Suzanne Collins has something else to say with this new prequel from the well loved “Hunger Games” universe. She ended the original trilogy of “Hunger Games” in 2010 and wrote a prequel for the Tenth Annual Hunger Games recently, called “The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes.” And most recently announced and wrote the book and movie for the Fiftieth Annual Hunger Games.
“Sunrise On The Reaping” follows a young Haymitch Abernathy and how he won the Fiftieth Hunger Games during the Second Quarter Quell. For this year’s Quarter Quell, there will be twice the number of tributes to participate, and twice as hard to win.
Abernathy’s birthday always lies on Reaping Day, and this year is no different. Except this year is a Quarter Quell. His only dream is to make it through the day and be with the girl he loves, Lenore Dove. When his name gets called, those dreams get crushed, is thrust without even a goodbye, and shuttled into the Capitol with three other District 12 tributes.
The three other tributes include a young girl who’s basically a sister to him, Louella McCoy, a compulsive oddsmaker, Wyatt Callow, and the most stuck-up girl in town, Maysilee Donner. As the Games begin, Abernathy understands that he’s been set up to fail. But he decides that he still wants to fight.
My Review
I found this book incredibly emotional, and I cried almost the entire book. There were old characters I’ve met before in the previous books, and some new characters I have never met before. I appreciated the many layers to all of their character development and was attached to all of them. That was a big mistake because of how “The Hunger Games” went.
I thought I knew all of Haymitch’s story from what we were told in “Mockingjay,” but I guess we all fell for the Capitol’s propaganda. Haymitch’s backstory was way more devastating than I originally thought, and all of the characters were very well written, with so many easter eggs I squealed at. There were many little easter eggs about Lucy Gray, who literally haunts the entire series and it was beautiful.
This book was both devastating and beautiful, and I suffered with every page I read, but it was worth it. I will never forget how “Sunrise On The Reaping” changed my view on the “The Hunger Games” universe forever.
