“I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.”
Before becoming the cruel, calculated president of Panem readers are familiar with from the original Hunger Games trilogy, Coriolanus Snow is asked to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12 who is sent along with several other tributes to participate in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Despite the odds being against him, Snow is determined to help Lucy Gray win so that his family can climb back to the top of society after experiencing various hardships.
Over the course of the book, Snow experiences rapid character development that results in the cruel, calculated man we know from the trilogy. However, there are times when the audience can feel sympathy towards him, which wasn’t what I was expecting walking in. Other characters were very well written and the subtle references to the original books were fun to uncover. There are times in the story when there is little action and it tends to drag (which is probably the biggest complaint many readers have) but the ending is incredibly fast paced if a bit chilling, given what we know Snow is going to ultimately become.