Book Review: The Ballad Of Songbird and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes is the prequel of the famous book and film series ‘The Hunger Games’. It takes a deep dive into the story of future president of Panem, Coriolanus Snow. He is the only boy of the great house of Snow, a powerful family that was hit hard during the uprising. Coriolanus' mother died during childbirth just as the rebels started bombing the Capitol and his father was killed in battle. Since then his grandmother and his cousin, Tigris have taken care of him, yet all their family riches were lost. Coriolanus' grandmother is very patriotic through out the book and would sing the capitol's anthem "Gem of Panem" every morning.
"When Coriolanus is president." (Page 8)
The story starts ten years after the rebel uprising, with an eighteen-year-old Coriolanus. His family is desperately trying to hide the fact that they are still living in poverty after the war. Coriolanus' only chance of redemption is to go to university to get a proper education. However, everything comes with a price and therefore Coriolanus is in terrible need of winning the Plinth prize to finance his education. The Plinth prize, given to the highest achieving student, was set up by a wealthy businessman from district two, Strabo Plinth. Coriolanus was pretty sure he had secured the prize but he was sorely mistaken, because the president changed the qualifications. To win the prize you would have to take an active part in the Hunger Games as a mentor. The Hunger Games had been losing popularity in the Capitol and therefore Dean Highbottom, the president, suggested that mentors should be added to the games. Their task was to make the games more entertaining by any means. However there was one rule; you were not allowed to help your tribute win the games.
Coriolanus was desperately hoping for a tribute from a wealthy district but instead recieved the lowest of the low, a girl from district twelve, Lucy Gray Baird. He was extremely disappointed but later fell in love with this colourful melophilia. Coriolanus knew their love was unrequited but when Lucy Gray entered the Games, he did everything in his power to save her. The stakes were high for Coriolanus, both the love of his life and the Plinth prize were at arm's length, he just needed to try a bit harder. Desperate, he decided to cheat. He gave Lucy Gray some rat poison to kill two tributes. He also modified the gamemakers' deadly snakes so that Lucy Gray would not be attacked by them. She ends up winning the Games. However, Coriolanus gets caught for cheating and is sent off as a peacekeeper to some district as punishment. Coriolanus bribes the peacekeepers to send him and his only friend during the games, Sejanus Plinth, to district twelve.
Coriolanus reunites with Lucy Gray but tensions rise as she starts to discover the real Coryo. Coriolanus shows his true colours when Sejanus starts supplying the rebellion with guns. Coriolanus confronts him and things get heated. Mayfair, the mayor's daughter, threatens to tattle and Coriolanus kills her. The other rebel hides the murder weapon but later gets caught. Lucy Gray suggests that they run away together and Coriolanus agrees but before that he tells the Capitol about Sejanus' disloyalty and he gets killed. The mistrust between the two lovers grows. They decide to stop in a cottage on their way to freedom. There, Coriolanus finds the gun he used to kill Mayfair. He quickly calculates his options, he could destroy the gun and be free to return to the Capitol. The only one who knew what he had done was Lucy Gray. She could not possibly betray him? Not if he betrayed her first.
Lucy Gray goes out to gather some katniss. Coriolanus goes to look for her to tell her that he will be returning to the Capitol, with the gun still in his hand. He sees her shawl on the ground and proceeds to pick it up when a snake leaps out and bites him. His heart is broken and his veins full of poison. He calls out for his lover, only for her to reply with a song.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree?
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Strange things have happened here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree." (Page 503)
He releases his frustration with a ray of bullets. Coriolanus finally destroys the murder weapon. He returns to Capitol where Sejanus' parents adopt him, because he was such a 'good friend'.
I think this book was remarkably well written. I thought the characters were especially well constructed. The complexity of Coriolanus' mind is truly fascinating. He transitions from this poor forlorn but charming and determined young man, to a power-hungry manipulator. I will never be able to sympathise with him because of the cruel and inhumane person he becomes. He is a clever tyrant who understands what makes a person rebel, making him even more terrifying.
But what made Coriolanus so mad for power? I think it was imbedded within him. He became bitter and resentful toward the Capitol during his years in poverty. He tried to make the best of it and had a great relationship with his cousin, Tigris. However, his grandmother constantly reminded him of his future prospects as president. This goal seemed unreachable but I think Coriolanus dreamed of it. He wanted to prove himself to everyone that he could keep his family legacy alive. Even though they had fallen into ruin, he was determined to get back up again.
Coriolanus was desperate. After losing the guarantee of the Plinth prize, he began to feel fed up with the Capitol. He suspected that the dean gave him the weakest tribute because he held of some grudge against Coriolanus' late father. He had simply been dealt a bad hand, but that could not discourage him, he had to win. He could not afford losing to the Capitol so he came up with the concept of betting on tributes. Not caring that they would be betting their money on actual human beings.
Coriolanus was not only a villain. His heart was filled with love for his family, Sejanus and of course, Lucy Gray. He fell deeply in love with Lucy Gray. So much so that he jeopardised his entire future and to some extent, his family, for her. One important fact that I did not mention was that she actually saved his life when they visited the arena. She could have escaped the Capitol's terror, yet she helped him instead. Perhaps he felt obligated to save hers while she was in the games. His friendship with Sejanus is sweet but I don't think Coriolanus particularly liked Sejanus and his rebellious personality. He was fond of him enough to mourn his loss. However, I don’t think Coriolanus regrets his decision of betraying Sejanus.
Even in the district twelve, where he settles down a bit with Lucy Gray, we found that he is extremely discontent. He hates the filth and rebel scum that live in twelve. He is disappointed in the Capitol's unfair punishment, yet I think his loyalty for the Capitol is most prominent in these parts of the book. He longs to be back at the top. When the lovers escape into the forest; Coriolanus nagging feelings return. He hates it there, expressed on page 499;
"It was just that, only a few hours into his new life in the wilderness, he knew he hated it. The heat, and the worms, and those birds yakking nonstop..."
He reminds himself that Lucy Gray loves him but he cannot help thinking that Lucy Gray may not be as innocent as she seems. She was a victor in the games after all. she is a survivor, a snake and a murderer. His paranoia makes Lucy Gray out to be a predator, who is out to get him. I think his decisions were rational but his paranoia gave him a false impression of the truth. I do not think he initially intended to hurt Lucy Gray, yet the thought did cross his mind. He was desperate to get home and Lucy Gray was the final puzzle piece. Either she complied with his plan or she had to go. I don’t think Coriolanus thought he had a choice. His thought process is very special as shown on page 6:
"If Tigris' revamped shirt was unwearable, what was he to do? Fake the flu and call in sick? Spineless. Soldier through in his uniform shirt? Disrespectful. Squeeze into the red button-down that he had outgrown two years ago? Poor. Acceptable option? None of the above"
It clearly shows that he can’t possibly follow through if things are not perfect. It has to be exactly how he wants it. The final straw is broken when he assumes that Lucy Gray has tried to kill him. He now believes that she is out to get him and will do anything to remain in control. The snake that bit him was not even poisonous. His own anger and paranoia drove him to madness.
However, I can muster up some respect. You never really know what is going to happen, even if you know he is a future villain. The plot twist really got my heart racing. It left me missing the old Coryo yet thrilled to read further. I love that you never get to know if Lucy Gray lives on or if Coryo kills her. The only thing that I can know for certain is that Snow always lands on top.
