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I hate how in the movie, after sejanus dies, it shows snow crying while looking at a photo of them, but in the book he cries for himself about how HE IS NEXT and doesn’t actually feel remorse for sejanus. It makes the audience think he lost someone he cared about when all through the book, snow constantly describes how much he hates sejanus. And the fact that the photo was actually one of sejanus and Marcus in district 2 that solidified Coriolanus’s choices in his mind

I found Sejanus a bit more complicated. He’s very sympathetic, but his privilege makes him a bit difficult to fully root for. That he calls out for his mother when he dies speaks to the way, unlike Katniss or Lucy Gray, who was forced to grow up fast, he stays a child despite everything because his parents has been able to keep him safe. He doesn’t feel the threat of standing up for the districts because he hasn’t had to truly risk anything while he was in the capitol. His death is tradgic, but I think it’s intentional that his naiveté largely becomes his downfall

The fact that lucy gray explicitly said that she was the last loose end and still people dont understand the ending shows me why they made her say it hahahah

One thing that also bummed me out more than anything was the way the ending was done. The relationship Snow has with the Plinths after Sejanus is absolutely sickening to read. He literally calls Mrs. Plinth "Ma" and functions as a replacement for Sejanus. I think it was mentioned in the movie that the Plinths paid for his schooling, but not how deep that connection went. I really think that would have highlighted his character and it was totally doable in the movie. That was my biggest disappointment

I loved the moment where Maude Ivory brings up the katniss roots and Lucy Gray says “it’s not time yet”. Like tiny foreshadowing is so good

finally someone who doesn't believe katniss and lucy grey are related somehow. I was so annoyed at the theories that they may be related somehow. I love the idea that katniss is just some random girl who reminded snow of lucy grey. it's much better than them being related

im so proud of lucy gray she literally haunted snow for the rest of his life AS SHE SHOULD

the last thing you talked about criticising the dystopian governments etc. , i thought about a similar thing where they changed the whole beginning of the games scene, in the book there was no bloodbath, everyone just ran in different directions and nothing happened for a while, but in the movie they changed it completely, how there was lots of action, everyone fighting and attacking lucy gray where i thought it was quite important to keep it like it was in the book, and it really was ironic how they literally changed it for entertainment purposes so to say

did anyone notice that it was mentioned that coryo’s father died in the district 12 forest and at the end of the plot the district 12 forest is where coryo decided to regain his fathers values as if continuing his legacy from where he died

I live in Palestine and I decided to read The hunger games for the first time when everything started in October and then I read the prequel In November and so many quotes and parallels to what’s happening right now really broke my heart, I’m living these things and I’m seeing my people live these things and seeing how so many people enjoy and love the series and not realize or want to acknowledge this parallel of it and the real world is honestly sad. I swear I would be reading a scene and then like discuss it with my sister and tell her omg this is exactly what’s happening right now or omg this describes my feelings right now, so yeah reading is political, and especially a dystopian that’s literally about these subjects. These 4 books honestly opened my mind like no other book could and also just delivered the hard truth Suzanne Collins wanted to deliver and get people to open their eyes to. Edit: I already watched The hunger games movies before but it was my first time reading and watching the movies as a full grown adult.

About that Arachne(Aracne? I truly don't remember how her name is written) scene, what they could've done to make it SO EASY for us to understand Snow was getting a shot "from" the cameras in which he locks eyes with us (the real camera) after Lucy says "help her" and we see the actor's eyes go from disinterest/panic to realisation just for a split second. That would've brought us (the audience) into the movie as hunger games viewers, like "oh, they're watching me, better make it good". And every time he does something for the audience, we return to a similar shot, like we are the capital viewers. That would've been easy, would've gotten the a closer meaning to the book and added a more dinamic layer.

