YA Review: The BALLAD of SONGBIRDS and SNAKES

This week, Stephanie and Jess are reviewing the prequel to the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins, because, frankly, it's brilliant. These stories are written for young adult readers who have a mature reading level. Stephanie and Jess have both read and loved the Hunger Games trilogy, and here are their thoughts on the prequel...

Jess: I was excited to read this book when it came out, and I was not disappointed. The prequel to the epic Hunger Games trilogy took the story to a whole new level. Seeing the games play out from the perspective of a teenage Coriolanus Snow was fascinating. He was such a compelling character to follow along with, and it was interesting to experience the situations he goes through knowing his true feelings. Coriolanus conjured up mixed feelings in me throughout the story, and there were times when it was hard to accept his actions. He had to tackle concepts of control vs. chaos by participating in games that tested the limits of civilized behavior, making him question human nature. The characters in the story are complex, and there's tons of symbolism woven in, plus plenty of references to the other books, which, of course,  now I have to reread. I'm hoping Suzanne Collins writes more books to follow this telling prequel. The story wrapped up in the end, but as any good book should do, it left me anticipating what happens next. Bravo, Suzanne Collins!

Stephanie: I received the prequel as a birthday present, which made the book even more special. I had been anticipating the story for a year, and it did not disappoint. While the Hunger Games trilogy is told from Katniss Everdeen's point of view, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is from President Coriolanus Snow's perspective, but long before he becomes president. Seeing the Capitol and the districts through his teenage eyes definitely explained a lot about who he becomes and why.  I have to applaud Suzanne Collins for making such a compelling story. It is an amazing thing to want to read a book when the main character has traits you do not like. There are characters in the prequel who come up in later books, and it was interesting to learn what they were like so long ago (and yes, I will be rereading the trilogy now). I also liked how different the Hunger Games themselves were from the ones readers are familiar with when Katniss is in them. I hadn't really ever thought about how the games had evolved and what it was like for the tributes back when the games were newer. There are some evil characters who repulsed me, but there are characters with so much heart fighting for a better world who I was cheering on. This is a book that made me think about relationships, decisions people make and why, and what survival looks like for different people. A captivating read, and I would love there to be more books filling in the time until we meet Katniss. If you are a fan of the Hunger Games trilogy- then you won't want to miss this one. 

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Core Vibes~~~

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! We'll be exploring the vast complexities of human nature with a special YA book review on Monday, so stay tuned. See you all around the book block. ~ F







Born with the will for another day—an inherent need to seek and stay. Rise, then fall, and do it again; repeating patterns start to end. Mind runs on its endless tales, but outside body instinct prevails. Does chaos rule without control? Who, in time, collects the toll? Depending on your inner core, you'll find out what's in store. And what you'd do remains unknown, until you must stand alone.

What am I referring to? Answer: human nature

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!
62 original riddles and illustrations

Fairday's Riddle: Le Coeur de Toi...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? I learn a little more about this every day. ~ F

Born with the will for another day—an inherent need to seek and stay. Rise, then fall, and do it again; repeating patterns start to end. Mind runs on its endless tales, but outside body instinct prevails. Does chaos rule without control? Who, in time, collects the toll? Depending on your inner core, you'll find out what's in store. And what you'd do remains unknown, until you must stand alone.

What am I referring to? Stop by Friday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

What Treasures Await Over Sea, Under Stone?

Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew, along with their parents, are on holiday at the home of a family friend, or “Great-Uncle Merriman (or Merry), as they call him. Merry is renting an old house by the sea, and the Drew parents have let the children know not to touch anything they shouldn’t. The attic proves to hold lots of interesting knickknacks for the children. When they accidentally stumble upon a manuscript, they are intrigued by a map inside it. The map looks just like the coastline where they’re staying. And the mystery begins! After looking at the drawing and trying to figure it out the children realize it relates back to King Arthur and his knights. They decide this is information not to share with the adults. When her brothers are out boating for the day Jane does some more exploring and locates an old guide book with a similar map inside. This leads her to look for the town vicar, the man who wrote the book. Venturing out on her own Jane is not able to locate the vicar. Instead, the man as his house answers no questions but seems very intrigued by what Jane has found. When the house Merry is renting is burglarized the children decide they must tell their uncle what is going on. And what he tells them is very shocking. Now they are on a quest to find a hidden treasure. The clues will lead them to rock formations and they’ll have adventures in caves. But will they find what they’re looking for? Is there really a treasure? Was King Arthur real or is it all just stories? Who can the children trust? You’ll have to read this fast paced book to find out!

