The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

Published in 2020 by Scholastic, the novel received mixed reviews from critics. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows the story of a young Coriolanus Snow as he becomes the mentor in the tenth Hunger Games to a charming girl from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird.

Key Facts about The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

• Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
• Published: May 19, 2020
• Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian fiction, Science fiction
• Point-of-View: Third-person limited
• Setting: The post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America, 64 years before the Hunger Games trilogy.
• Climax: Lucy Gray Baird fights for her spot as Victor in the 10th Hunger Games with the last remaining tribute.
• Antagonist: The corrupt nation of Panem

Suzanne Collins and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was written by Suzanne Collins as a prequel and spin-off to the Hunger Games Trilogy. Suzanne Collins got the idea for The Hunger Games when she was channel surfing on television one day, and a reality show from one channel and began blurring into footage from the war in Afghanistan. She put the two of them together in her novel and used the Roman Gladiatorial games as a premise for the Hunger Games. The Greek myth of Theseus was also a huge inspiration for the development of the Hunger Games.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place 64 years before the first Hunger Games book. The novel provides a backstory to the antagonist of the Hunger Games Trilogy, Coriolanus Snow. In the novel, Collins provides an origin story of the Hunger Games itself. She also ties up several loose ends in the Trilogy.

Suzanne Collins was highly influenced by her father’s military career in her writing. As a young girl, she was exposed to the harsh realities of war, poverty, and starvation. These elements of war can be seen in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Books Related to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes acts as a prequel to the hugely successful franchise of the Hunger Games trilogy. The trilogy consists of the Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, published in 2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively. The original books in the trilogy have been well-received by both critics and readers, with The Hunger Games and Catching Fire becoming a New York Times bestseller, and Mockingjay topping every single one of the bestseller lists in the US after its publication.

The Hunger Games tells the story of the young protagonist, Katniss Everdeen in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem. Katniss is picked as a tribute for the barbaric Hunger Games, which is a battle royale to the death. Catching Fire continues her story, as she and her fellow tribute from District 12 are forced into the arena once again, to take part in a special edition of the Hunger Games. Mockingjay, the final novel, captures the rebellion that has been formed against the oppressive Capitol, with Katniss as the face of the rebellion. All of the books in the Trilogy feature the protagonist of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Coriolanus Snow, as the main antagonist.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes falls under the category of Young Adult literature, specifically the genre of young adult dystopian novels. As such, those who are interested in the novel may also be interested to read other young adult dystopian novels such as the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, the Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson, Rebel by Marie Lu, For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig, We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia and so on.

The Lasting Impact of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes