It’s not over until the mockingjay sings

So how about a Hunger Games prequel you say? Well, I’ve read the original books long ago and so I won’t be able to make a comparison. On its own, the story is engaging as you follow the future president Snow through his mentorship of 10th Hunger Games and beyond as the slow descent into darkness begins.

Pitting kids to fight each other to the death in an arena is a unbelievable proposition. So having a bit more background into how it came it be is a welcome thing. And the book certainly seems to try and show just how even some of Panem citizens feel uneasy about the games themselves, but unable to voice their opinions. And so they just go along with the tradition even long after the war.

If history has shown us anything it’s that most people will hide behind the mass of other people and not swim against the stream too much. So perhaps the premise is not that far fetched in the bleak future.

One way the descent into madness is meant to make sense to us the readers is by us getting a good look into the workings of Coriolanus’s mind and his inner reasoning for his actions. It feels like he goes through too many changes over the course of a few weeks.

All that said - I found the ending somewhat unlikely. But the story was fun so I won’t complain too much.