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Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'
Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins
661 reviews
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“I’ve only ever been in an automobile a handful of times…
Never when I couldn’t see out. Never when I was being taken to die. No light, no air. Like they buried me already.”
This. Book!
This was the hardest I’ve ever sobbed in a book, I swear I was full on sobbing, ugly crying for a full half hour 😭 that end!!!
We already know Haymitch won the 50th anniversary games - the one that had double the tributes. This is the story of how it happened.
And what a story!! It had me gripped, the characters were so strong and the villains were so cruel.
If you enjoyed the hunger games, I’d definitely recommend this.
“The snow may fall, but the sun also rises.”
Never when I couldn’t see out. Never when I was being taken to die. No light, no air. Like they buried me already.”
This. Book!
This was the hardest I’ve ever sobbed in a book, I swear I was full on sobbing, ugly crying for a full half hour 😭 that end!!!
We already know Haymitch won the 50th anniversary games - the one that had double the tributes. This is the story of how it happened.
And what a story!! It had me gripped, the characters were so strong and the villains were so cruel.
If you enjoyed the hunger games, I’d definitely recommend this.
“The snow may fall, but the sun also rises.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
The Setup: Sunrise on the Reaping is a harrowing addition to the Hunger Games universe, delving into the origins of rebellion and the psychological scars inflicted by systemic oppression. Set twenty-four years before the original trilogy, the novel centers on young Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games—the second quarter quell—offering a profound exploration of trauma, resistance, and the manipulative power of propaganda.
Haymitch's journey from a resourceful teenager in District 12 to a haunted victor illuminates the personal costs of survival in a brutal regime. Collins portrays the Capitol's use of the Games as a tool for control, highlighting how spectacle and fear are wielded to suppress dissent. Plus, we finally get to see Haymitch's jarring origin story. I won't forget the first meeting him in the original trilogy, and I already sensed a profound sadness in him when I read The Hunger Games. This novel doesn't shy away from explaining that in a poignant commentary on the personal toll of political machinations.
What I Loved: I loved learning about Haymitch. His character in the original trilogy was moving, even though we never saw him. In this novel, we thankfully saw him emerge as a complex and compelling protagonist. This additional portrayal added more nuance and layers to his character, providing context for his behavior in the original series. Overall, he was a captivating character that I enjoyed reading about. Haymitch was witty, cheeky, and determined, yet he exuded sadness and indecision. He felt like a 16-year-old in dark and forboding times. In addition to Haymitch, I was also excited and moved to see the reintroduction of familiar characters such as Mags, Beetee, and Wiress, offering insights into their earlier lives and contributions to the burgeoning resistance.
Furthermore, while I must admit, I was getting slightly tired of poems and songs near the end of the novel, the inclusion of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and the character Lenore Dove as Haymitch's love enriched the narrative, drawing parallels between classic literature and the novel's themes of loss and mourning.
Lastly, and most certainly not least, this novel highlighted the insidious nature of propaganda, revealing how media manipulation distorts reality and perpetuates authoritarian power. The fact that Collins highlighted this in this most recent book during these times was not lost on me. It is a good reminder that sometimes everything we see on the news, social media, etc., is not always precisely the truth.
What Missed the Mark: I enjoyed this book, and I think that's because Collins knows what she's doing at this point when it comes to writing about the Hunger Games. That said, I can't help but feel that a lot happened to Haymitch. Similarly, yet slightly different from the typical YA trope of the Chosen One, I felt that Haymitch went through things without much information, strategy, or decision-making. While I think that's ok sometimes, it felt heavily used here as a plot device that didn't quite gel with me. I'm not sure if this led me to feel a bit detached from the characters. While this was emotionally jarring and devastating, I had a hard time feeling for Haymitch's character because simple things happened to him instead of him strategically figuring things out, or failing at things because he tried something. It's hard to describe, but this may be because Collins was spoon-feeding us too much. I find that when heavy-handed writers get into detail with the telling instead of showing, we end up feeling more detached from the characters. I think that happened here.
Near the end, with all the poems and songs, I just couldn't. We just witnessed some horrific things in this book, and then my brain had to try to compose a tune for some of these songs. Or, I just had to continue hearing about The Raven. I'm unsure why this got to me, but I was over it.
With all that said, I enjoyed this book. Haymitch was one of my favorite side characters from the original trilogy, and having his own catered book warmed my heart. Then, I read the book, and my heart was torn into pieces by what a society could do to humans. Please know, this is unflinching and not a light read, even if it reads a bit YA. Take care because there are some very tough moments.
**
Haymitch's journey from a resourceful teenager in District 12 to a haunted victor illuminates the personal costs of survival in a brutal regime. Collins portrays the Capitol's use of the Games as a tool for control, highlighting how spectacle and fear are wielded to suppress dissent. Plus, we finally get to see Haymitch's jarring origin story. I won't forget the first meeting him in the original trilogy, and I already sensed a profound sadness in him when I read The Hunger Games. This novel doesn't shy away from explaining that in a poignant commentary on the personal toll of political machinations.
What I Loved: I loved learning about Haymitch. His character in the original trilogy was moving, even though we never saw him. In this novel, we thankfully saw him emerge as a complex and compelling protagonist. This additional portrayal added more nuance and layers to his character, providing context for his behavior in the original series. Overall, he was a captivating character that I enjoyed reading about. Haymitch was witty, cheeky, and determined, yet he exuded sadness and indecision. He felt like a 16-year-old in dark and forboding times. In addition to Haymitch, I was also excited and moved to see the reintroduction of familiar characters such as Mags, Beetee, and Wiress, offering insights into their earlier lives and contributions to the burgeoning resistance.