I agree with everything you said but I'm also surprised how NOBODY mentions how they twisted the other tributes, especially Coral, to be brutal murderers and not just kids trying to survive. By doing this they played into the idea of the bloodthirsty district members and Gaul's idea of "humanity undressed" . Hollywood clearly wants a villian in the games and it can't just be the capitol. I would love to see an adaptation that tries to be more grounded like the first triology was, that makes it more of a psychological drama than a romance/action movie.

everything from 18:42 to 20:43 needs to (a) be heard by the entire bookish community and (b) put as a disclaimer on dystopian novels. thank you so much hannah for restoring my faith in this community

One thing that I also deeply loved about the book that I haven't heard in this video (it is also a very small detail so I dont blame you for not talking about that because if you had, the video would have been 6hours long) is the relationship between Coriolanus and his parents. Especially in the end, where he throws away the box from his mother and keeps the compass of his father and how he slowly but surely drifts away from his kind-hearted mother to his rather cold father is just brilliant! I loved this book so so much!! 😍

I LOVE how you emphasize the hunger as a driving force in this book and in the original trilogy, and I think it's really interesting how both Snow and Katniss relate to their hunger: Katniss fights to survive, she takes the responsability of feeding herself and her family literally into her own hands and that's why she hunts, but Snow thinks he is entitled to his share of food, and maybe that's why he manupilates and uses everyone and everything around him without a second thought, the world owns him his food, and he will make them (the districts) pay for his hunger.

I really think we need the 4.5 hour version of the movie! I really hope it fleshes out how manipulative snow is

also! i adore the use of music in the hunger games and i am so glad susan came back to expand on that in ballad! rebellions are built on hope and music can fuel that hope. the hanging tree in mocking jay is so powerful and seeing it's origins, how lucy's music lives on, how it becomes a part of taking snow down. it gives me goosebumps truly.

Nobody I know reads, so I finally get to "discuss my opinions with someone" lol

How in the world can ANYONE have read that book and accuse Collins of trying to make Snow sympathetic? It’s mind blowing.

A big part of the story as well is that he was manipulated by Dr. Gaul all the way through to the point that he doesn't even realise it. Like she really twisted everything in his path to lead him toward her side. Examples: 1. Making Snow go and get Sejanus -> the reasoning for it is honestly pretty weak when you think about it. I am convinced she wanted him to go in there so he could see the Games in real life and with the likely implication he might end up hurting or even killing someone in order to escape. 2. Getting Snow to write proposals to her for the Games -> she didn't have to do that, but she saw he had potential and creative talent. And by him having to think about the Games from the point of view of how to make it more marketable, he's likely to be pushed toward the side of fully supporting the games and making them more barbaric. 3. Recommending for Snow to be a Peacekeeper so he could see the "reality" of the districts 4. Taking him under her wing at the Capitol for University study -> sealing the deal that he'll be her successor in a way. And that's part of nurture -> people around you influence who you become and he was somewhat influenced by the good people in his life like Sejanus and Lucy Gray and Tigress, but in the end, Dr Gaul was the one that had the power and influence to shape him more. And he's already conditioned to an extent just by living in the Capitol.

" you cant care about fiction characters who are resisting violent oppression & not care about real people who are resisting violent oppression" 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 so well said!! ive been thinking this for a while now while watching a few big booktubers read the series and post about loving the book & movie but have also been super silent about palestine right now for the last two months. ill never understand how people can read HG and Ballad and not connect it to the world and whats going on currently.

the epigraphs in the begining immediately made me see the book for what it is and i found susan collins exploration of these politcial theories GENIUS. i see how not everyone would want to read 500 pages about the roles of human nature. i think that's the main reason a large part of the hunger games fanbase hated mocking jay. i get why 2020 booktube thought we didn't need a book about snow. but understanding the logic behind implimenting terrible policy decisions that have huge ramifications is important. seeing the psyche of someone like this, when there are so many people in politics today EXACTLY LIKE THIS. this book basicially questions why we all loved the hunger games back then and even to this day. it adds SO MUCH the original trilogy. you have to examine the intention of the story and question if we are any better than the capital.

Another detail that I love is that throughout the entire book ‘Coriolanus’ was used, but in the epilogue ‘Snow’ was used. Imo it showcases how far Snow has descended and how he has now (finally) turned into the person we see in the Hunger Games trilogy. If anyone has any other interpretations of this, I’d love to read them!

I felt the same way when watching squid games. The show grossed over $900M and yet none of that money actually was used to distribute fair wages to the people involved in creating it or to address the growing wealth inequality in South Korea. There was absolutely no public outcry about how this is a real life issue and that it’s causing people to resort to drastic measures. Instead, we got squid game Halloween costume ideas, squid games merchandise, squid games reality TV and that stupid ass Mr beast challenge video, etc. etc. It also blew my mind that such a show was stuck behind a paywall. Talk about missing the point.

