“Welcome! Welcome, welcome. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor.” These words were written by Suzanne Collins in her dystopian trilogy titled The Hunger Games. Readers were captivated by the relatable and lovable characters and they supported the work so intensely that it became one of the top 100 highest grossing franchises in the world. By 2010, the trilogy was fully completed and in 2012, fans rushed to theaters to see their favorite books come to life. The second movie came out in 2013 and the final book was turned into two movies released in 2014 and 2015. Later, in 2020, Collins surprised fans by revisiting the series to write a prequel, titled The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes. This book provided insight on President Coriolanus Snow’s life 64 years before the first book.

The trilogy tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen year old girl living in Panem’s District 12. The nation’s most powerful and wealthy live in the Capitol of Panem, and the oppressed live and produce all of Panem’s needs in the 12 districts. Years ago, the districts went to war with the Capitol and lost. As punishment to the districts, two tributes, one boy and one girl, are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. In the first book, Katniss volunteers as tribute for her sister in the 74th annual Hunger Games alongside Peeta Mellark. During the Game, the 24 tributes fight to death in an arena. As an incentive, the winner’s name will not be entered into the raffle for as long as they are eligible, and they will get a yearly salary and special status from the Capitol.

The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes follows the story of 18 year old Coriolanus Snow during the 10th annual hunger games. Snow was chosen as a mentor for singer Lucy Gray from district 12. Fans learn that Snow started off as a benevolent man in a poor situation. He made regrettable decisions that earned him respect from the Capitol and hatred from the Districts. Eventually, he gave up on trying to be good and let the darkness overcome him.

When asked what she thought of the release of the prequel, freshman Sophia Chu stated, “I wanted to see what young Snow’s thought process was like. In the trilogy, he seems so cruel so I wanted to see if he’s just like that or if something happened to him. There were also a few references in the trilogy that I didn’t really understand until the prequel.” Going off what Chu said, there are numerous references to young Snow’s life. This was proven when Collins said, “Imagine [Snow’s] surprise when Katniss starts singing ‘Deep in the Meadow’ to Rue in the arena.” The song Deep in the Meadow references a time in Snow’s life that readers didn’t get to see until the prequel.

To continue, in 2023, the Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes movie was released. When asked about her opinion on the casting choices for young Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blythe, Leah Depasse, Fairfax High School freshman, responded, “I think that was the best casting choice I’ve ever seen. It was perfect and made the movie ten times better.” Depasse is not the only one who feels this way. Clara Bruner, Robinson High School freshman, answered, “[Snow] was how I imagined based on looks and behavior.” Additionally, when Depasse and Bruner were asked how they felt about the casting choice for Lucy Gray, played by Rachel Zegler, they replied, “I imagined she would look dirtier” and “Lucy Gray didn’t look how I expected but she was a good actor.”

Moving on, freshman Lindsay Batts, said that she prefers the trilogy over the prequel: “I prefer the trilogy because I like how descriptive the books are. Also, it’s the original.” She is not alone in her opinion as Chu, Depasse, and Bruner all said the same thing. “In my opinion nothing really beats the original.” “It’s fast paced and I liked the characters more.” “They are less wordy and have more plot.”

To say that The Hunger Games was a successful series would be an understatement. Suzanne Collins was able to maintain a riveting plot that was fueled by an ongoing love triangle while still bringing forth a powerful message about power, violence, and poverty.