The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
A prequel to The Hunger Games, following a young Coriolanus Snow.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a dystopian young adult action-adventure novel by American author Suzanne Collins, serving as a prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy. Set 64 years before the first novel, it was released on May 19, 2020, by Scholastic, with a simultaneous audiobook read by actor Santino Fontana. A film adaptation by Lionsgate, titled The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, premiered on November 17, 2023.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Suzanne Collins
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Series
- The Hunger Games
- Genre
- Adventure
- War
- Science fiction
- Romance
- Action Thriller
- Dystopian
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Released
- May 19, 2020
- Pages
- 517
Facts from the source article.
Plot
To revive waning interest in the 10th Hunger Games, 24 Capitol Academy students are assigned as mentors to tributes, with the mentor of the winning tribute receiving the Plinth Prize, a generous scholarship. Eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow, heir to a once-powerful but impoverished Capitol family, aims to win the prize to fund his education and restore his family's status. Fellow student Sejanus Plinth, heir to the wealthy District 2 family funding the prize, sympathizes with district citizens and is ostracized; he considers Coriolanus his only friend, though Coriolanus is indifferent. Coriolanus is assigned by Dean Casca Highbottom, the Games' creator who inexplicably despises him, to the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, a member of the nomadic musical group the Covey. At the reaping, she catches attention by defiantly singing and slipping a snake into the dress of Mayfair Lipp, the mayor's daughter. Despite the tributes being starved and kept in a zoo pen, Coriolanus treats Lucy Gray with uncommon kindness, smuggling her food and forming a close bond. For a class assignment, he proposes betting and sponsored gifts, which head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul implements. Dr. Gaul tests venomous snake mutts on classmate Clemensia, nearly killing her. Violence erupts between tributes and mentors, and Coriolanus begins to see Lucy Gray as a potential victor, urging her to use her musical talents in a televised interview. During a tour of the arena, rebel bombs explode, killing several; Lucy Gray saves Coriolanus from a fallen beam, while the District 2 male tribute, Marcus, escapes but is later captured, tortured, and left to die.
Characters
Coriolanus Snow, the protagonist, is an arrogant, cunning, and ruthless eighteen-year-old who hides his family's financial struggles to maintain social status, taking any action to improve his situation. Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12, is a smart, calculating free spirit from the Covey who develops a romantic connection with Coriolanus. Tigris Snow, Coriolanus's cousin, leaves school to work for a fashion designer and is implied to sell her body to support the family. Sejanus Plinth, a classmate from District 2 living in the Capitol due to his father's wartime connections, is rebellious and idealistic, opposing the Games and Capitol's treatment of districts. Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the head gamemaker, holds a twisted view of human nature and believes in authoritarian government and control over districts. Casca Highbottom, the academy dean credited as the intellectual author of the Games, despises Coriolanus and the Snow family and is addicted to morphling, leading students to mockingly call him 'High-as-a-Kite Bottom. Mayfair Lipp, the mayor's daughter, arranges for Lucy Gray to be reaped out of jealousy and later becomes a Capitol spy, murdered by Coriolanus and rebels. Billy Taupe, Lucy Gray's ex-boyfriend and Mayfair's current boyfriend, is shot with Mayfair while spying on District 12 rebels.
Release
On January 22, 2020, Scholastic announced a world record first printing of 2.5 million copies. Barnes & Noble released an exclusive edition with a reader's group guide and a Q&A with Collins and editor David Levithan, while Walmart offered an exclusive edition with a collectible bookmark. The audiobook, narrated by Tony Award-winning actor Santino Fontana, was also released as a pre-loaded digital audio player for library checkout. By October 2019, translation rights had been sold in 28 territories. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Scholastic CEO Dick Robinson stated the company strongly wished to hold the May 19 publishing date, though sales were expected to be lower than initially anticipated. On April 23, 2020, a clip of Collins reading the book's opening was released, featuring Coriolanus fretting about the reaping and revealing Tigris as his cousin. Barnes & Noble held a virtual book club on May 29 via Instagram. On May 12, Scholastic Audio released an 11-minute excerpt of the audiobook. At 12:01 A.M. on release day, Collins gave a special reading answering 'Who is the girl from District 12?' Scholastic also released The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Journal on the same day, featuring mockingjays, 192 lined pages, an exclusive design, and a ribbon placeholder.
Reception
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes received mixed reviews, with fans and critics divided over Collins's choice to make Snow the protagonist. Sarah Lyall of The New York Times gave a positive review but felt the ending was 'flat and desultory.' Constance Grady of Vox called it 'your apocalyptic escape from our current apocalypse,' noting comfort in escaping to a fictional dystopia. Karin Tanabe of The Washington Post praised the third portion as 'the most revelatory' in showing the gradual erosion of Coriolanus's humanity, and commended the book for answering questions about the Games' origins and the song 'The Hanging Tree.' The Guardian praised its themes of friendship, betrayal, authority, and oppression, plus added lore. Time said Collins shines in weaving tantalizing details that deepen the original series' world. Kirkus Reviews gave a starred review, calling it 'both a tense, character-driven piece and a cautionary tale.' The Daily Telegraph criticized it as 'not the most promising opening' and said Collins is 'fathoms out of her depth' in writing the human psyche. Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly gave a B−, noting desperate storytelling, violent cliffhangers, too many folk music interludes, and ludicrous franchise callbacks, but called it 'a major work with major flaws.' Annalisa Quinn of NPR panned the novel, finding Coriolanus a 'flat, wily sociopath' compared to Katniss Everdeen, and said the book tells readers what to think.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pages is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has 517 pages.
Which book follows The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is followed by Sunrise on the Reaping.
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