“Sunrise on the Reaping” is the newest book in the Hunger Games series, serving as both a prequel to the main trilogy and a sequel to the 2020 prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
SLIGHT SPOILER FOR “THE HUNGER GAMES”
“Sunrise on the Reaping” tells the story about Haymitch Abernathy, a snarky boy from district twelve and his journey to win the 50th Hunger Games, or the second Quarter Quell. The Hunger Games are of course a televised series where each of twelve districts sends a boy and a girl to fight in an arena to the death, but the catch with the latest book is that these games have twice the amount of tributes as the other years.
First off, I’ll get into the few negatives of the book. The three things you should know when reading that could be bad is…
One: this probably has the most simple story out of any Hunger Games book, so if you’re expecting something completely different you will be disappointed.
Two: there is some fan service in this book, which at first sounds like a good thing, but some of the characters don’t feel like they belong and can take away from the impact of the story.
Three: it’s a slight nitpick but the first part of the book is pretty slow and it doesn’t pick up until part two.
On the other hand, there is a lot to love about this installment. The best thing about this story, for me, is Haymitch as a narrator. This story perfectly shows his story and what turned him into the person he is in the later books. He’s also incredibly funny, but only when it’s appropriate and suits the tone of the chapter.
The next thing I thought was fantastic was the character writing. Some characters from the other books do make an appearance and serve the plot well (for the most part), but it’s all the new characters that are the highlight of the story. Not only are all the new characters unique, memorable, and likable, but this book has some of the best character progression with some characters starting as enemies and becoming close friends.
The Hunger Games has always been a series with very strong themes, and Sunrise on the Reaping is no different. This book has a very strong theme based on propaganda which it conveys in such a powerful way. It’s such a strong theme, if you don’t want to read the book because you think you already know Haymitch’s story, you’re sadly mistaken.
Lastly, this book can be pretty emotional, but that’s pretty much a given for every Hunger Games book. Even though some of the deaths were predictable, it’s the way it’s written that makes it really sad to experience. If you like Hunger Games you’ll love (or hate) “Sunrise on the Reaping.”
Enjoyment Rating: 8/10
Quality Rating: 8.5/10
