This book was quite exhausting to read! It could have been way shorter. I appreciated learning more about Tigris and that she was Snow’s cousin. It made her role in the original trilogy feel much more meaningful. I also found it interesting how unpopular the Games were at that time and how horribly the tributes were treated, almost worse than animals. It felt weird rooting for Snow during the Games, although I was really only doing it for Lucy Gray’s sake, not his. Sometimes I noticed parallels between the way Snow viewed Dr. Gaul and the way readers viewed Snow in the original trilogy. Although the whole part about Snow becoming a Peacekeeper felt a little random, I really liked all the references in that section. For example, Snow’s hatred of mockingjays and all the familiar places like the Hob, the meadow, and the lake. I was also really happy to learn the backstory of “The Hanging Tree” and that Lucy Gray wrote it. Sejanus was quite a lovable character, and I was really sad about his ending. Throughout the entire book, Snow annoyed me because he was so incredibly selfish. Even his love for Lucy Gray was selfish.

One of the best books i have read in a long time. I watched the movie before reading this. It's good but it cannot do the book justice. The insight into Snows mind makes him all the more despicable. Seeing how he turned into who he is in the trilogy is fascinating but the steps along the way made me hate him even more.

Possibly a bit late to the game, but I highly recommend this book. If you’ve read The Hunger Games trilogy, this is an absolute must-read, in my opinion. I loved getting a glimpse into Snow’s origin story, and the author did a fantastic job. The reader gets to know the background of his upbringing, which partially explains why he becomes the Snow we later encounter in The Hunger Games trilogy. What I personally enjoyed most was how nuanced the author’s portrayal of his character is. Even though we know how the story must end, there’s a small hope that he might turn the other way—before everything falls into place. It’s somewhat heartbreaking to read the ending, though not entirely surprising. Beyond Snow’s character development, I also found it fascinating to see how the Games evolved—what remained from the ideas of the 10th Games and how they were modernized over time, with Snow playing a significant role in that transformation. Additionally, I found the parallels between Katniss and Lucy Gray quite striking, as they help explain certain actions Snow takes in The Hunger Games trilogy (his view on mockingjays, Katniss needing to convince him that she loves Peeta, etc.). I would say it’s possible to read this book without prior knowledge of The Hunger Games trilogy, but having read them makes this book a must-read for me.

Weakest book of the series BUT still a great book

Ein wirklich spannender Einblick in die Vorgeschichte und Entstehung der Hungerspiele sowie auch die Jugend von Snow, ich war voll & ganz gefesselt. Auch wenn es für mich nicht ganz an die vorherigen Bände rankam kann ich es empfehlen!