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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at VCU chapter.

Remember in 2008, when the original “Hunger Games” novel came out? Or maybe you aren’t much of a reader (or were too young in 2008), and you remember the first movie release in 2012. Either way, “The Hunger Games” has been a hit for 12 long years (what?!), and I still love it. So, when the author, Suzanne Collins, revealed that she was releasing a new “Hunger Games” novel, I was thrilled! As excited as I was, I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I loved all of the other books in the series so much, and I didn’t want this one to be a letdown. Regardless, I downloaded it on Audible and began to listen to it. Fortunately, it captivated me from the first chapter, and I loved every page of it!

The new novel, titled “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” follows a young President Snow as he becomes one of the first mentors in the 10th annual Hunger Games. President Snow, aka Coriolanus Snow, is a bright student in the Capital and aims to become a high up member of society, despite financial struggles that the war with the districts brought his family. We learn a lot about Snow’s family life in this novel, and it shocked me how much he loved and cared about his family. In “The Hunger Games” novels, President Snow is the enemy and is pretty evil, so seeing him as a soft-hearted teenager was eye-opening and enjoyable. 

In this novel, we meet quite a few new characters, one whose name is Lucy Grey. Lucy Grey is a musician who gets chosen as District 12’s tribute in the 10th Hunger Games. Snow gets picked to be District 12’s mentor, so he is paired with Lucy Grey. Throughout the games, Lucy Grey and Snow bond, and we find out many things about Lucy Grey’s life in the Districts and as a musician.

The ending of this novel is a shocker that I never expected. You will definitely be surprised at how the last few pages of a novel can change everything so dramatically. I loved every twist and turn of this novel.

Luckily for everyone, especially those of you who aren’t avid readers, there is a movie adaptation of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” coming in the future. COVID-19 has, of course, slowed things down, and casting hasn’t yet started, but knowing that it will eventually happen had me thrilled. This novel is set 64 years before the first “Hunger Games” novel, so I am personally excited to see how the Capital and Districts looked “back then.”

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of the series, or anyone who wants to start reading the series for the first time. Since this novel is a prequel to the original “Hunger Games” novels, anyone can read it, even if you haven’t read the rest of the books. Reading this novel has reignited my love for “The Hunger Games,” and I might have to reread them all!

Kristen is a senior with a major in Elementary School Education. She loves to read, camp, and hang out with her two dogs and awesome husband.
Mary McLean (née Moody) is an avid writer and is the former Editor in Chief of Her Campus at VCU. She wrote diligently for Her Campus at VCU for two years and was the Editor in Chief for three years. You can find her work here! She double majored in Political Science and History at Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2022. She loves her son, Peter, and her cat Sully. You can find her looking at memes all night and chugging Monster in the morning with her husband!