Book Review: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Official Synopsis: 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.

Allison's Review

Suzanne Collins has proven again that she can do no wrong with the most recent addition to the Hunger Games Universe, Sunrise on the Reaping. This is Haymitch's story- a background that I have been dying to learn more about since reading the first Hunger Games book. While I didn't know exactly what I had been expecting from this character, I didn't anticipate this much pain. BUT OH MAN there is so much pain. It explains Haymitch as a brother, son, lover, friend, tribute, ally, coach, mentor, rascal, rebel, and more. And it especially highlights the tragic nature inherent in the fact that rebellions take time and luck, and that so many people are collateral damage until things align perfectly to make large-scale social change seemingly "overnight."

The new side characters in this book are endearing in all their different flavors. Haymitch is one of four tributes (along with Louella McCoy, Maysilee Donner, and Wyatt Callow) in this games since there are double the number of children, and so we have representation from the Seam, the town, etc. None of them are distinctly "likable" to start off, but they are all complimentary to one another and highlight different aspects of Haymitch's character and his awareness of the larger socioeconomic hierarchies within District 12. And in an effort to not spoil much- there is an entire side plot with one of the other District 12 tributes that I was not expecting, that was incredibly cruel, and that devastated me more than I can even express.

As for our old favorites- we get more about Beetee, Mags, and Wiress. We get more about Effie and Plutarch. We get more about Katniss' parents, Peeta's parents, and other District 12 staple characters. We even get more about Snow. The additional information expands our understanding of these characters while not excusing or contradicting who they were and the impact they had on the original trilogy books. I was a fan, I was serviced, but the additional look into their lives was so much more that just that.

In addition to the fellow tributes, we read about another Covey character- Haymitch's love Lenore Dove Baird. I wish we got to spend more time with her, but through Haymitch's moments of remembering her while far away from her at the capitol and in the arena, we learn more about what happens to Lucy Gray Baird's people as they integrate into the larger District 12 population. She allows us to see another side of moral dissent in the district while also proving to be the emotional core of Haymitch's story. It is a beautiful love story, and it is a tragic love story. It definitely doesn't just tug on the heart strings- it rips them fully out and stomps all over them.

This was a timely addition to the Hunger Games universe. It covered a fan-favorite character with incredible heart, and it still managed to be surprising even though we as the audience knew the outcome of Haymitch's life. This was an incredible 5/5 read for me. Everyone should read this book!

Maggie's Review

I think we have all been dying to know what happened to Haymitch in his Hunger Games, especially since we had been told it had twice the amount of kids (continuing to prove that President Snow is in fact the worst person). The first part is we learn that Haymitch's birthday is the day of the reaping, which is the first twist of the knife that is this entire book. Suzanne Collins continues to prove to us that 1) she does only write a book when she has something to say and 2) she definitely had something to say this time. Before getting into the actual reaping, we get to see a small slice of Haymitch's life, his girlfriend Lenore Dove, his mother and brother, and in generally just his little slice of district 12. Haymitch and his family weren't well off, as most of 12 isn't, but they are comfortable and happy.

The chaos of the whole story begins with the reaping, where we get to see how Haymich wasn't even chosen, he stood up for someone and the Peacekeepers volun-told him that he was a tribute. We immediately get to see how these four kids interact, who are the strongest and who might need more protecting. The group from 12 is really dynamic in their strengths and what they can bring to the table. Once we get to the Capital, we get to see some of the other favorites from the rest of the series. We see Beetee, Mags and Wiress plus some others. Which also shows how deep the rebellion from the OG series goes. We also get to see our dear villain continue to the be the villian throughout the story, especially when he learns that Haymitch won't deal with him.

Without getting into too many spoilers, there were many parts of this book that made me gasp out loud or have to wipe away tears. Like the rest of the series, there are moments that feel deeper and bigger than the story itself. You again are watching children fight each other for the sake of proving the Capital is in power and that Snow will do what he has to do to 'fall on top'. The end of this book had me shook, and shows how much Snow impacted how Haymitch turned out by the time we meet him in the Hunger Games.

This book was also a solid 5 out of 5 star read for me and will probably continue to sit in my brain for a while.

If you loved the original Hunger Games, I would definitely be sure to read this one as well!

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