There’s a rumbling on Twitter, can you hear it? No, not the thunderous roar of BTS fans scrambling for tour details. I’m talking about the deafening cry from Hunger Games fans as they emerge from their caves. And folks, they’re mad, ‘cos the prequel they’ve waited for isn’t about Haymitch or Mags or Johanna, it’s about a young Mr Coriolanus Snow. Now I have no deep attachment to the Hunger Games, but even my reaction was a solid “huh?”
[jwplayer U3sxjxcg]
Entertainment Weekly exclusively got its hands on an excerpt from the novel by Suzanne Collins. The prequel itself is old news, but this is our first look at it.
In Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Hunger Game tributes have been assigned a mentor for the first time. Snow, described as a charming high-honours student liked by all, assumes he’ll be given a tribute from District One or Two. But he doesn’t. Instead, he’s assigned the girl from District Twelve. That’s pretty much the gist of it.
You can read the excerpt right HERE. Warning: There’s a not at all creepy illustration of young Snow.
Again, I’m not completely across The Hunger Games, but I think I know enough to summarise Snow as one fucked up bloke who did extremely shitty things. He’s an interesting character to spotlight, given his history. But I’m happy to be proven wrong. And to be honest, it’ll probably be another huge hit.
But the actual fans… yeah, that’s a different story.
The Hunger Games prequel book is gonna be abt President Snow? Are you fucking kidding me??? pic.twitter.com/X4QKDXv5Q0
— Mikey (@Mikey_wf) January 21, 2020
you mean …. to tell me …. I’ve waited years and preordered the hunger games sequel …. thinking it was abt mags … for it to be a president snow origin story … about a rich white boy becoming an authortarian who loves *checks notes* genocide? https://t.co/JgAf9jJxkz
— Soraya Bouazzaoui 🇲🇦 (@halalltakeaway) January 21, 2020
everyone being so hypеd for the new hunger games book just to find out it’s about president snow…… i gtg https://t.co/sFaICRp8VR
— ira (@fyodorai) January 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/cassiansnesta/status/1219671563680780288
the sheer nerve of the hunger games prequel being about president snow when haymitch was RIGHT THERE … disappointed but not surprised
— fantasy hermit (@itsjustmarla11) January 21, 2020
Characters from the hunger games I’d rather read a prequel about over president snow:
-Haymitch
-Finnick
-Cinna
-Johanna
-Beetee
-Annie
-Effie
-Katniss’s Dad
-Caesar Flickerman
-President Coin
-Tribute Boy From District 6
-Buttercup
-A turkey Gale shot— k 🐝 (@kristineholland) January 21, 2020
A TURKEY GALE SHOT, I’m yelling.
https://twitter.com/bIinkaholic/status/1219684567021506561
https://twitter.com/iamkemix/status/1219689372548812801
can’t believe suzanne collins really thinks ppl want to read more about shitbag snow instead of literally anything else in the hunger games universe pic.twitter.com/U1loJWeMhV
— scar fmab lovebot 🐌 semi ia (@chaoticyeehaw) January 21, 2020
It goes on, and on, and on.
Thoughts, feelings, opinions aside, it’ll be interesting to see whether the girl from District 12 is in any way connected to the original trilogy’s Katniss Everdeen.
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which is set 64 years before the events of the first novel, is slated for release May 19, 2020.