When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Intrigued? Read On:
This eagerly-awaited novel finally released on March 18th of this month, and let me tell you, I was ecstatic.
I love The Hunger Games and devoured The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Not only that, but Haymitch is one of my favorite characters in the series, so when I discovered that this book would be about his Games, I was thrilled. My brother and I preordered the Barnes & Noble edition of the book immediately.
We were not disappointed. Sunrise on the Reaping soared above and beyond our expectations, and I do not exaggerate when I say that this is Suzanne Collins’ best work.
What I Love:
What isn’t there to love? All the tragedy and fragile but immortal hope of the Hunger Games trilogy shows itself once more in a story where you know, you know it will end in tragedy, yet you cannot help but pray that perhaps Haymitch will have his happy ending.
So many cameos make their way into this story, which I think is fitting because it’s right between the other two parts of the Hunger Games universe.
Another thing that was done so expertly about it being right between the other stories is the way the Games have evolved. The Hunger Games were created in Panem fifty years ago at the time of Sunrise on the Reaping. They’ve become less of a pure, unforgiving punishment like in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and more of a holiday, an entertainment for the Capitol folks.
And twenty-four years afterward, during The Hunger Games trilogy, the games have become even more extravagant. It’s masterful yet simple world building on Suzanne Collins’ part. In fact, the entire series is full of this simple yet profound structure that reflects our own depraved societies.
And the writing. The writing. If you have a copy of the first Hunger Games book, please flip to a random page and compare it to a random page of Sunrise on the Reaping, because side by side, it is all too evident how Suzanne Collins has developed and enhanced her writing. Sunrise on the Reaping was profound. Each paragraph was impactful. The words possessed their own sort of music.
And of course, the characters were as extraordinary as ever.
What I Don’t Love:
Honestly, I can hardly think of anything to dislike. This book was so exceptional that I had a hard time reading anything else for days afterward. However, I will warn you–this book will emotionally wreck you. I may or may not have shed a few tears.
Content Warnings:
Consumption of alcohol, nakedness, mention of privates, violence, death, minor cursing, kissing/romance. Nothing is in graphic detail.
These are the usual warnings for The Hunger Games, I think. Suzanne Collins is not afraid to face reality! But nothing is described very much, just stated as facts of what occurred.
Ratings:
Appropriate content: 3.5/5
Story construction: 5/5
Writing skill: 5/5
Ethics: 4.5/5
Other information:
Christian: No–Suzanne Collins is Catholic, to the best of my knowledge
Point of view: First person
Tense: Present tense
Romance: Yes
Series: Yes, technically–it is a prequel to The Hunger Games
Age suggestion: 14-114 because this may be written for YA, but anyone can enjoy it
Conclusion:
If you haven’t inferred this from above, I highly recommend Sunrise on the Reaping. I have no words to describe the magic, the tragedy, the beauty of it all. No words. Suzanne Collins has whipped out yet another masterpiece. And the movie is said to be releasing on November 20th, 2026. So if you enjoy the book, the movie will be out relatively soon! Sunrise on the Reaping deserves 4.8/5 scoops of ice cream.
Farewell until next time, readers!
–Astor
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