Furthermore, while I must admit, I was getting slightly tired of poems and songs near the end of the novel, the inclusion of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and the character Lenore Dove as Haymitch's love enriched the narrative, drawing parallels between classic literature and the novel's themes of loss and mourning.
Lastly, and most certainly not least, this novel highlighted the insidious nature of propaganda, revealing how media manipulation distorts reality and perpetuates authoritarian power. The fact that Collins highlighted this in this most recent book during these times was not lost on me. It is a good reminder that sometimes everything we see on the news, social media, etc., is not always precisely the truth.
What Missed the Mark: I enjoyed this book, and I think that's because Collins knows what she's doing at this point when it comes to writing about the Hunger Games. That said, I can't help but feel that a lot happened to Haymitch. Similarly, yet slightly different from the typical YA trope of the Chosen One, I felt that Haymitch went through things without much information, strategy, or decision-making. While I think that's ok sometimes, it felt heavily used here as a plot device that didn't quite gel with me. I'm not sure if this led me to feel a bit detached from the characters. While this was emotionally jarring and devastating, I had a hard time feeling for Haymitch's character because simple things happened to him instead of him strategically figuring things out, or failing at things because he tried something. It's hard to describe, but this may be because Collins was spoon-feeding us too much. I find that when heavy-handed writers get into detail with the telling instead of showing, we end up feeling more detached from the characters. I think that happened here.
Near the end, with all the poems and songs, I just couldn't. We just witnessed some horrific things in this book, and then my brain had to try to compose a tune for some of these songs. Or, I just had to continue hearing about The Raven. I'm unsure why this got to me, but I was over it.
With all that said, I enjoyed this book. Haymitch was one of my favorite side characters from the original trilogy, and having his own catered book warmed my heart. Then, I read the book, and my heart was torn into pieces by what a society could do to humans. Please know, this is unflinching and not a light read, even if it reads a bit YA. Take care because there are some very tough moments.
**
The second Quarter Quell. Twice as many kids. No point in worrying, I tell myself, there's nothing you can do about it. Like two Hunger Games in one. No way to control the outcome of the reaping or what follows it. So don't feed the nightmares. Don't let yourself panic. Don't give the Capitol that. They've taken enough already.
Clerk Carmine said a job's a job, and music can be a bridge to better understanding between people because most everybody loves a good tune. Lenore Dove said most everybody loves breathing, too, and where did that get us? Some loves don't signify.
A fragile collection of muscles and bones, a few quarters of blood, wrapped up in a paper-thin package of skin. That's all I am. As I pass through the doors of this marble fortress, I have never felt more breakable.
After the Games comes the fallout of the Games. Spreading out like ripples in a pond when you toss in a rock. Concentric circles of damage, washing over the dead tributes' families, their friends, their neighbors, to the ends of the district. Those in closest get hit the worst. White liquor and depression, broken families and violence and suicide. We never really recover, just move on the best we can.
You're headed for heaven,
The sweet old hereafter,
And I've got one foot in the door.
But before I can fly up,
I've loose ends to tie up,
Right here in
The old therebefore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit, Medical content, War
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
It’s likely not 5* only because of the devastation of thinking that we are living through the 50th Hunger Games right now and we may never see the happy ending we’re hoping for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol
“Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Incompetence. You can’t ignore it or it spreads.”
As a fan of the original series, I felt myself slightly let down by this.
The narrative of the strength that propaganda has, is important and very relevant within both the Hunger Games Universe and ours. My favourite scenes are Haymitch's direct interactions with President Snow – showcasing his fearful charm that he is well known for.
As a fan of the original series, I felt myself slightly let down by this.
The narrative of the strength that propaganda has, is important and very relevant within both the Hunger Games Universe and ours. My favourite scenes are Haymitch's direct interactions with President Snow – showcasing his fearful charm that he is well known for.
Snow: Do you know much about doves, Haymitch?
Haymitch: They’re peaceful
Snow: If they are, they're outliers. All the birds I’ve encountered are vicious.”
Other than those interactions, I felt like a lot of the other characterisations left a lot to be desired. A lot of the relationships felt shallow when I know I was meant to feel more. Wyatt, Maysilee and Louella have a "found family" type of relationship which I didn't believe in. Haymitch's interactions with characters like Plutarch and Beetee just feel strange.
Haymitch's character to me, does not feel like Haymitch. I am aware I was not going to get the same character we have seen in the other books, as we see how he becomes so snarky and cynical in Sunrise on the Reaping. However, he felt way too bland to me. I didn't understand his thought process a lot of the time. Does he want to get back to Lenore Dove or does he want to spark a revolution? His focus would alternate and it didn't click well for me, and a lot of his decisions felt like he made them for the sake of the plot. (ie separating himself from
The games were extremely underwhelming to me. This is an arena with 48 kids in it, yet it feels the most empty. Most of the games Haymitch is alone,
That might link back to the Newcomers, which is described as this incredible alliance that has never been done before. It is basically all the tributes, except the Careers (1,2, and 4). Haymitch narratively says how its a really smart alliance, but to me it's more of an agreement not the target each other. They didn't really have a plan for the arena, and they never collect in groups either.
“The Careers have been edited to appear smarter, the Newcomers less unified.”
The plot to
So many characters are placed just to make references. Mags and Wireness being mentors was weird, did there need to be two of them? Effie's inclusion, although I love her, felt awkward.
I know I have complained, but I don't think I can rate it lower than a 3. I do appreciate what it went for, the ending was interesting, the Magno and the University stylists were entertaining and informative, and several things did shock me –
“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping, and she is the most precious thing I’ve ever known.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Police brutality