& with your final point this reminds me of the reception to Mockingjay Part 1. I think a large reason why ppl largely dislike or feel bored with Mockingjay as a film (aside from the more functional problems with it as an adaptation and as a film) is bc it really strips away the spectacle of the games and really makes you understand the true horror of the world that theyre living it, and truly reveals the psychology of those living there. In a sense, this film doesn't play into the spectacle of the games from the costuming and the action etc etc like in first movie and in Catching Fire (which is why I think audiences loved the CF film so much in particular) and so ppl watching are not entertained enough to engage with the messaging. I agree its really hard to word this feeling!

I have been wanting to deep dive with somebody to this extent about this book and movie SO bad, so this was absolutely wonderful to watch. I agree with you wholeheartedly and I also think this book is incredibly underrated. I was disappointed with the movie for the same reasons, they cut out and/or unnecessarily changed so many small details that led up to really portray who Snow truly always was as a human being. I tell people I actually think this book could be dissected in a high school English class, there are so many motifs and themes about the internal battle for good vs. evil. Even the songs that Lucy Gray sings could be dissected and pulled apart. Suzanne Collins is a mastermind and this book has truly blown me away, even more so than the original series to me.

Idk maybe I’m being dramatic, but I feel like this video deserves some sort of award 😂

Completely agree with everything you said! I read the book and then saw the film and the thought I had leaving the cinema was that it felt like it was Snow himself who directed the film - we aren't privy to his paranoid, power-hungry and narcissistic inner monologue; we just see the charm and the way he wants to be portrayed as smart, empathetic and confident. And it worked (!!) because that's how some people (more often than not those who hadn't read the book prior to watching the film) ended up perceiving him

I remember seeing the games begin in the movie and the tributes immediately launching into battle and just feeling numb. The way the games play out in the book are so much more blatant (and thereby more poignant) about why the games weren't doing the numbers. At the start, all the kids run and hide under the ruble to deny the capitol the show they want, to remind us readers that all they want is to survive, not blindly kill one another or be a spectacle. Yet in the movie, there are now cameras even inside the ruble, eliminating any last ounce of privacy and dignity these kids had in their last moments. Imo they should've stuck to Coryo's perspective only, and not shown the games from inside the arena. The whole point of the story is that Snow is so self involved he only sees Lucy as a tool for him to get his Plinth prize and gain notoriety, and he only starts helping Lucy when he realizes she could survive. And even then, he still calculates what he could do to spin it into a positive for himself if Lucy does die. The fact the movie tried to make the games “entertaining” by filling them with unnecessary action rather than the slow tragedy we get in the books really proves we are indeed living in capitol times. Also I wish they would've done the valley song, but you're right, they probably couldn't fit it into the runtime.

As a person who is first handly experiencing this infatuation and glorification of Snow, I agree with everything you've said Hannah. It's so frustrating to see my peers and those at an age where a hot man can make them question the obvious lines between right wrong become obsessed with him. The biggest disservice to the movie was the fact that Snow lost his monologue, and I think that is a huge reason where this is all coming from. It's why, in my opinion, Lucy Gray seems more fleshed out because we see her from a birds-eye view, and not from Snow's. She is seen as a revolutionary figure in the film compared to the book because of the different points of view we see her from. Compared to the book, she is an entirely different person. The book displays her as an object to Snow, something to use to his advantage, whereas movie Lucy Gray is revolutionary, like an allusion to another District 12 girl who eventually takes down the man who forced another District 12 girl to flee everything she knows and loves.

The parallels between the books and what's happening in Palestine are so evident. It's beyond mind boggling to see people read these books and root for the characters but then turn a blind eye or even side with the oppressors. Just despicable.

The idea of katniss being related to Lucy and how you feel about it is exactly how I felt when we found out the Ray in the Star Wars sequel trilogy was a palpatine. It completely disregarded the idea that she was a no body and it would do the exact same thing in this series

another thing that bothered me about the movie was snow crying after sejanus was killed. in the movie, it makes it seem like he feels guilty for what he did and misses his friend, but in the book he is only crying because he thinks he is next.

