Movie Mondays: On the occasional Monday, I will review a book series or novel that has been made into a movie. I will then answer the question that everyone asks: which is better, the movie or the book? Here is this edition’s offering:
Book Cover | Movie Poster
Book: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collings (2020) | Movie: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
Which did I read/see first? the BOOK
Series: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
# of Books: 3+2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological + Connected
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Action, Romance, Competition
Heat Rating: cold
Point of View: Third Person, Single (#0)
Publication Dates: September 2008 – March 2025
Source & Format: Public Library – Audiobook (#0)
I had a really hard time with this book. While I loved getting the background on the evolution of the Games themselves, I struggled with Snow’s character. It made more sense once I read some takes on what this book was trying to do (highlighting that Snow has always been evil), but I did find myself a little bored as I was so disconnected from the characters. It just lacked that polish the other books have had.
Rating: 2/5
Series Review: Full series review here!
- Divergent by Veronica Roth (Divergent Trilogy, #1)
- Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Delirium Trilogy, #1)
Were My Expectations Met?
Yes and no.
Yes: the movies have always succeeded at bringing Panam to life as the reader expects. It was so interesting to see how the Games were being manipulated and why they were brought to the next level. It is an entertaining movie and I’d say I enjoyed watching it unfold on the screen more than I liked reading the book.
No: because I went into this hoping that the angle of Snow being always being a sociopath would be more apparent to the viewer than it was in the book. I don’t want Snow to be likeable but the movie teases this narrative that he had good intentions at the start, gets caught in bad situations and is reluctantly the villain. Which isn’t the truth. So I feel like the movie failed to show how ruthless he is.
How Close is it to the Book?
I’ll admit that it has been some time since I read the book so I didn’t remember all the finer details. But I feel like it was pretty accurate. The Hunger Games movie adaptions have always done a very good job of being very close to the source material; and if it isn’t, the spirit of the novels are captured well.
Did I Like the Cast?
I’ve never watched Tom Blyth in anything but I thought he did a good job as Snow. I find Rachel Zegler (Lucy Gray) over emotes as a screen actress (I think it’s because she does so much theatre) so I didn’t love her scenes. The rest of the cast is great!
I found the movie to be more entertaining. It captures the essence of the book but makes it more palatable. I do wish they didn’t try to make Snow so likeable but I suppose most viewers want to see a “good” guy go bad — but I really feel like that isn’t the case with Snow.
Do you agree? Leave a comment below!
Synopsis for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (from Goodreads):
Ambition will fuel him.
Competition will drive him.
But power has its price.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
Trailer: