Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins

250 reviews

reinheim's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book wrecked me. I knew from the original Hunger Games trilogy that Haymitch’s story was traumatic, but I had no idea to what extent. Collins is an expert story-crafter, and this book explains everything about what Haymitch endured and how he ended up the way he did. We get to see exactly why he knows so much about Effie, Wiress, Mags, Beetee, and President Snow, and why he’s so glib and hopeless when Katniss and Peeta show up as tributes years after Haymitch’s own Games. I have a whole lot more respect for Haymitch, and wow do I have respect for Collins and the world she’s woven with her words.

The writing is engaging, and the inner thoughts are unique to Haymitch and didn’t feel at all like a copy/paste personality from Katniss’s or President Snow’s stories. And the moments of tension or high emotion were crafted so perfectly that Suzanne was basically wrenching my own heartstrings along with the characters’. It most definitely made me cry, and I’ll most definitely be reading it again one day.

A note: although this book is a prequel, I’d recommend reading the Hunger Games series in the order they were published. That way, you can pick up on all the easter eggs from the previous books, and it makes the experience all the more engaging. With all the hype surrounding this book, it didn’t disappoint!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Suicide, Torture, Medical content

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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THE PAIN AND THE HEARTBREAK AND THE BRAVERY AND THE ANGUISH… I have no real words for Haymitch’s story, another fitting though haunting puzzle piece of The Hunger Games saga. This one perhaps the most painful of all. It’s a Linkin Park anthem and a Phoebe Bridgers ballad. It’s hurt and humility, power and resistance, and burning rage. 

But there would be no true mockingjay without the clever songbird and the rebel rascal of before, district 12 forever in Snow’s blindside. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Cursing

pandoraschaos's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Oh. My. God. This book broke me. It’s just a perfect summation of Haymitch. I cried throughout the whole freaking story, and the narrator for the audiobook was absolutely fantastic!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness

Minor: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy

adriatic_c's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

forzasusan's review against another edition

4.75

dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Violence, Police brutality, Grief

rchulin1's review against another edition

4.5

emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Loved this so much I want more books about the hunger games the only thing was I wished the writing was filled with more emotion instead of just stating things that were hapening

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

kelseyr713's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Was hoping for more, honestly; I love the themes of the story (the power of propaganda and planting seeds for a change you may never see) but was hoping for a different structure. Songbirds and Snakes surprised me by having the games completed early on, but they take up most of the novel here. It’s fine but at this point I think Suzanne Collins should start a new series or write some standalones.

Will I be seated for the film adaptation??? Yes!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

mmaniacle's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Great fan service that doesn’t force its way into the existing world. Works as a standalone story, an intro to the franchise, or a supplement to what you’ve already read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War

ltallant's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Suzanne Collins is great. I really enjoyed this retelling of Haymitch’s Hunger Games. I really enjoyed the elements that were tied in from A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the original The Hunger Games trilogy. 

Katniss being the daughter of Haymitch’s old best friend was really special. 
Haymitch’s games were brutal. He experienced so much loss. The theme of implied submission and his fight against that, the consequences of losing everyone he loved, and then giving up was really compelling. His friendship with Ampert, BeeTee’s son from district 3, and the climax of that friendship, where Haymitch was unable to stop Ampert from being completely devoured by carnivorous squirrels was horrifying. 
Mags and Wiress being his mentors was bittersweet, especially given the way they were clearly broken by the Capitol in response to the role they played in undermining the games.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Vomit, Classism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Police brutality, Death of parent, War

flavery329's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I loved Sunrise on the Reaping. It’s a phenomenal prequel into Haymitch’s story that does a really good job discussing authoritarianism, trauma, grief and addiction and the intersections of these. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for a narrative, quick read and don’t mind an incredibly sad, but poetic ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol

Minor: Bullying