Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'
Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins
661 reviews
challenging
dark
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
This was so devastating. Beyond middle grade. Suzanne stuck the tip of a knife in the reader at the beginning, slowly pushing it in further, until the last several chapters, when she twists it over and over.
This book does a fantastic job bridging the gap between aBoSaS prequel and the Hunger Games series, showing how we got from point A to point B without over explaining. Miss Collins delivers information so beautifully without spoonfeeding the reader.
This book does a fantastic job bridging the gap between aBoSaS prequel and the Hunger Games series, showing how we got from point A to point B without over explaining. Miss Collins delivers information so beautifully without spoonfeeding the reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
If I could give this 6 stars I would. If I could give it a million stars I would. However, I'm left irreparably emotionally destroyed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Murder
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
Suzanne Collins is literally a genius. Her writing has always been smart and thought-provoking, and this book is no exception !! Even knowing the ending and some of the Games’ events before picking it up, the second Quarter Quell proved to be just as shocking and gut wrenching as if I had gone in blind. If anyone wants to discuss this piece of art with me PLEASE
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Classism
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Poor haymitch 💔 the entire book my heart was breaking for haymitch. This book was brilliant and so well written, might possibly be the best of the series. This definitely calls for a reread of the whole franchise.
Some parts of this book made me close the book and sit with it for a minute, this is rare.
Well done Suzanne Collins you’ve outdone yourself
Some parts of this book made me close the book and sit with it for a minute, this is rare.
Well done Suzanne Collins you’ve outdone yourself
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol
Minor: War
adventurous
dark
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:
Yes
As a Hunger Games lover I was excited for Haymitch's prequel, especially after the brilliance of A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It didn't quite live up to my expectations...
While it introduced another facet of the Capitol's brutality and gave us the backstory for several of the excellent side characters from the original series, being back in the Hunger Games arena felt like a retread over old ground.
I also felt like the choice to frame Haymitch's Hunger Games as being a not-quite-right time for revolution makes the progression of the original trilogy more confusing. What was so different about Katniss from her predecessors that she became a lightning rod for change? If anything, she seems less attuned to the power of spectacle and symbolism than Haymitch does in this book.
I think my tolerance for the brutal deaths of children may be waning, but if Suzanne Collins decides to explore another aspect of Panem, I would love to read it.
While it introduced another facet of the Capitol's brutality and gave us the backstory for several of the excellent side characters from the original series, being back in the Hunger Games arena felt like a retread over old ground.
I also felt like the choice to frame Haymitch's Hunger Games as being a not-quite-right time for revolution makes the progression of the original trilogy more confusing. What was so different about Katniss from her predecessors that she became a lightning rod for change? If anything, she seems less attuned to the power of spectacle and symbolism than Haymitch does in this book.
I think my tolerance for the brutal deaths of children may be waning, but if Suzanne Collins decides to explore another aspect of Panem, I would love to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another strong addition to the Hunger Games universe. Compared to the last installment, this one feels more like the original trilogy, especially with its focus on the Games. (Not that I disliked the last book. It just didn’t quite feel like a Hunger Games story.) The pacing is tighter, the stakes are higher, and the tone is darker. Romance takes a backseat.
President Snow is back in control and just as terrifying. There’s plenty of fan service, but it’s handled well, with nods to both the original trilogy and the Ballad. It made me want to reread the whole series. Like Ballad, this book weaves in folk songs. It’s also fascinating to see how the Capitol’s propaganda and technology keep evolving.
The ending is brutal, and the epilogue is bittersweet. I appreciated that the story chose a sad ending over a neat, happy one.
President Snow is back in control and just as terrifying. There’s plenty of fan service, but it’s handled well, with nods to both the original trilogy and the Ballad. It made me want to reread the whole series. Like Ballad, this book weaves in folk songs. It’s also fascinating to see how the Capitol’s propaganda and technology keep evolving.
The ending is brutal, and the epilogue is bittersweet. I appreciated that the story chose a sad ending over a neat, happy one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Vomit
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
No
I feel this is a 4 star read for me, as although I enjoyed it, I do feel like I would have liked a bit more on what happened next, e.g. between Haymitch returning home and becoming Katniss’s mentor 24 years later. I also expected to be more upset by it, but unless I’ve turned stone-hearted, I only physically cried after the Games had ended (trying to stay spoiler free here)! I’m not sure if this is due to it being a prequel so roughly knowing what would happen to the other tributes, or if there just wasn’t enough time getting fully invested in them due to there being so many tributes this time round 🤔
The story gave us more backstory on Haymitch and his life before his introduction in the original Hunger Games book and gave us the tragic context as to his character. I thought the book started a little slow, but it soon ramped up once they got to the Capitol, where it was soon revealed Snow was up to his usual cruel tricks.
Throughout the story, I thought the whole thing was so unfair to Haymitch. I mean, I know The Reaping is unfair on anyone, but the way it went down for Haymitch, and everything that followed, just felt so unfair and that it shouldn’t be happening to him. Haymitch seemed to agree, and this really seemed to support his more jaded outlook in the later books.
I did eally like the relationships he built with his fellow District 12 tributes and mentors, as well as the inclusion of some familiar faces, though again, there was some heartbreaking stories there too. I thought this made the submission narrative interesting, as a question was asked a few times throughout the story as to why people let those in charge get away with what they do - in this series we see it’s because of the repercussions faced when the Capitol is challenged.
A sad but enjoyable voyage into The Hunger Games world, one I’d recommend to fans of the series/genre. It has definitely made me want to reread the whole series now I’ve read the two prequels too.
The story gave us more backstory on Haymitch and his life before his introduction in the original Hunger Games book and gave us the tragic context as to his character. I thought the book started a little slow, but it soon ramped up once they got to the Capitol, where it was soon revealed Snow was up to his usual cruel tricks.
Throughout the story, I thought the whole thing was so unfair to Haymitch. I mean, I know The Reaping is unfair on anyone, but the way it went down for Haymitch, and everything that followed, just felt so unfair and that it shouldn’t be happening to him. Haymitch seemed to agree, and this really seemed to support his more jaded outlook in the later books.
I did eally like the relationships he built with his fellow District 12 tributes and mentors, as well as the inclusion of some familiar faces, though again, there was some heartbreaking stories there too. I thought this made the submission narrative interesting, as a question was asked a few times throughout the story as to why people let those in charge get away with what they do - in this series we see it’s because of the repercussions faced when the Capitol is challenged.
A sad but enjoyable voyage into The Hunger Games world, one I’d recommend to fans of the series/genre. It has definitely made me want to reread the whole series now I’ve read the two prequels too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury