Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel)

Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

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

633 reviews

zinfandel's review against another edition

4.5

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

Content Warnings

apricitas305's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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: Yes

Content Warnings

morganavickery's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging 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

This book is a quick, fun, fast-paced read with dark undertones. Even knowing the ending going in, the scene-by-scene tension keeps you going. It’s incredibly reminiscent of my first time reading the original HG (which I read as an angsty teenager who was here for the *edge*). Reading this as an adult (*in this society*) though, the sheer brutality and sadism of the capital just…hits different? Sadder? I would classify THG as a relatively fun read everything considered, but this feels like a warning.

Only reason for giving 4⭐️ is that I reserve 5⭐️ for those rare books that rock my world. I don’t have any specific issues with SOTR

Content Warnings

romanticmelody's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

lucialockleymorante's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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: Complicated

Sunrise on the Reaping is set during the 50th Hunger Games - Haymitch Abernathy's games. This book dives into that brutal arena, exploring not just the games themselves, but the crumbling moral fabric of a society built on spectacle and control. Honestly? This book was traumatising -but in that kind of way that you can't put it down. I'd go so far as to say it's Collins' most emotionally intense and well-written book yet. It connects so cleverly to the original trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but not in a heavy-handed or obvious way. Instead, it weaves everything together into a fuller, darker picture of Panem's evolution. One of the best parts was getting to know Haymitch on a deeper level. His relationship with Louella was heartbreaking and beautiful - it mirrored the dynamic he later has with Katniss, but you could feel how much more raw and unfiltered this version of him was.

That scene when Haymitch places Louella's dead body in front of Snow and CLAPS, absolutely gut-wrenching. It wasn't just powerful; it was poetic and deeply unsettling. That moment alone gives this book 5 stars.

Would I recommend this book? Abso-f***ing-lutely... if you want to be traumatised and emotionally wrecked in the best, most Suzanne Collins way possible.

Content Warnings

xmusicxobsessed'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: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was close to tears constantly. Two chapters in and I was already devastated. Haymitch's story is a sad but important one that shows the power of propaganda and media manipulation. I loved Maysilee as well. We lost a queen too soon.

Content Warnings