I am from Ukraine and I am also rereading the hunger games now. It is really concerning how right Susanne was - sometimes I feel like we are just providing “entertainment” for the western audiences, trying to “earn” their approval, and prove that we can fight just long enough to receive the next round of “sponsor gifts”, but never enough to significantly tip the scales. And I hate to see that while people generally understand the oppressed/oppressor and the empire/colony dynamics, they don’t apply them to the Ukrainian history and war with Russia. I am not sure whether this is Russian propaganda or just general education problem, but it is truly sad.

The fact that the first kill of the games in the book is out of mercy? like none of those kids wanted to kill, they all ran and the first kill was Lamina putting Marcus out of his misery. That detail was so important to me, but the movie turned it into a bloodbath, which I understand for pacific reasons, but it totally strips the characters of their fear and unwillingness to play the capitols game.

Fan Theory: In the movie, when Lucy asked Snow what was the third person when they escaped, I think Lucy thought the third person was her. When Lucy was making the Hanging Tree, she was startled when Snow came. I think the Hunger Games made her more suspicious of her surroundings.

no exaggeration when i say the scene of reaper tearing down the flag almost made me start crying in the cinema. such a uniquely beautiful scene

These books hit different after October 😢 I think I remember hearing that Collins was inspired by past events that BIPOC went through for THG and jfc, the playbook hasn’t changed for real life. It’s honestly scary. I’m also pleasantly surprised that the Songbirds and Snakes book is better than I thought :0 Like you said, I thought this would be a “uwu Snow had such a twagic backstory so sad” kind of humanizing story and I’m glad it’s not.

Hannah what you need to know is we are here to listen to you even if it's for 10hrs straight...

im at 19:52 with tears in my eyes because you are going OFF right now and you are spitting nothing but raw TRUTH. and so articulately too. you're a marvel and such an important member of the book community

One of the worst things they left out was how close snow was to sejanus and sejanus ma, it makes the betrayal and sejanus death that much more heartbreaking I think the movie should’ve been split in 2!! First movie being that games and the second movie his time in 12. I think this would’ve given them the opportunity to include more from the books. I also don’t understand why they changed how and when people died in the games…

Can’t catch me now is SO good. It was literally my top song in my wrapped even though it came out like 2 weeks before 😭😭 87 plays

Snow is such a guy 😂and Tom Blyth will pay for his crimes in making Snow hot & yes! It being in third person pulls you away from Snow! You get to also understand his perspective as well as other characters while making sure you remember this is not a redemption of Snow. Also, I will never get over the fact that they watch the hunger games for entertainment which is the main issue of the novels while we as readers are also….reading and watching as entertainment. Just literally proving her entire point😂😭 Editing as I watch: Yes! I feel like in some ways the movie made him almost romantic? Like he genuinely was all about Lucy Lucy Lucy but in fact it was just like, oh, cool, this is beautiful timing. Not saying it was intentional but that’s just the vibe it gave to me. I mean people simp over Tom Riddle (pre-voldy) and I’m floored by that so the simping on Snow isn’t shocking.

I love the idea of snow experiencing PTSD and trauma from hearing the hanging tree song. Poetic justice is always the sweetest kind!

My toxic trait is thinking I can fix Snow, you've brought me down to reality and I needed that bestie 🙃

This is kind of a rant but I always find it so ironic that in the books the capitol deliberately pushes the love story down people's throat to draw attention away from the fact that people are rebeling in the districts and then the hunger games marketing team does the same thing in advertising the love triangle to shift the focus away from the actual messages of the books. I also think this has exactly the same results as it does in the story because during the victory tour people of the districts wanted the victors to atleast acknowledge that there was something going on but all they were shown was this epic love story which in turn made a lot of people who felt the injustices of capitol see this two victor situation as nonsense and the shenanigans of stupid Capitol people rather than an act of rebellion and funnily enough I think the marketing did the same thing because people who would be interested in themes like this didn't read the books because they only heard about the love triangle and this associated it with that. I vividly remember asking one of my cousins if he had read the hunger games when I was a teenager and he laughed and said he isn't interested in reading some stupid twilight love triangle bs again.

