The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was not quite what I expected. It had a much more sedate and philosophical pace than the original Hunger Games trilogy. It also lacked a underdog heroine that you wanted to root for and fell in love with for her loyalty, her love and her determination. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the story of the villain, Snow. He is not likeable, he is selfish, sneaky, deceptive and a liar. If you want to read this book because you loved The Hunger Games and you want more like that, then this is not the book for you.

For those unfamiliar with the storyline, this book follows Coriolanus Snow (better known as President Snow in the original trilogy). The 10th Hunger Games are about to commence, and this time the final year students of the most prestigious academy will mentor the tributes from the districts going into the games. Snow is given the district 12 tribute, the girl, Lucy Gray Baird. He believes he's been given the worst of the lot and will never win. This is his chance to shine in the academy and to win a prestigious prize and save his family from ruin. The plot follows him and Lucy Gray Baird as they navigate their relationship, the hunger games and the perils of the capitol political system.

I think to say I enjoyed this book would be misleading, but I found myself engrossed within the pages. I enjoyed the slower, more philosophical style and I think the writing was actually better in this book. It felt like Collins had focused on her style and the writing, in lieu of having a more action-packed world. The Hunger Games that take place in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are nothing like those we witnessed in the original trilogy. This is the inception of the games, as we see how they begin, how they evolve, and how Snow helps to craft the games we know. I actually really liked understanding how the Hunger Games evolved as a concept, and the philosophical debate behind them.

This book draws you into the dark mind of a villain, who at times, seems normal and loveable and vulnerable and then Collins twists the story and you feel unsettled, you feel angry and you see the despicable nature of Snow. I liked this dual nature to the story and the way in which we learned and unravelled Snow's character across the book to being the man like we know in the trilogy.

This book definitely serves as a solid prequel to the series in terms of building up the stage for the games, for Snow's character and the world. There were also a few allusions to Katniss, to mockingjays and to the future of the games which I think are always nice to see in prequels and something fans will grip onto. However, at the end of the book, I also felt like this wasn't entirely necessary. I could have quite happily read the original trilogy and never read this book and I would not be bereft.

I have to say this is a difficult one for me to rate, as I didn't love it, but I did want to keep reading. I liked the pace, even though it was slow, and I liked the style of the book. However, I think a lot of people will be left disappointed in this. Having said that, so often we read books about heroines and heroes and adventure, and there is something both deeply unsettling and quite interesting about being in the mind of a killer.