Tag Archive for: Dystopian

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The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes

The Ballad Of Songbirds And SnakesTitle: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: Hunger Games #4
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Format: Audio
Pages: 517
Length: 16h 16m
Narrator: Santino Fontana
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Sunrise on the Reaping
My Thoughts

I’ve been looking forward to THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES since I heard about it and it did not disappoint. I thought it was really fascinating and a fantastic prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy. I especially loved learning about Panem after the first war between the Capitol and the districts. I thought it was interesting to see how the Hunger Games operated before they became what they were in the 74th Hunger Games.

Watching Coriolanus Snow’s life unfold is a lot like watching Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader in the Star Wars prequels. You keep hoping it won’t happen, but know there’s no hope. I thought it was interesting to be in his head, to hear the conflict of remaining loyal to the Capitol and regaining his status and wealth or siding with the districts and Lucy Gray. In the end, I thought Coriolanus’ actual transition to the “Dark Side” was a little abrupt, especially how fast he and Lucy Gray turned on one another.

I loved the other characters as well. Lucy Gray was my favorite, of course. I love how much she loves life, her defiant spirit, her go-with-the-flow personality, and her when-life-gives-you-lemons-make-lemonade outlook. I felt sorry for Sejanus, having to leave his beloved District 2 and become a citizen of the Capitol. I loved learning more about Tigris and I’m curious why and when she and Coriolanus had a falling out.

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The Sound of Stars

The Sound of StarsTitle: The Sound of Stars
Author: Alechia Dow
Series: Starry-Eyed Universe #1
Genre: Dystopian, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 426
Reason Read: Black History Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

It took me a little bit to get into THE SOUND OF STARS. Once I did, though, I couldn’t put it down. One of my favorite things about the story was its message of inclusivity. There were so many LGBTQ+ characters, including Ellie. Dow didn’t shove a pro-LGBTQ+ agenda in your face or anything; she just had characters that identified in different ways and the other characters were accepting and considerate of them and their pronouns.

I also loved how Dow used the invasion of Earth by the Ilori as a way to talk about racism, prejudice, police brutality, and other current hot topics. It added to the story by giving it more depth, strengthened Ellie and M0Rr1S’ connection, and made the story more memorable.