I reread The Hunger Games trilogy in May to prepare myself for this new installment. Suzanne Collins, once again, did not disappoint.

This story is told during the 10th Hunger Games - 65 years earlier than the original Hunger Games series - and follows future President Coriolanus Snow. Snow is 18 years old, and has a shot at bringing glory back to his once mighty family name, being one of the first ever mentors for a Hunger Games contestant. The tribute he is given is Lucy Gray, a 16 year old girl from District 12. Snow must do whatever he can to keep her alive, as his future within the Capitol is at stake, but he ends up getting more than he ever dreamed he would.

I really enjoyed this story! The thing I found most interesting is that I really enjoyed Snow as a character until the last third of the book - then we start to see the side of him that shows in the original series. However, young Snow starts off as a kind, friendly, family-oriented guy. He shows compassion towards the tributes headed into the arena, and is wary of his Capitol enemies. It is only closer to the end of this book that we see glimpses of the man he is going to become. This lost a star for me because I found some of the relationships weren't invested in enough, and there were a lot of new songs added into this one, which made me feel like I was reading a musical, which I didn't really enjoy.

I really hope I am right in thinking that Collins is going to write another trilogy, because we merely scratched the surface of the man who Snow becomes! If you are a fan of the Hunger Games trilogy, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

3.5