As much as the small changes really impact the movie, the cinematography is incredible. It really paints a perfect picture of what Panem would’ve looked like when Snow was a teenager. The soundtrack is simply incredible. Hunter Schafer was also the perfect Tigris. As for the book, I’ve read it three times and I think I might even enjoy it in some aspects more than the original trilogy.

!!! Yes!!! Thank you!!! I also didn’t like how they sped up the games in the movies and made them more violent so viewers would "enjoy" them more, it’s literally what the book is critiquing lmao. Your playlist is fire, thank you for your hard work 🫡

There is a moment in the book during an interview with Highbottom where Lucretius makes a comment about the districts being bestial. Highbottom responds that the only difference between district and capitol citizens is the latter’s accessibility to materialities (food, clothes, etc). They are able to present themselves in a ‘respectable’ manner that the districts can’t because they don’t have access to such things. Appearances are so important in this story (from the shirt in the opening chapter, to the clothes he nitpicks over in the epilogue) because if you look even remotely disheveled, you resemble the uncivilized districts. As if the rating of your humanity depends solely on that strand of hair you forgot to put into place or your shirt that wasn’t properly tucked in your pants. It’s almost as if the Capitol citizens are making up for their lack of humanity with a perfectly pressed suit. Power dressed up in fancy clothes. But “undressed” (to take inspiration from Gaul) they show what they really are: their worst nightmare, uncivilized.

There were multiple times when I was reading and had to double take and go back a few pages to see the sharp contrast of how Coriolanus acts or initially views someone and then peeling back and seeing what he really thinks - sometimes it’s so jarring it is actually quite shocking to read. Favourite quote from the film: ‘Mysteries have a way of driving us mad.’ I love how much foresight Highbottom has about Snow, that he can see already his ultimate weakness and therefore his downfall. He unfortunately was the only person who was right about Coriolanus and knew on some level that he would never find peace leading him to fixate on watching Katniss and failing to see Coin. Also Snow is set up to not be the most dangerous antagonist in the series - that seat belongs to Coin, and the point of Snow is also to show that he is flawed and also human, on some level not a person who is was always morally black. What makes Katniss truly the heroine of the series is the fact that she was able to discern that he was just a man and had been fooled but also flawed from the beginning.

I thought I wouldn’t like this book and it ended up being my favorite of the entire series because of the message! The movie really fell short of all the things that I think make the book so impactful.

Yes, I'm cooking dinner while listening to your video --> self care. Also, I wanted to thank you because most of my five stars reads of this year are thanks to your recommendations. I'm re-reading The Hunger Games as well, because it stuck with me what you said about re-discovering the series with an adult mind set, and I'm loving it even more. Thank you Hannah, I really hope and wish you have the happiest of Holidays!

I was struggling to clearly explain the movie differences that bothered me most to my friends that hadn’t read the book & you articulated those thoughts SO well (as always). Sharing this video with them now 😂😊

the scene in the book where Reaper used the flag as a cape is one of the most heartbreaking parts of the entire story and i wish we got more of him from the movie

Re-reading the trilogy as an adult was so eye-opening.

When you read that paragraph that gave you chills, it reminded me of the line that did it for me. On the second to last page of the book: "She could fly around District 12 all she liked, but she and her mockingjays could never harm him again." When I read that line, I literally said "HA! Wanna bet?!"

The reason i think they do the "let her out chant" be it shows him realizing how much the people love a peraon whos a symbol like katniss will be. That those school kid chanting had power over dr gaul. And so when he kills crane and says he couldnve let katniss and peeta eat the berries, he means it. And it gives more weight and "reason"as to why he wants the mockingjay destroyed. Bc he saw the power of the people inspired. Also, i hate that clemensias character was just forgot abiut in the movie

this video is so good!! i definitely want a 6h long video of you talking about these books/movies, they bring up so many important discussions!!!

This is my Christmas gift. Thank you Hannah.

I totally agree! I think the movie makes you question, if Snow is able to be a good person, while the book makes it clear that he is not. I also think, that I am not sure that people, who didnt read the book actually understood some of the background. Like the Plinth family and their story is mentioned here and there but I dont think its done that well. And I also was mad about the fact, that we never got that scene with Clemencia after the snake incident!

