Regarding the title, Scholastic publisher and editorial director David Levithan stated:
Over a decade ago, Panem provided a very useful lens through which to see our own world, and I think applies as well in 2020, where questions of power and moral choice are as prevalent as ever. It’s also fascinating to revisit a place you feel you know, but 64 years earlier.
Author Suzanne Collins also stated:
With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival.[4]
Cover art
The cover art for the book was designed by Tim O'Brien. It features a golden mockingjay at a new angle, entwined with a snake. Regarding the cover art, VP publisher and editorial director for Scholastic David Levithan stated:
This cover does an extraordinary job of capturing the conflict—both inner and outer—that lies at the heart of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The mockingjay has returned, but at a new angle . . . which is very much in line with the story that Suzanne Collins is telling.[5]
Plot
To help revive the televised Hunger Games' declining viewership, 24 Capitol Academy students are chosen to mentor tributes for the upcoming 10th Hunger Games and new features are added to the Games, such as tribute interviews and gifts that sponsors supply to the tributes. Eighteen-year-old Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow hopes to win a prize to pay his way to the university and return the Snow family's prestige.
Coriolanus is assigned the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, a member of the Covey, a nomadic music band. District 12, the poorest district, has never produced a victor. However, during the reaping, she sparks the Capitol's attention by defiantly singing and by slipping a snake into the dress of Mayfair Lipp, the daughter of District 12's mayor. Coriolanus starts considering her a possible victor and urges Lucy Gray to use her musical abilities to garner Capitol viewers' favor and gifts during the Games.
During a Games arena tour, rebel bombs explode, killing several tributes and mentors. Lucy Gray saves Coriolanus from a fallen beam while Marcus, the District 2 male tribute, escapes amid the chaos only to be later captured, tortured, and left to die in the arena. Lucy Gray and Coriolanus overcome their mutual mistrust and share their first kiss the night before the Games. During the Games, fellow student Sejanus Plinth sneaks into the arena to mourn Marcus and head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul sends an indifferent Coriolanus in to retrieve him. Coriolanus succeeds but has to kill the District 8 tribute Bobbin in self-defense when exiting. Coriolanus's family finances deteriorate when a new Capitol tax threatens their family home. His desire to win the Games and receive the Plinth Prize - a fully funded seat to the Academy - increases. With Coriolanus's help, Lucy Gray wins the Games.
Dean Casca Highbottom discovers that Coriolanus cheated by giving Lucy Gray rat poison to kill another tribute and by using a handkerchief with her scent to save her from snake mutts; Highbottom confronts Coriolanus with the evidence. Threatened with his family's public disgrace, Coriolanus reluctantly joins the Peacekeepers for a 20-year contract, but requests to be assigned to District 12, hoping to see Lucy Gray again.
In District 12, Coriolanus and Lucy Gray resume their romance. Snow begins to suspect that Sejanus, who has also been forced into the Peacekeepers, is working with rebels and so secretly records part of a conversation between himself and Sejanus, implicating the latter, and sends it to Gaul. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray discover Sejanus planning with a rebel, Spruce, to smuggle others away from District 12 and argue over Sejanus's involvement. Upon discovering Mayfair eavesdropping with Billy Taupe, Lucy Gray's ex-boyfriend, Spruce and Coriolanus kill them. Spruce is later captured for the crime and dies from his wounds. Later, due to Snow's recording, Sejanus is publicly hanged.
Knowing he can still be linked to Mayfair and Billy's murders, Coriolanus agrees to run away with Lucy Gray. While escaping District 12, Coriolanus finds the murder weapons and turns on Lucy Gray as she is the only link to his crimes. While searching for her in the woods, Coriolanus is bitten by a snake, which he believes was a booby trap set by Lucy Gray. Coriolanus chases after and shoots at her with the gun, but she escapes. While Lucy Gray escapes, Coriolanus hears her sing the last stanza of "The Hanging Tree", and mockingjays echo the melody repeatedly as Coriolanus fires wildly into the trees. Later, Coriolanus disposes of the guns and returns to District 12.
