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isabellagrice's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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
5.0
caitlyn_larissa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
fflur_jones's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars.
Enjoyed the attempt by Collins to flesh out more of Panem's history beyond the propaganda version you get in the Hunger Games. I also thought the ways in which we saw the development of the games from brutality to entertainment were interesting.
Sejanus' character was super interesting and I think his moral and ethical conflicts across the story would have been so much more entertaining than Snow's endless philosophical ramblings.
The rest of the book was... meh. The nods to the original trilogy were too heavy-handed or too numerous! A couple of nods here and there like the origin of the hanging tree song would have been a nice touch but I don't need Snow's hatred of mockingjays repeated 1000x for me to get the point: he hates Katniss eventually. The pacing was also very weird and I think would have worked better if it had stayed at the original slower pace cause that ending was a lot whew.
Overall, I think the book would have been better off actually trying to explore the characters, particularly Lucy Gray, in more depth rather than try to tie everything back to the original trilogy.
Enjoyed the attempt by Collins to flesh out more of Panem's history beyond the propaganda version you get in the Hunger Games. I also thought the ways in which we saw the development of the games from brutality to entertainment were interesting.
Sejanus' character was super interesting and I think his moral and ethical conflicts across the story would have been so much more entertaining than Snow's endless philosophical ramblings.
The rest of the book was... meh. The nods to the original trilogy were too heavy-handed or too numerous! A couple of nods here and there like the origin of the hanging tree song would have been a nice touch but I don't need Snow's hatred of mockingjays repeated 1000x for me to get the point: he hates Katniss eventually. The pacing was also very weird and I think would have worked better if it had stayed at the original slower pace cause that ending was a lot whew.
Overall, I think the book would have been better off actually trying to explore the characters, particularly Lucy Gray, in more depth rather than try to tie everything back to the original trilogy.
lorenzo_taiarol's review against another edition
2.0
Videorecensione qui: https://youtu.be/fF_4wqOHaIA Ballata dell'usignolo e del serpente - Perché secondo me è pessimo
ravenn22ash's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
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
this book is my actual roman empire i could talk hours about snow as a character. I hate him so much yet that makes the book good, this is far from a villain story he shows signs of the dictator we know from the original series even before going through all the traumatic shit. He has such an unhealthy relationship with everyone because of his superiority complex to the point the only one he keeps by the end of the book is with Dr Gaul who is actively making him a worse person so she could pass down the games to become his responsibility. anyways beautiful story i will forever be a lucy gray fan 🫶‼️
charlattee45's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
adrilynn21's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent, Cannibalism, and War
tminusandy's review
4.0
This book does a fantastic job of launching you inside a character's head and making you stay there. Although written in 3rd person, it's easy to imagine you're thinking right alongside Snow at times.
I absolutely love books that are a deep dive into the psyche of a character and how their thoughts inform their actions. Despite the book's seeming lack of action, unlike the Hunger Games, there is no shortage of internal battles. Snow's mindset is, at times, both haunting and understandable. He's a terrible person, yes, but the description of his circumstances helps to ground those actions. There are no excuses for the things he does, but you can see why he does them.
Although slow at times, I thought this book was a remarkable look into Snow's psyche. I think it perfectly displays how he inevitably becomes the callous character we know from the original trilogy.
I absolutely love books that are a deep dive into the psyche of a character and how their thoughts inform their actions. Despite the book's seeming lack of action, unlike the Hunger Games, there is no shortage of internal battles. Snow's mindset is, at times, both haunting and understandable. He's a terrible person, yes, but the description of his circumstances helps to ground those actions. There are no excuses for the things he does, but you can see why he does them.
Although slow at times, I thought this book was a remarkable look into Snow's psyche. I think it perfectly displays how he inevitably becomes the callous character we know from the original trilogy.
osears's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0