The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Really more of a 3.5 but rounded to 4 for sheer love of the Trilogy itself.

I love a good novel or novella detailing how a villian became just that. It leads to a better understanding, most times, of why they are how they are. If I had read this as a stand-alone, and had no knowledge of the main series (which I LOVE) I would have rated lower.

While I loved the story behind Snow and how the games actually became what they are, this was a very slow, and oftentimes boring read. Even with the slow presentation, the beginning of the book is where my fascination and enjoyment really held. It waned greatly after the games were over.

I also think the history of Snow could have been made with a lot less pages. The endless amount of Lucy Gray and the Covey's songs, and how they were presented, broke my engagement more than kept it. I found myself skimming and sometimes outright skipping those parts.

I understand now all the disappointed views of this one BUT it does not, nor will it ever, take away my absolute love of The Hunger Games Trilogy.