Coriolanus reports for officer training but is taken to the Capitol, where he meets Gaul, who arranges a pardon for him and gives him a place at the University; Sejanus's parents make him their heir, unaware that he betrayed their son. Later, in the epilogue, Coriolanus visits Dean Highbottom, who reveals his guilt surrounding the Games' creation, as it was a drunken idea which Coriolanus's father Crassus took seriously, before drinking a vial of morphling, unaware that Coriolanus had poisoned it. As Gamemaker, Coriolanus introduces the Victor's Village and rewards winning districts each year with money and food. This ultimately incentivizes the Games for both districts and the Capitol, thus beginning his rise to power.
Characters
Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow – The protagonist of the novel. His family faced financial difficulties following the war, and he makes great efforts to hide this and maintain his social status. He is arrogant, cunning and ruthless, taking whatever actions are necessary to improve his situation.
Lucy Gray Baird – The female tribute from District 12 for the tenth Hunger Games. Lucy Gray is a member of the Covey, a nomadic musical group forced to settle in District 12 after the war. A smart and calculating free spirit, she develops a romantic connection with Coriolanus.
Tigris Snow – Coriolanus's cousin. She is the breadwinner of the family, leaving school and working for a fashion designer in order to support herself and her family. It is also implied she is forced to sell her body in order to keep food on the table.
Sejanus Plinth – Coriolanus's classmate and fellow mentor in the Games. From District 2, Sejanus now lives in the Capitol because of his father's connections and business during the war. He is rebellious and idealistic, and strongly opposes the Capitol's treatment of the Districts and the existence of the Games.
Dr. Volumnia Gaul – Head Gamemaker and the overseer of every Hunger Games since their inception. She has a twisted view of human nature and believes in an authoritarian government and the need for punishment and control over the Districts.
Casca Highbottom – Dean of the Academy. He is credited as the intellectual author of the Games and holds great disdain towards Coriolanus and the whole Snow family. He is addicted to morphling, a drug similar to morphine.
Grandma’am – Coriolanus's and Tigris' paternal grandmother. Her granddaughter gave her the nickname "Grandma'am" since she believed she deserved something that sounded imperial. During the war, she took care of her grandchildren, and ensured their survival.
Mayfair Lipp – She is the daughter of District 12's mayor. Jealous of Lucy Gray and her relationship with Billy Taupe, she arranges for Lucy Gray to be reaped. Mayfair eventually becomes a spy for the Capitol in its efforts to suppress future rebellions and is murdered by Coriolanus and the rebels.
Billy Taupe – Lucy Gray's ex-boyfriend and Mayfair's current boyfriend. He and Mayfair are shot after being caught spying on District 12's rebels.
Strabo Plinth – Sejanus's father. He is the head of a munitions empire in District 2 that sided with the Capitol during the war, thus allowing him to buy his family's way into a new life in the Capitol. At the end of the novel, he sponsors Coriolanus and names him his heir.
Jessup Diggs - The male tribute from District 12 for the tenth Hunger Games. He is protective and altruistic, making an alliance with Lucy Gray. He contracts rabies from a Capitol raccoon and is indirectly killed by Coriolanus and Lysistrata in order to protect Lucy Gray.
Release
On January 22, 2020, Scholastic announced a world record first printing of 2.5 million copies for the book.[6]Barnes & Noble released an exclusive edition of the title featuring a reader's group guide, as well as a Q&A with author Suzanne Collins and editor David Levithan.[7]Walmart released of an exclusive edition of the title which came with a collectible bookmark.[8] The title was also announced for release as an audiobook[9] narrated by Santino Fontana, a Tony Award-winning actor who has previously narrated titles such as Stephen King's The Institute.[1] This version of the title would be released as a pre-loaded digital audio player, a format intended mainly to be purchased by libraries for patrons to check out and play without the need for any additional equipment.[10] As of October 2019, translation rights for the title had been sold in 28 territories. In a call regarding Scholastic quarterly results, Scholastic CEO Dick Robinson was asked about the possibility of the publication date of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes being changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that Scholastic was reviewing its options, but that at the time, they strongly felt that they wished to hold on to the May 19 publishing date.[11] Scholastic has warned that they expect sales of the title to be lower than what they anticipated when they first announced it due to the outbreak.[12]
