Coriolanus is assigned the District 12 female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, a member of the Covey, a nomadic music band.

However, during the reaping, she sparks the Capitol's attention by defiantly singing and slipping a snake into the dress of Mayfair Lipp, the daughter of District 12's mayor.

Coriolanus starts considering her a possible victor and urges Lucy Gray to use her musical abilities to garner Capitol viewers' favor and gifts during the Games.

Lucy Gray saves Coriolanus from a fallen beam while Marcus, the District 2 male tribute, escapes amid the chaos only to be captured, tortured and left to die in the arena.

During the Games, fellow student Sejanus Plinth sneaks into the arena to mourn Marcus and head gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul sends an indifferent Coriolanus in to retrieve him.

Threatened with his family's public disgrace, Coriolanus reluctantly joins the Peacekeepers for a 20-year contract, but requests to be assigned to District 12, hoping to see Lucy Gray again.

Coriolanus reports for officer training but is taken to the Capitol, where he meets Gaul, who arranges a pardon for him and gives him a place at the University; Sejanus' parents make him their heir, unaware that he betrayed their son.

[7][8] The Guardian praised the book, writing, "Collins's themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression, as well as the extra layers of lore about mockingjays and Capitol's history, will please and thrill.

"[9] Similarly, Time said that Collins shines most "as she weaves in tantalising details that lend depth to the gruesome world she created in the original series".

[11] The Daily Telegraph reviewer criticized it as "not the most promising opening [fans expected]" and said that Collins should "stick to plucky heroes and dazzling plot-twists".

[13] In August 2017, Lionsgate's CEO, Jon Feltheimer, expressed an interest in spin-offs of The Hunger Games, with intentions to create a writers' room to explore the concept.

[14] In June 2019, Joe Drake, the chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, announced that the company was working with Collins on an adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.