Collins returns to the
world of Panem with a prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy featuring the early
life of President Snow. Coreolanus Snow is a senior at the most prestigious
private school in the Capital ten years after the war, which ripped apart the
country and killed his parents. He now resides in the ancestral apartment with
his grandmother and cousin, barely scraping by, yet keeping up
appearances. In an effort to draw more viewers to the Hunger Games, the Head
Gamemaker recruits students from the school to serve as mentors to the
tributes. This is considered a privilege and the winner will get a
scholarship to University: an unobtainable dream for Coreolanus in his present
financial situation. Coreolanus is assigned Lucy Gray, a scrawny recruit
from District Twelve, who does not seem to have a chance. Lucy proves scrappy
from the first, when she slips a snake down the dress of the Mayor's daughter
at the Reaping. Lucy is of gypsy stock and surprises all of Panem when she sings
beautifully on camera and wins the hearts of the entire
country--including Coreolanus. The games begin and he must do whatever it
takes to keep Lucy Gray safe and guide her through the traps and pitfalls, all
while trying to provide her with basic necessities. The action heats up, even
putting Coreolanus personally in jeopardy, all while he realizes that his
feelings for his tribute are crossing over from professional to personal. Who
will win the tenth Hunger Games? And what will become of our narrator from the
Capital, as well as his songbird tribute?
Suzanne Collins knows how to write a page-turner. I devoured the original trilogy and started this prequel out of curiosity--and then couldn't put it down. It features President Snow's backstory and explains his motivations for the evil he exudes in the later books, as well as the start of his path to power. As with all humans, no one is truly evil and President Snow is no exception. Readers will root for him, all while we see him make questionably ethical decisions out of a survival instinct. Elements of later books are seen and are explored in further depth such as Mockingjays and the Hanging Tree song, as well as the development of aspects of the games themselves. The early games prove to be much more like a Roman arena with the tributes being treated as animals. It is up to the gamemakers and the mentors to tweak the games in order to attract more of an audience. I found this book compelling. It is in the world of the first, yet with a different angle to keep it interesting. There are three distinct parts of the book: the events leading up to the games, the games themselves, and Coreolanus's experiences after the games. There were twists and surprises along the way and I especially loved the end. These are not the flashy games of Katniss and Peeta with parades and houses for the victors. This post war Panem is gritty and broken. Fans of the original trilogy will be the natural audience, yet the book could also be read as a stand-alone. A satisfying prequel that fleshes-out this dystopian world, all while providing some great entertainment.
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