Genre: Futuristic
Number of Pages: 517
In this prequel to the Hunger Games series, Coriolanus Snow is a young student preparing to mentor a candidate from District 12 in the 10th annual Hunger Games. He needs for this to go well so that he can get a scholarship to the school of his choice because his family was hit hard in the war and he cannot afford to pay the taxes on his family apartment, let alone tuition. His tribute, Lucy Gray, is from a group of singers in District 12 and there is some debate as to whether she was fairly chosen as the tribute. She is a true performer, though, and her and Coriolanus begin spinning the media coverage to get her some sympathy. He even has a hand in making changes to the Hunger Games so that spectators can feel more involved, including being able to make wagers and send gifts to tributes. As the games go on, he begins to feel a connection with Lucy Gray and begins to wonder if there could be a future with her, especially since his in the capitol is so uncertain. Can he lead her to victory and what would that mean for him personally? Can he save his family from getting turned out of their family home?
This book has a lot of twists and turns in it as you see what Coriolanus had to overcome in his youth in order to become the President Snow we meet later on. The reader can easily see how Coriolanus had a hand in evolving the Hunger Games to what it eventually becomes. The Hunger Games themselves do not take hold of the entire story as it really isn’t as exciting as the Hunger Games featured later with Katniss. Instead, the focus is more on Coriolanus and the choices he makes to determine what his future will be like and who he can count on to stand beside him. The suspense doesn’t seem to build like it does in the original trilogy simply because to some extent the reader knows where this is all going, but it is interesting to get a glimpse into how the Hunger Games became the phenomenon it eventually turns into. Recommended for fans of the series.
Theodosia was forced to witness her mother, the queen’s, brutal murder at the hands of the man forcibly taking over their kingdom. For some reason, the Kaiser who now rules the kingdom has kept her alive all these years, but he has forced her to take on a new name (Thora) and endure countless beatings and ridicule in order to learn her place. Whenever her people would rebel in any way he would order Theodosia to be publicly beaten so that she could pay for the sins of her people and he would force her to wear an ash crown in order to mock the fact that her mother was the fire queen. By the time she is 16 he feels confident he has broken her spirit, but he still has three guards watch her 24/7 to make sure she doesn’t get any treasonous thoughts. Her best friend, Cress, is the daughter of the Kaiser’s right hand man who actually murdered her mother. She is very friendly, but Theodosia wonders if she can truly trust anyone in this terrible place that used to be her home. Then, she is made aware of allies in her castle who are willing to give up everything for her and she realizes that she does have the desire to fight for her kingdom and take it back for what remains of her people. The only question is can her and her meager supporters really defeat a man who has made it his mission in life to destroy kingdoms mercilessly? Can they outsmart a man who always seems to be two steps ahead?
Anna is a trained psychiatrist who hasn’t left her apartment in over a year due to acute agoraphobia. She spends her days watching old Hitchcock movies, drinking wine, doing things online, and watching her neighbors. Her ex-husband and young daughter do not see her much, but they talk often. When she notices a new family move in with a teenage son she begins watching them as she does all the other neighbors, but one day she witnesses something terrible and reports it to the police. Unfortunately, when they investigate Anna’s life begins to implode as she is forced to face everything in her life that is real and everything she has imagined since she has been trapped inside her house. No one believes she saw anything sinister since she is a heavy drinker and has anxiety issues, but she is positive she witnessed something. Did she really see something or is her mind playing tricks on her again?
Imogene Chively has been raised to find a wealthy husband in 1917 England and her family believes they have done just that when she attracts the interest of Ernest, but unfortunately, Imogene is much more intrigued by his younger brother, Benjamin. Ernest is perfectly friendly and accommodating but she feels they have very little in common while Benjamin is an architect’s apprentice and desperately needs her help in improving his drawing skills so that he can bring his architectural visions to life. As the two work together they begin to get closer and closer which makes Imogene wonder if she is brave enough to go against her family’s wishes and reject the heir for the younger working class brother. Meanwhile, a series of unfortunate accidents leads Imogene to believe that someone is trying to do Benjamin harm and no one believes her. She grows more frustrated as the incidents escalate and everyone dismisses her warnings since she is a young woman. Is there someone trying to harm Benjamin and if so why? Will she find the strength to be with the man of her dreams versus the one who can give her a comfortable life?
Serina and her sister, Nomi, live in Veridia where women have no rights and are not allowed to learn how to read. Serina has been trained her entire life to be beautiful, graceful, and alluring in the hopes of attracting the heir to the throne so that he chooses her to be one of his graces. Each year the ruler gets to pick three women or “graces” who live with him in the castle and produce heirs, among other things. This year the heir gets to begin choosing graces and Serina’s family is desperately hoping he will choose her and shower them with favor. Nomi does not believe in this tradition or the fact that women are not allowed an education and has learned how to read secretly. When Serina is sent to the castle to catch the heir’s attention, it is actually Nomi (who had gone along as a handmaiden) who gets chosen. Shortly thereafter Serina is accused of a crime she did not commit and is sent to a prison on a volcanic island where women literally have to fight each other to survive. Each sister must fight for her rights and her voice in their own way. Can they survive to somehow find their way back together again?