I think this book is so masterfully written. Suzanne makes you almost feel empathy for Snow, then has snow do or think something that rips it all away. It shows how he almost grasps true friendship and true real love but his selfishness, greed, and ambition always got in the way. Snow is the reason he never reciprocated true friendship with Sajanus and never really felt true love for Lucy Grey. He is his own downfall. It shows so perfectly how people under such similar circumstances can turn out so vastly different. The movie's downfall is the absence of the the inner thoughts of Snow that show how truly manipulative and nasty he is. There is so much i want to say but this will be way too long if i do. I wish i could talk about this with you in person because no one i know has read the book and that saddens me so much. its all im going to think about for days. i watched the movie almost immediately after reading the book. EDIT: if you make an hour long video talking about capitalism around the dystopian genre i will watch the hell out of it.

Girl if you ever write a novel I KNOW it will be meaningful and powerful (no pressure tho ;) ) Amazing review!!

I love this so much. Definitely gave so much more than what I got when I read it. As someone who doesn´t have anyone to talk to about books, this is amazing, please don´t stop. 💗

1:03:43 "Capital has the ability to subsume all critiques into itself. Even those who would *critique* capital end up *reinforcing* it instead." Disco Elysium

Okay but when you said that Snow HATES district 12 and anything to do with Lucy Gray…it brought me back to the first hunger games book where Katniss expresses her disappointment and anger in how the District 12 tributes are treated. What I mean by this specifically is how all the other tributes are dressed so beautifully and 12 is just cosplaying coal and overall underwhelming. I wonder if Snow had anything to do with that since I imagine the designers work for Snow

the "katniss is related to lucy gray" theory gave me the worst rise of skywalker flashbacks. i refuse to believe suzeanne collins would do to katniss what JJ abrams did to rey

only a few minutes into the video but just saying i would totally watch a 6 hour long deep dive into this topic, or better yet the hunger games franchise as a whole 😄i love your super long in depth videos 🥰

I love watching your videos and I'll be rewatching this one many many many times. You make so many excellent points that I didn't know how to put into words! I would love to see an entire series of you discussing every hunger games book, it would be so amazing to watch. P.S. I've also reentered my hunger games obsession and I am living and breathing these books. Currently on my second re-read in the last three weeks.

i also liked the original scene where snow put his hankerchef in the snake pit because it leaves it up to interpretation as to wether or not dr gaul planned the senario. because i think that she really wanted to test coriolanus to see if he would be a good heir. i think she was really out there testing and grooming kids into her ideology, snow most of all because of his father

I absolutely loved this video!! You articulated the things I was already thinking SO well. Specifically the stuff about Snow's misrepresentation; those small changes were made a glaring difference between his character in the book and movie. If you ever made a part 2 video with the rest of your thoughts, god knows I would EAT that up. I would love to hear what else you have to say.

I loved the prequel especially because from my pov it shows how different similar situations can shape who u are and what u believe. Snow became the villain, Tigris survived and stayed in the capitol but still managed to get good decisions for the better good, while sejanus died for his cause. And Lucy Gray, dead or alive, slowly became the spark of the revolution and that amazes me

This is now my favourite KZfaq video. The Book Leo's deep dive into Coriolanus Snow is also so interesting and I'd really recommend. Loved this book since it originally came out so really happy to see it's getting more credit for the masterpiece it is years later.

The girlies need help. I think the quote that I found the most disturbing was when he thought to himself that “at least in the capital, I knew where she was”, as if her freedom was an inconvenience. As for the connection between Lucy Gray and Katniss, I think there is some pretty strong evidence that Maude Ivory is Katniss’s grandmother, or is closely connected to her in some way. The swamp potatoes/Katniss comment is the connection for me. She said that most people call it swamp potatoes, but she prefers Katniss… it’s the sort of quirky thing someone close to her may pass down as a story while harvesting or cooking the plant. Maude Ivory looks up to Lucy Gray, and I’m sure that her loss, especially having gotten her back after the Hunger Games, would be devastating. I imagine Lucy Gray would have come up often throughout Maude Ivory’s life. So I think Katniss is, at the very least, named as an ode to Lucy Gray. It’s easy to imagine that Lucy Gray would become a folk legend in her own right. I’m sure her songs and story would be well-known in district 12. So I agree that knowing the song doesn’t necessarily connect them. But with the swamp potatoes, all it would take is Maude Ivory passing down the story of how Lucy Gray called it Katniss. It also continues the theme of food and hunger connecting everyone. Swamp potatoes are an unlikely food to choose unless you’re hungry. So I believe that Maude Ivory told the story, and planted the seed where her child (or whoever else), would go on to name their daughter Katniss as an ode to Lucy Gray. That said, Katniss doesn’t have a colour in her name, so that could be evidence that the connection may not be a genetic one. It wouldn’t make Katniss the chosen one, but it does add to the poetic justice of it all.

