The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

This prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy follows 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow during the 10th annual Hunger Games as he mentors tribute Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen's story, the novel explores Snow's transformation from an ambitious Capitol student to the tyrannical president readers know from the original series. The story delves into themes of power, corruption, class inequality, and moral compromise, while examining how propaganda and survival instincts can shape one's character. Lucy Gray represents Appalachian and folk culture through her musical background and district origins.