On April 23, 2020, a clip was released of author Suzanne Collins reading a bit less than two minutes of the opening of the book. The scene features Coriolanus Snow fretting about the upcoming reaping for the 10th Hunger Games, eating cabbage to prevent his stomach from growling and worrying over the shirt he would wear to the event. Tigris is revealed as Snow's cousin, who is aiding him with his wardrobe.[13][14] With stores unable to hold live events due to the pandemic, Barnes & Noble announced a virtual book club on May 29th at 7 P.M. on its Instagram channel.[15] On May 12, 2020, Scholastic Audio released an excerpt of the first 11 minutes of the audiobook edition of the title as read by Santino Fontana.[16] At 12:01 A.M. on the day of the book's release, Suzanne Collins gave a special reading of the title, revealing the answer to the question "Who is the girl from District 12?"[17]
In association with the book's release, Scholastic also released The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Journal on the same day as the book itself. The journal is adorned with mockingjays from all four titles in the series and features 192 lined pages, an exclusive Hunger Games design, and a ribbon placeholder.[18]
In association with the premiere of the film adaptation, Scholastic released a trade paperback edition of the title on August 1, 2023. This is the first North American paperback edition of the title. A special movie tie-in edition was also released on September 19, 2023.[19]
Reception
Critical response
Sarah Lyall of The New York Times gave the book an overall positive review, but felt that its ending feels "flat and desultory" following the excitement of the earlier portions.[20] Annalisa Quinn of NPR panned the novel overall, feeling that Coriolanus is ultimately a "flat, wily sociopath," whereas the character of Katniss Everdeen allowed for contradiction and that while The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes tells us what we should think.[21] Constance Grady of Vox described the book as "your apocalyptic escape from our current apocalypse," noting that as the current world grows to feel more apocalyptic, "it can be oddly comforting to escape to a fictional dystopia."[22] Karin Tanabe of The Washington Post gave particular praise to the third and final portion of the book, stating that it is "the most revelatory in terms of the gradual chipping away of Coryo’s humanity." She also praises the title for filling in the blanks regarding questions such as “Which unhinged savage came up with kids killing kids?” or “What’s the meaning behind the song ‘The Hanging Tree’?[23]
The Guardian praised the book, writing, "Collins's themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression, as well as the extra layers of lore about mockingjays and Capitol's history, will please and thrill."[24] Similarly, Time said that Collins shines most "as she weaves in tantalising details that lend depth to the gruesome world she created in the original series".[25]Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, saying the book is "both a tense, character-driven piece and a cautionary tale".[26]
The Daily Telegraph reviewer criticized it as "not the most promising opening [fans expected]" and said that Collins should "stick to plucky heroes and dazzling plot-twists". She wrote that "when it comes to writing the murkiest backwaters of the human psyche, Collins is fathoms out of her depth".[27]
Darren Franich from Entertainment Weekly said, "The storytelling itself trends desperate at times. Chapters close on violent cliffhangers that edge into parody," and that "there are too many folk music interludes [and] some ludicrous franchise callbacks" but overall it "is a major work with major flaws, but it sure gives you a lot to chew on", ultimately giving it a grade of B−.[28]
Amazon designated the title an "Amazon Best Book of May 2020." Reviewer Seira Wilson of Amazon Book Review stated "It’s been a decade since Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, was published and fans are going to be thrilled with Suzanne Collins’ unexpected prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This novel has been under serious lockdown, so all that can be said until May 19 is that it begins on the day of the reaping for the tenth annual Hunger Games, and an eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is mentoring the underdog tribute from District 12. Prepare to read this in book one sitting because you won’t be able to put it down."[29]
Sales
On May 16, 2020, the title was #5 on Amazon's "Charts" feature, below John Grisham's Camino Winds and above Stephen King's If It Bleeds[30] and had reached the status of being the company's #1 bestseller in books.[31] The title sold more than 270,000 units in its first week of publication, resulting in a 77.4% jump in sales in the YA fiction category as compared with the previous year.[32]
In June 2019, Joe Drake, the chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, announced that the company was working with Collins on an adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.[33][34] By April 2020, Collins and Lionsgate confirmed that plans were underway for the film's development. Casting had not yet begun, but the director Francis Lawrence had been confirmed to return after his success with The Hunger Games series. The film's writer was to be Michael Arndt, with Nina Jacobson and Collins as producers.[35][36]
In August 2021, Lionsgate's chairman, Joe Drake, revealed that the film was in pre-production with filming expected to begin in early 2022 for a targeted release of "either late fiscal 2023 or early 2024".[37] On April 28, 2022, it was announced that the film would be released on November 17, 2023.[38]
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