Are you hungry for more Hunger Games?
Dr. Brittnee Fisher
If you haven't heard, there is a Hunger Games prequel. The book is already being adapted to film with an anticipated release date of November 17, 2023. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has been on my TBR list for a while, but considering the film's buzz, I decided to pick it up sooner than later. Reader, I think you must know that I am a HUGE FAN of the original book trilogy. I also enjoyed the film adaptations starring Jennifer Lawrence. I went into this book with expectations. Unfortunately, they weren't met, and my disappointment was my own fault.
Let me help you avoid similar heartache by helping you set realistic expectations for the book.
1. The most exciting part about the original series (for me) was learning about the Hunger Games. If you've read the previous books, you already know all about the games, and the feeling of excitement won't be the same. Don't focus so much on the games. That really isn't what the book is about.
2. This book is the villain origin story of President Coriolanus Snow. That's it.
3. Collins missed opportunities for exciting connections to the original books.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were good things about this book. You get background on the games and insight into how they became the games we saw in the original trilogy. You get to see who and what created the President Snow we all loath. There are characters that you can fall in love with and cheer for.
Final thought: It was just an okay read.
Let me know if you want me to track down a copy for you. You need to get this read before November 2023!
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Call Number: Orange Park Popular Fiction PS3603.O4558 H84 2008
ISBN: 9780439023481
Publication Date: 2008-10-01
The first novel in the worldwide bestselling series by Suzanne Collins!Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . . In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Call Number: Palatka Popular Fiction PS3603.O4558 H86 bk.3
ISBN: 9781594135866
Publication Date: 2012-03-16
A New York Times bestseller -- Book 3 of The Hunger Games trilogy. Powerful and haunting, the thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins' groundbreaking Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe, either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Call Number: St. Augustine Popular Fiction PS3603.O4558 C38 2009
ISBN: 0545586178
Publication Date: 2013-06-04
The second book in Suzanne Collins's phenomenal and worldwide bestselling Hunger Games trilogy is now available in trade paperback.Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just earned for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules, and now there are rumors of rebellion in the districts. Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.