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Performance
Overall
Excellent, Unforgettable, Best of the nest
Very good, thoroughly enjoyed,
Good, Solid, Enjoyed many aspects
STAR RATINGS GUIDE
Guess Who's Back?
THE BIRDICT
So good being in the arena again.
💛As a paid up Hunger Games fan, I get it. I get why this was written. Because we hadn't had enough of The Games. We hadn't wanted to leave Panem forever. But I think I was expecting another The Hunger Games and this wasn't that.
💜There are some excellent aspects to this prequel, such as the theme of the darkness of human nature, being thrown into another Games and being able to see their origins as well as those of Snow.
❤️️Two things I would have changed. Firstly, I'd have based the plot more on the previous books, especially as this came out so long after the main series. It would have meant nostalgia for the fans and it working as a standalone novel. Secondly, I think someone who turned out to be such a sociopath as Coriolanus Snow would have to have had a much more traumatic story than the one portrayed given that he seemed quite normal at the beginning. Maybe I missed some darker hints?
💚 It's like half the book had the feel of a psychological thriller while the rest was more YA than the rest of the series. Sort of like if Gillian Flynn collaborated with Kiera Cass?... Actually that sounds awesome too.
Enjoyed this overall. And would read more in the series. Hint, hint...
SQUAWKING THE TALK
🎧Having a male protagonist was a thoroughly interesting change and Santino Fontana is excellent as Snow. He is so very adept at that lightning switch from one tone to another and his voice in general is a lovely mix of smooth and deep, but with enough versatility to voice the female characters well. Big thumbs up.
🎧It's a shame none of the songs were sung. I definitely didn't want to hear Oh My Darling Clementine, but there again, I didn't need to hear the lyrics of it read either. But the hanging tree song and others would have added to the atmosphere. It wasn't as much of an issue in the others in the series where the songs weren't as central.
🎧Compliments to the production team who made the effort to properly label the chapters and sections of the audiobook contents. I always appreciate that kind of attention to detail.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER: SIMILAR AUDIOBOOKS
I LOVED the darkness of the last few minutes when Snow and Lucy turned on each other. It would have been great to have more hints of that throughout. It's not that there weren't any, just not enough.
Click For Spoilers
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
THE BLURB
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out charm, outwit, and outmanoeuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute...and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
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