The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Week 4

Welcome to the final discussion of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. 

It was interesting that Coriolanus was sent to District 12 as a punishment, but it ended up being exactly what he wanted. I was surprised that he and Lucy Gray were still interested in each other after the games were finished. I thought that she might have just been friendly to him to win the games, so I was shocked when she still wanted to be with him after she was home. What did you think when Sejanus showed up? It was interesting that he was sent to District 12 as well.

The boys were more successful at being Peacekeepers than I thought they would be. Sejanus was such a good marksman that I think he could have been successful as a Peacekeeper in the long run. And, Coriolanus could have become an officer. I thought Coriolanus would be completely miserable, but having Lucy Gray near made things more bearable for him. He worked hard to make all situations work out best for him. He was talented at looking out for himself. It was sad to read about the public killings that the Peacekeepers were involved with. Again, I just couldn't believe how violence was treated so casually throughout the book. 

What did you think of Lucy Gray's family? They were a ragtag bunch, but you could tell that they were filled with so much love for each other. I can't imagine what they went through knowing that Lucy Gray was in such danger. Their music seemed to be really infectious. Some of the songs they played really got people riled up. 

The jabberjays were an unexpected element in the last section. I couldn't believe that they could be used as a recording device. Did you expect that Coriolanus would betray Sejanus in the end? I thought it was surprising, especially since Sejanus and the Plinths were so nice to Coriolanus throughout. Sejanus's death sure ended up working out for Coriolanus in the end. He never would have been able to pull himself up to such a high status had the Plinths not taken him under their wing and paid for everything for him. It was sad that they were so kind to him, and he was betraying them behind their backs. Were you surprised at all when it was revealed that Sejanus was working with the rebellion? I thought the writing was on the wall about him throughout the whole book. He was just so unhappy being aligned with the Capitol policies. 

What do you think happened with Lucy Gray at the end of the book? It was a little confusing when she and Coriolanus had their last confrontation with each other. Do you think Lucy Gray would have killed Coriolanus in the forest? Did she figure out that Sejanus was the last person that Coriolanus killed? Do you think the mayor ended up killing her in the end? Or did she just disappear into the forest? 

The book ends with Coriolanus poisoning Dean Highbottom after Highbottom reveals that Coriolanus's father was the one who gave the idea for the games to Dr. Gaul. What did you think of that detail? The very last lines of the book hint to Coriolanus's future as President. He came out on top, even after everyone doubted him throughout. It was interesting to see Coriolanus come into more power, but it was sad to see him lose his happiness and a lot of his goodness as the story went on. Did you feel sad about Coriolanus's change throughout the book? What did you feel at the end of the book? 

Did you enjoy reading this book? Would you recommend it to a friend? If you would like to read or watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you like anything on the list!

Finally, before you go, if you're interested to learn more about the filming of the movie versions of The Hunger Games books, check out the clip below. Let me know what you thought was the most interesting tidbit from the video. 

Thanks for reading with me this month! Next, we're reading Lady in the Lake. I hope you'll join us again! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.