2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a prequel in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

Pages: 541 pages

Length: 1 month (May)

Participants: Cordelia, Dominique, LinaVer

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

Here are some questions to help get the conversation started! Feel free to look up discussion questions specific to this book or come up with your own. Just make sure any questions that contain spoilers are under spoiler tags.
Discussion questions are not required but may be a fun way to talk about the book and get to know each other!

Prior to starting:
What prompted you to join this buddy read?
Have you read this author before? What do you think of their other books?

Mid-read:
What character or ideas do you relate to the most and why?
Do you have any favorite quotes or scenes?

After reading:
What was enjoyable or not-so-enjoyable about this book?
Did this book change your perception about anything, either within the book (character development) or in real life?

Hey everyone!
I've read this one before (quite recently tbh), so I've decided I might probably listen to it instead. I'll also start a bit further in the month, maybe at the end, as I have some other books planned now. Anyway, I'm happy and excited to be revisiting the whole HG series with you and look forward to the discussions. :)

I started, finished part 1

(view spoiler)[ It`s so weird to read about a young Snow, all caring compared to the later books. Can't wait to see how he changed into the Snow we know from The Hunger Games with Katniss

Gaul is a piece of work. The scene with the snake was pure evil. I wonder if she's the one manipulating the games and eliminating everyone. (hide spoiler)]

Joining in. Planning on reading this one in May.

I finished the book. It was good

(view spoiler)[ I wish that it delve more into his years with Gaul and how he became the Snow that we know.
You still could see in the end the person he was becoming. Really surprised on how he got the money and not feel guilty about the part he had in the hanging of Sejanus.

I didn't really like the way his storyline ended with Lucy Gray, I was expecting a confrontation and not just her leaving like a ghost. (hide spoiler)]

I have kind of just flipped through my book, as I didn't want to completely re-read it again (too many other books were planned for May). I have two things to say: 1. I forgot how many (view spoiler)[songs there were in this book. And now that I looked at it the second time, I didn't enjoy those songs that much like the last time. (hide spoiler)] 2. Even H*tler had a girlfriend. The first time I read the book, I quite enjoyed getting a glimpse into the backstory of the villain, but I am also kind of wondering if giving that to him is not one kindness too much.

I'm about 75% through. According to Goodreads I have read this before but I really don't remember any of it, It seems like a completely new book to me. But I am enjoying it. So different from the other books.