In the prequel to The Hunger Games, the reader gets accustomed to the notorious president of Panem, President Coriolanus Snow, through his adolescence in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Coriolanus, a student at the Academy, becomes a mentor to the District 12 darling, Lucy Gray Baird. Afraid of losing his chance at the Prize, the scholarship for the University given to the mentor with the winning tribute of the Hunger Games, with the seemingly weakest tribute, Coriolanus throws everything at risk to win a chance for a better life apart from the commoners in the districts. By breaking the rules and putting his chance at the Prize at risk, Coriolanus helps Lucy Gray through the Hunger Games by adding advantages to the games, giving way for the “modern-day” Hunger Games seen in the original series.
As a side note, read the original Hunger Games series before reading this book. If you, as the reader, were left with unanswered questions, this book helps fill in some of those gaps. I give this book a 3 out of 5 because when comparing it to the original Hunger Games series, this book lacks action, and the plotline doesn’t move as smoothly as the other books. However, the parts that contain nail-biting twists and turns are addicting and put you on the edge of your seat! Overall, I liked the book with the backstory to President Snow and the evolution of the Hunger Games, but the plot doesn’t live up to the reputation of the original Hunger Games series.