trilogy that are already so provocative… the mockingjay, the hanging tree, the unnamed first district 12 victor, the traditions and spectacle of the hunger games… delicious.
also like. as much as i hate the bitch coriolanus was a more compelling narrator. then again maybe if katniss’ books weren’t in fucking first person i’d be more into her narration and inner world also.
finally lucy gray baird is the best character suzanne collins ever created and if you ask me she lived a long life in the woods. maybe not a happy one. but she survived that motherfucker i know it in my heart.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Alcohol
kirjakimalainen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Cannibalism and Medical trauma
lola218_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Xenophobia, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury