"Songbirds and Snakes feels like Collins asking her readership to reflect on why we latched on to the “fun” elements of the #HungerGames in the first place. She wants us to realize we’re no better than the Capitol citizens if we coo over the gorgeous dresses and thrill to the horrors waiting for the tributes in the arena.
"Those displays were specifically designed to be incredibly entertaining in order to distract from the sheer cruelty of the Games themselves. It’s telling that those showy trappings were so distracting to fans of the books as well.
"Naturally, people missed the point. There were some reviews that said Collins included too much death in her books, or that she should stick to “plucky heroes,” as if surly, recalcitrant, and deeply traumatized Katniss Everdeen in the original trilogy could be described as “plucky.”"
https://www.polygon.com/analysis/547538/hunger-games-suzanne-collins-explained-meaning