The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place during the Tenth Annual Hunger Games, focusing on the early life of Coriolanus Snow, the future tyrant President of Panem. At the age of 18, Coriolanus is faced with the harsh reality of his family’s fall from power. The Snow family, once wealthy and influential, has lost everything following the deaths of Coriolanus’s mother and his military father. His father was killed during the districts’ failed rebellion, and his mother’s death further pushed the family into poverty and obscurity. Now, Coriolanus and his cousin Tigris live under the strict control of their grandmother, whom Tigris affectionately calls “Grandma’am.” This novel serves as both a coming-of-age story and an origin tale, tracing Coriolanus's descent from a seemingly ordinary young man to the villainous figure we know from The Hunger Games series.

Part 1, titled The Mentor, opens with Coriolanus preparing for the Reaping, a ritual in which Capitol representatives select 24 tributes to fight in the Hunger Games. This year, the Capitol tasks its students with mentoring these tributes to increase viewer engagement and further assert their dominance. Coriolanus is disappointed when he is assigned to mentor the girl from District 12—the poorest and most “backward” district in the nation. This district, as readers of The Hunger Gameswill recall, is where Katniss Everdeen hails from. The girl assigned to him, Lucy Gray Baird, initially appears to be a lost cause, but she quickly proves Coriolanus wrong. Lucy Gray is a natural performer, captivating the Capitol’s audience with her stunning voice and vibrant personality. She identifies as a member of the “Covey,” a traveling group of performers, rather than a District 12 native. Lucy Gray’s charm makes her an unexpected hit, and she gains significant attention, not just for her talent but for her bold spirit.

Part 1 also delves into the lead-up to the Games, revealing the brutal realities that tributes and their mentors face. The Capitol’s inhumane treatment of the tributes is starkly depicted, as are the horrific deaths that occur both in the arena and outside of it. The role of genetic modification in creating deadly weapons, or “muttations,” is explored, with the amoral Dr. Gaul taking a particular interest in her creations. The enhanced snakes that play a crucial role in the Games are one of her many gruesome inventions. In a turning point at the end of Part 1, Lucy Gray saves Coriolanus's life during a terrorist bombing, and in return, she demands repayment: she wants to win the Games.

As Coriolanus mentors Lucy Gray, a complicated and tumultuous relationship develops between them. Part 2, titled The Prize, delves into the personal dynamics between the two, examining how the vast inequality between their worlds shapes their interactions. The tributes enter the arena, and over the course of the Games, most of them suffer brutal deaths. Lucy Gray, however, survives, thanks in part to Coriolanus’s guidance. He suggests that she poison her competition and provides her with protection from Dr. Gaul’s lethal snakes, which gives her an edge. However, the Capitol sees Coriolanus’s actions as cheating, and he is soon marked for punishment. The theme of survival at all costs, even if it involves sacrificing one’s morals, continues to play a central role.

Part 3, The Peacekeeper, shifts focus to Coriolanus's new assignment as a Peacekeeper in District 12, a role that he finds both repulsive and dangerous. The Peacekeepers in District 12 show little interest in actually maintaining order, preferring to drink and indulge in excess. For Coriolanus, this assignment feels like a death sentence. However, he soon crosses paths with Sejanus Plinth, a former classmate and rival who has a deep-seated desire to overthrow the Capitol. Sejanus hopes to rescue a prisoner and escape District 12, potentially becoming part of a larger plot to stoke rebellion. The plot involves Lucy Gray’s former boyfriend, Billy Taupe, and his current lover, the mayor’s daughter, Mayfair. Both Billy and Mayfair meet grisly ends, the latter at Coriolanus’s hands. Despite the increasing danger, Coriolanus finds himself drawn into the conspiracy, especially when a rebel manages to secure the murder weapons used in the killings. As events spiral out of control, Coriolanus faces a life-or-death decision.

In a pivotal moment, Coriolanus betrays Sejanus, resulting in Sejanus’s execution by hanging. This act of betrayal earns Coriolanus favor with the Capitol, but it also marks a key turning point in his character. He now sees an opportunity to escape District 12 with Lucy Gray, who is at risk due to her involvement in the rebellion. Their escape takes them to a Covey rest stop, where they find the murder weapons, hidden by the rebel before his arrest. In this moment, Coriolanus realizes that his future—his ambition for power—is still within his grasp. But for Lucy Gray, the situation is far more perilous. As they attempt to flee, Coriolanus makes the fateful decision to eliminate her as a loose end. A hunt ensues, and though he never finds her body, he discards the murder weapons in a lake, ensuring that no one will be able to trace them back to him.

In the Epilogue, Coriolanus returns to the Capitol to attend University, now under the patronage of the influential Plinth family, who finance his education and support his remaining family. The Plinths remain unaware of the treachery Coriolanus committed against their son Sejanus. Coriolanus becomes known as Dr. Gaul’s favorite student, cementing his position as a rising star in the Capitol. As he reflects on the events that led him here, Coriolanus contemplates the fate of Lucy Gray and the nature of love. He comes to despise love, viewing it as a weakness that made him vulnerable. His ambitions grow, and he now seeks not just power but control over all of Panem. His final act in the novel is the calculated poisoning of Dean Highbottom, a former friend of his father’s and an obstacle to his rise to power.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ends with Coriolanus’s name forever etched into history. His actions set the stage for his eventual rule over Panem, where he will go on to oversee the Hunger Games for decades to come. The novel draws inspiration from history, with the name “Coriolanus” taken from a real figure in ancient Rome, known for his disdain for the common people and his eventual betrayal of Rome. Suzanne Collins makes a clear connection between this historical figure and the character of Snow, using his privileged upbringing and education in oppression to explain his morality—or, more accurately, his lack of it. The novel opens with epigraphs from philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as writers such as William Wordsworth and Mary Shelley. These quotes serve as foreshadowing for the themes of freedom, government, and human nature that are explored throughout the story. Just as the Hunger Games are an unfair and brutal contest, the characters in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are forced to navigate a world where justice is often an illusion.

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