The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is a prequel to Suzanne Collins' original Hunger Games trilogy. Set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen's story, it follows a young Coriolanus Snow, who later becomes the tyrannical president of Panem. Tasked with mentoring a tribute in the dark and brutal Hunger Games, Snow grapples with his ambitions, moral dilemmas, and the social inequalities of his world. The novel explores themes of power, survival, and the influence of environment on character, ultimately shedding light on the origins of Snow's ruthless nature.