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Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Excrement, Pregnancy, Colonisation
I was actually going to give this one a lower score, but the tonal shift at the end of the novel really sold me. I had some gripes that my love of the originals couldn’t smother, like how Wiress and Mags felt a bit like exposition dumpers more than characters, and how some tie ins to the OG trilogy read more like fan service than legitimate plot choices. Those issues alongside not connecting with Haymitch’s internal voice as much as Katniss (having read the OGs as an emotionally difficult tween girl myself aiding to a ton of my enjoyment), almost had me give this one a 3/3.5. However, the ending really stuck the landing for me. I love how we saw just how completely Snow was able to eviscerate this once plucky boy’s resolve, and how Katniss’s/the rebels’ future success really did hinge on a lot of lucky miracles. It’s a tragedy, as I think this book had to be for it to work. I loved the further fleshing out of the Covey and connections to Ballad (it made me want to read Ballad when I had no interest previously). I loved the fairy tale nature of the romantic plot, but Hans Christian Anderson type fairy tale where it ends on a bleak but hopeful note. The other tributes in these games also really shine, and though I wasn’t crying like a lot of other folks did while reading this one, I did care about all of them even knowing their eventual demise. The games themselves were bloodier and more of a spectacle than what I remember Katniss’s being like, and that definitely upped my enjoyment as well (the irony doesn’t escape me). All in all, the things I like here outweigh the stuff I don’t like, and the ending brought it from a “this was fun but not the same magic as the OG trilogy” to “an entry worth its place” star rating. Very excited to see what the film looks like.
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Ever since I first read the Hunger Games in grade 7, I’ve been obsessed with this story and this world. It was the first MAJOR fandom my friends and I obsessed over, and the world of Panem will always hold a huge, special place in my heart.
One of the characters from the original trilogy that I always wanted to learn more about was definitely Haymitch. His quarter quell game and the aftermath of it that led to his alcohol abuse was always a story that intrigued me. I knew it’d be a heartbreaking story. And boy, oh, boy - it sure was.
The cameos in this, from not only the original trilogy, but also Songbirds and Snakes, were epic. The timeline of Sunrise on the Reaping is at that perfect in-between spot in the history of the Games. I loved meeting characters I’ve known for years at these different ages and seeing how they’ve changed. It was incredibly fascinating. I gasped SEVERAL times.
I also want to note that I love how much Suzanne Collins puts an emphasis on music in her stories and how songs carry such important messages. It was neat how she included Edgar Allen Poe’s “the Raven” as a song the Covey sing. Panem is a dystopian world so I always find it intriguing when she puts a little bit of our own humanity into it. I always forget that Panem is actually North America. Makes the scariness of the situation and the government control feel more real. Especially in today’s political climate.
Overall, this story was fantastic, albeit tragic. I’ve been wanting this story for years and it seriously delivered. The epilogue… CHEFS KISS. I seriously hope that Suzanne Collins continues writing some more stories from Panem. I feel like the possibilities are endless for her, it’s such a well thought out world.
(Pssssst…. SUZANNE!…. I’d love a duology of Finnick’s and Annie’s games - him being the youngest victor in history, then being sold to the capitol and losing his childhood. AND then the next book being years later, of Annie’s games, where Finnick has lost hope but regains it as he falls in love with her through his mentorship during her games. So many good cameo opportunities and also a look of how the mentors work during the games if second book is in both their perspectives. I’d actually die to read that…. Just a thought… also literally every catching fire tribute’s games as well if you have the time. Pls and thx.)
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Torture, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cannibalism, Death of parent, War
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Torture
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury