The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
A Hunger Games Novel
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
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Narrated by:
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Santino Fontana
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Written by:
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Suzanne Collins
About this listen
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 outmaneuver 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.
©2020 Suzanne Collins (P)2020 Scholastic Inc.
Editorial Review
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes begins on the morning of the reaping, an event that will decide with tributes from each district will compete in and fight, and will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Hunger Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, and the once-thriving family now lives in a home they cannot afford. Future President of Panem Coriolanus Snow — not the ruthless evil man he soon becomes — lives with his grandmother and cousin Tigris.
Coriolanus hopes for “the odds to ever be in his favour” as he has been given the awful task of mentoring the female tribute from the impoverished District 12, Lucy Gray Baird. Coriolanus and Lucy are now intertwined; every step they take could lead to disaster or death. With Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul at the helm and a plot to take the capital of Panem down, there is no shortage of drama.
Francis Lawrence, who helmed the original Hunger Games book to film adaptation on the big screen, directs the major motion picture The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The Hunger Games prequel movie stars Tom Blyth as Coriolanus, Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Hunter Schafer as Tigris, Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage in supporting roles. Before the film hits the big screen, explore the world of Panem and the origin story of Coriolanus Snow before he was the ruthless adversary to hero Katniss Everdeen.
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What listeners say about The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Professional Commuter
- 2020-05-20
Was this needed? Yes it was.
When I heard about this book and I honestly didn’t think we needed it. Then I listened to it on here and my god it was needed. Go listen to it!
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Beth Stephen
- 2021-01-06
really quite good story
story is good for lovers of hunger games. there was a slight disconnect for me with the performance. not sure what is was just the female character voices didn't seem right, I'm sure that can be very difficult for a man and I certainly could not come close to even a brutal attempt. just saying didn't love that part for sure
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Happy Listner
- 2021-03-21
wasn't what I thought.....
it would be. it was nice to see how the arena evolved to what it was 65 years later. overall I found it hard to see connections between the original series and this book outside of some names and an arena.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- kayla
- 2020-07-07
wow
a prequel that doesn't disappoint that's what this is It's brilliant and captivating and it makes you yearn for more every step of the way it holds the magic of The hunger Games series but it doesn't pander to your first experience and exposure you could genuinely read this book and then go straight into the first hunger Games book and have no issue following it nothing would be spoiled nothing will be changed just the significance of things in this book to the way they're used in the next books would remain brilliant no matter how you chose to take in this narrative.
Susan Collins should apply herself this was amazing I would highly recommend this series and this book as a part of the series.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jessica
- 2021-03-21
I think I need these songs sang instead of spoken
I whizzed through this as it was super interesting, on par with the other books (almost). But a book with these much song, its hard to listen to these songs just being spoken...I know its a lot to ask of someone:) but can't Susanne just let them know the tune she had in mind?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-06-03
Thanks for this book!
I really like how this book explained some of the most important components in the hunger games stories.
Worth listening to. I’ll listen to it again.
Hope for more great books from Suzanne Collins I. The future.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Molly Jane
- 2022-05-12
A perfect addition to a great series
I loved the story… didn’t love the narrator. I found his voices a little drab and he absolutely butchered the song parts, however I got into the story so much that the narration really didn’t matter in the end.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-05-20
Great Listen
I love the series and I hope to see more. I would love a Dean prequel or the Professor.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-11-15
Terrible audio/narrating
For such a popular book I was shocked by the poorly edited audio. The narration was also very dry. Took a few hours to get used to it. He made the female characters sound so weak and whiny, even Dr. Gaul who’s supposed to be intimidating and terrifying.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-03-06
Narration ruined it
It was hard to listen to just because the narrator decided to act as if they were reading for a dramatic movie trailer… considering the book is called the BALLAD of SONGBIRDS and snakes, a person who could sing would have made the experience much better.
The story was fine, it was interesting to get a different perspective on the world of panem. But the characters decision making seemed jarring at times.
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