Synopsis
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, 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.
Thoughts
Although this prequel was lackluster compared to the original trilogy, I cannot deny that it was interesting to read some of the backstory of Coriolanus “Coryo” Snow and The Hunger Games. Katniss is such a remarkable heroine, which makes her a hard act to follow. So, although Snow is the protagonist of this story, he was harder to connect to. This book gave me a glimpse into the early years of the man who ultimately became the dictator of Panem, but it did not evoke the emotions that the old books had. Nonetheless, I was happy to return to this unique world, and I very much look forward to reading Haymitch Abernathy’s story in the author’s upcoming book, Sunrise on the Reaping.
★★★★☆
Question
Do you generally enjoy prequels?