I've been waiting for this ever since u brought up u were working on it I'm satttttt!!!

Hannah, something about the way you articulate things is so on point and it really hits the mark on what I'm struggling to put into words. The last part of this video , the phenomenon, was brilliant and I'd love to see an hour long video on that as well. I always reference your vids if i have to defend my opinion on any book cause you're just soo good at analysing and then expressing things!🙌 Also, I've got to thank you for your stories on Palestine because where i live this topic is avoided like the plague as it doesn't "concern" us..so you were the one i got to know it from and so I wanted to let you know you're doing a great job in spreading awareness. Thank you!!

Makes my day when you make new videos Hannah 🤗💖

I'm glad you made this because I was struggling finishing the book but after seeing the movie I want to finish it!

I think you explained perfectly all the thoughts that are running around in my head after reading the book and watching the movie. ESPECIALLY the fear of how the movie would portray snow. I knew that without the context of his internal thoughts a lot of his actions would be seen as good when in reality he’s doing it for his own gain (though I think that Tom Blyth’s facial expressions kinda show that what he’s thinking is different than what he’s doing). I even read to my brother the scene where he helps Arachne since he isn’t read the book and he was surprised at how horrible he really is. Like we both agree that he gaslights himself into thinking he’s the best when really he just uses everyone around him.

im so glad that you have my tears ricochet on your playlist because i haven't read the book yet ive only seen the movie, but ive consumed enough of the hunger games to have read between the lines of what the movie showed and abstained from and i had a visceral reaction when i listened to my tears ricochet for the first time after that movie. i broke the song down line by line 😭😭 LIKE AND WHEN YOU CANT SLEEP AT NIGHT YOU HEAR MY STOLEN LULLABIES?!?!?!?!? OH ENOUGH I CANT. and im still searching for the words to describe how cant catch me now makes me feel

The last part of your video "the phenomenon" is just incredible. You have put everything I wanted to say but couldn't because I couldn't find the words for it, into context. Thank you! Also I am not saying that I am not guilty of that. I have also watched thirst edits of snow because in my eyes Tom Blyth is incredibly good-looking. But because I have read the book twice now and because I think rather critically about these books, I still despise Snow and understand the messaging of Suzanne Collins. Especially the criticism of capitalism is sooo incredibly ironic if you think about what our society does with book like this. Exactly what the Capitol would have done! Also sry if my English isn't the best, its not my first language!

I swear you just capture every single thought i have, make it better and post it on the internet. I could hear you talk for hours on end, it’s wild how brilliant someone can be ✨

One thing that I keep realizing about the movie and the book is how we as an audience perceived Snow in the movie. Because in the book it’s from Snow’s perspective and we see how everything he does even if it’s good, is so he can manipulate the situation. But from watching the movie, you’re watching it from the perspective of everyone else so if you haven’t read the books, you’re being easily convinced by Snow, that he is good. So when reading the books and reading from his mind, you see that he’s not true and honest. But the movie makes you think he is because we’re seeing from outside his perspective and he’s convincing the people, and us, that he’s good until the end, when he turns mad. Hope that makes sense. I just think it’s cool how you perceive the story based on the medium.

I've been waiting for this, THANKYOU HANNAH!!