I always love a good mystery and fantasy is another favorite of mine, so when a friend told me about Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper I decided to give it a try. What an exciting read! An old house? A spooky attic? Old books and maps? Ancient mystery? Yes, please! I was biting my nails as the children had the bad guys hot on their heels at so many moments during the book. As they tried to figure out who to trust I felt worried for them. It was fun trying to piece together the clues to see if I could figure out where the Drew children needed to go. The most nerve-racking for me was when they were at the cave and the water was going up! Yikes! Caves are amazing, but the thought of getting trapped in one of them or possibly getting hurt by waves crashing me into rocks, makes me scared. I recommend this book to kids or adults in fourth grade and up who love suspense, a thrilling adventure, and anything that ties into King Arthur. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Has anyone else read oversee Over Sea, Under Stone?  Or have you read another book by Susan Cooper? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!

~L

P.S. I missed Marvelous Middle Grade Monday this week, as we were spotlighting Elaine Kay and her book, Bad Fairy. Be sure to check out all the MMGM reviews at Always in the Middle!

Special Guest Post: Bad Fairies & Cabbage Patch Stew

Title: Bad Fairy

Series: A Bad Fairy Adventure (Book One)

Author: Elaine Kaye

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Fantasy Middle Grade

Length: 66 pages

Age Range: 8-12

Thistle Greenbud is not a bad fairy. She simply doesn't like rules, and it's just her luck that her homework is to create a new rule for the fairy handbook. But first, she has more important things to do. Like figure out how to get back at Dusty and Moss for playing tricks on her.

Before she can carry out her plan, though, disaster strikes and she finds herself working alongside the very fairies she wanted revenge on. Can they work together and trust each other, or will things go from bad to worse?

Recipe for "Cabbage Patch Stew" from Bad Fairy

Cabbage Patch Stew is Thistle’s favorite meal in Bad Fairy.

In real life, I made Cabbage Patch Stew for my kids from an old recipe I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I still make cabbage patch stew a couple of times a year.

When I had to write about Thistle and her family eating dinner together, I immediately thought of cabbage patch stew, because with words like “cabbage” and “patch” it just sounds like something fairies would eat.

Ingredients:

One medium-sized onion, chopped

One large green bell pepper, chopped

Three stalks of celery, chopped

2 cups of chopped cabbage

One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

Two 15-oz cans stewed tomatoes

Two 15-oz cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

½ teaspoon garlic powder (more to taste)

11/2 teaspoon chili powder (more to taste)

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions:

- Chop celery, onion, and green pepper. Sauté with oil until almost done.

- Mix chopped vegetables, and chopped cabbage in a pot.

- Add the can of crushed tomatoes, can of kidney beans, and both cans of stewed tomatoes.

- Add garlic powder, chili powder, and brown sugar, to taste.

- Cook until cabbage is tender.

- If you desire more broth, add water.

*Feel free to add more or less cabbage or other vegetables. 

OKUM SOKUM!

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:

As I fly through the front door, I smell my favorite dinner—cabbage patch stew. I stand next to Mom, who is still at the stove, stirring the pot. I give her a big hug.

She turns and smiles at me. “What’s that for? Did you get into trouble again?”

I roll my eyes. “No, Mom. I didn’t get into trouble. I just love cabbage patch stew, that’s all.” Shrugging my shoulders, I grab plates for the table.

The table is ready when she calls me over to the counter. “We still have enough time to make dill weed biscuits. You can start on that since you know how. I’ll help you as soon as I finish this salad.” She’s chopping up dandelion greens and other delicious weeds. I get right to work on the biscuits. Maybe I am a “good” fairy after all.

BUY THE BOOK!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Eligibility: International

Number of Winners: One

Giveaway Ends: July 1, 2020 12:00am Eastern Standard Time

ENTER THE BOOK GIVEAWAY

Elaine Kaye is the author of A Gregory Green Adventure series. She first created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup, thus inspiring the story Pea Soup Disaster. Bad Fairy is her middle grade debut and the first of A Bad Fairy Adventure series.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher’s assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. 

She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.

Amazon / Goodreads / BookBub / Instagram / Facebook/ Twitter / Blog

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Spelunking Spell...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! We'll be on an adventure into a cave. We have a special guest post on Monday; tune in Wednesday to find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ~ F

A secret place found inside— clever spot to stay and hide. A chasm forged by passing time tells its lore in ancient rhyme. Here in lies a sleepy wake with sulfur breath and bones that quake.  

What am I referring to? Answer: Cave!

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!
62 original riddles and illustrations