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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) by Suzanne Collins.

"The beginning had real potential. It offered a bit of history of how the Hunger Games evolved and a glimpse into the mind of Coriolanus Snow who was a conflicted and sympathetic character. It all went downhill once the Games began and, honestly, I felt like it never quite recovered. Not my favorite of the series."  

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pros: There were some interesting moments, brief glimpses into Snows past, especially during the war/At first, his concern for Lucy Gray was legitimate. 

Cons: Snow's wavering loyalties got tiresome at the end/I started losing connection with the characters oncee the Games started.  

Full Review: 

The city of Panem is still being re-built after the war with the Rebels ended but there are some things that still remain. Such as class at the Academy. It's a big day today. It's Reaping Day on the tenth Hunger Games and it's the first time that Students of the Academy will be Mentors to the Tributes. 

Coriolanus is nervous, since he knows if he performs well as a Mentor, it means a scholarship to University and he can hopefully land a job that offers him security, money, stability. It's been a difficult few years after the end of the war but he and his cousin Tigris have managed to scrounge by and take care of their aging Grandmother. 

The Snow name still has honor and reputation to uphold in Panem. And Coriolanus is determined to carry on his Family's good name. So, he accepts his assignment of the girl Tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray, with strained dignity. He knows it's a personal dig from Dean Highbottom, since there's bad blood between Highbottom and Coriolanus' deceased Father. But Coriolanus is determined to carry out this assignment with logic and reason. 

Of course, that all changes when he finds that his Tribute, Lucy Gray is fierce and determined but honest and passionate. He's immediately drawn to her, so of course, it makes him question everything. He finds himself doing things he would never do and yet, he does it all for Lucy Gray. He sneaks her food but that causes a chain reaction of events that throws everything into chaos. 

Once the Games start, it will take everytihng in Coriolanus' crafty but conflicted brain to make it so Lucy Gray survives and they can be together. 

I think this book started spiraling downward by Part III. The juxtaposition of Capitol to District was stark and sudden and I had a hard time making it mesh. It was like Oil and Water. One minute Snow was madly, desperately in love but then when a self-serving opportunity arises he jumps at the chance to be welcomed back into the arms of the Capitol. I mean, it just proves that he was always out for #1 but the ending was just kind of underwhelming. 

It offered some interesting glimpses into how the Hunger Games evolved and there were nods to the original trilogy but this wasn't the best in the series. 

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