I loved this backstory to Coriolanus Snow. It’s not necessarily to make him a sympathetic character, it’s about making him a multidimensional character instead of a one more villain. Snow went through these hardships, but it the story shows that he was an active participant in his turn into villainy.

hannah THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for putting all of this up, you put so many of my thoughts into words and got me thinking much more of this story! like you, I waited to read the book and I think it was a very smart choice because I did not have the emotional intelligence I needed to grasp all of the meanings this book has. I read it earlier this year and it expanded so much of my understanding of the hunger games and panem, like no other spin-off ever did. suzanne collins is really a genius. you said you were trying to not cry when paralleling the events of the book and palestine, but at this point I was already crying, because truly, how can we go on living life normally when things like that are happening. I don't know if I have a conclusion to this comment, I'm just glad you made something like this. it makes us remind that this is more than just reading for a good time, there's a message, there's meaning, there's more!

hannah talking about tbosas just made my day 🥰 i looovvee the hunger games and tbosas and i looovvee hannah so obviously i ate this video up 🥰

I wanted to make my own video about all the things that were changed that ultimately changed the meaning and perception of snow but I just had too many thought and didn’t know where to start and how to word everything. You did this PERFECTLY 👏

literally been thinking non stop about the hunger games so this came at a perfect time thank you queen

I'm glad you mentioned the inner monologue not being part of the movie kinda changes the perspective. It was personally my favorite part of the book, knowing what he's thinking and seeing it change in real time was interesting so that was disappointing to have that aspect missing from the movie. I know it would be hard but like you said with them making him seem nice through other acts it really took away from his overall character I completely agree they are practically different people b/m.

the way you uploaded this as i just finished the book oh thank you so much

I am genuinely happy right now that I have found your channel. I always watched your videos and have seen that you have different taste in books than rest of the booktube community. This is very refreshing and good to see. I watch a lot of booktubers and I am very found of them, and plus their recommendations are good too. The thing about booktube or booktok is that, everyone loves the same book. So I get recommended the same book over and over again. You on the other hand, your taste in book is very different, and I like and respect that a lot. It shows that you really don’t care to be quite different than the rest. I also love that you recommend mangas too. Like, I have always wanted the booktubers to read and recommend mangas. I also read mangas and they are amazing. I got into them because of my History teacher. She is a big fan of mangas and animes. Plus, I am also reading and enjoying comic books. You should try it too if you want. Maybe you will like it. So, I asked her for recommendations. I am also waiting for your recommendations in the future. ❤

i think using snow's phrase "it's the things we love the most that destroy us" at the end of the movie was SO UNECESSARY. like am i supposed to believe snow "loving" lucy gray and her "betraying him" (which apparently a lot of people think) is what turned him into a fascist tyrant? i need everyone to be serious

i feel the EXACT same way about can't catch me now!!!! its PERFECT. could not have better captured the idea of lucy haunting snow for the rest of his life. chills every time

Hannah, I checked out your tbosas playlist and you’re right it’s genius! Great vid btw

absolutely loved this video. I had such a hard time articulating my issues with the film adaptation and the disservice they did to many characters and snow's portrayal but you voiced them perfectly. I have definitely subscribed because of this video and I can't wait to explore your channel!

Hi Hannah, this is the first time I write a comment in here I just wanted to say thank you for giving us another thoroughly and thoughtful review :) I consider myself an avid reader, but when it comes to explaining the deeper meaning in a book, I always struggle to put my thoughts into words and you do it flawlessly Keep up the good work 🫰🏻😊

You have convinced me to read the book. It sounds like a really interesting time. I wasn't planning to read or watch it at all but now I really want to.

I don't normally comment on videos, but I owe you the biggest thank you. I'm a college student, it's finals week, and I have to write a paper for a media technology class. I've been spinning my wheels pretty much all day trying to come up with something that I haven't already written about this semester. I saw you posted a new video, so I decided to take a dinner break and watch to decompress a little. The last part of the video, "the phenomenon" inspired me so deeply that I think I'm gonna run with it for this paper and see what happens when I tie it with the course content. Again, thank you so much, sincerely, a frazzled college kid lmao.

I will be watching this in multiple takes but I am so excited to! I made a video on my thoughts on the book which was recorded maybe a week or two into atrocities happening in Gaza, and as I edited and uploaded it, and started seeing other booktubers like yourself and Jenanie make videos like this, the similarities and parallels have just grown and grown. Even reading Mockingjay one week prior to Ballad and recording my video, it's truly impossible to miss the similarities to current world events if you're aware of them while reading. And like you said, it's been impossible to think of anything else but these two topics and their intertwining.