challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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dark emotional medium-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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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

I knew the ending from the original trilogy but some of the deaths were just so gruesome 😭 

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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

Suzanne has done it again. However bad I thought Haymitch’s story could be, oh how it was so much worse. Haymitch was such a loverboy, just like his boy Peeta. And Katniss was exactly like him, but luckier. Haymitch and his continuous flock, his promises, his family. Oh how he kept them all. Even when he lost them. After all, the snow may fall, but the sun also rises

“She’s not an easy person; she’s like me, Peeta always says. But she was smarter than me, or luckier. She’s the one who finally kept the sun from rising.” 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

Suzanne Collins has done it again! Another remarkable book by her, and possibly the most painful I’ve read of hers so far. You fall in love with so many characters, and knowing what you know from the OG 3 books, that you are opening yourself up to a world of hurt. You do it anyway though, because Suzanne makes you fall in love with them through her incredible writing. Be prepared to cry. A lot.

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challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Suzanne Collins, I swear you can do no wrong. Thank you for writing such impactful stories and for putting them out there when you think the world needs to hear something.

My Summary: It's time for the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, and 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy awaits the reaping where twice as many victors will be chosen to fight in the arena. His name is called along with his sweetheart, Louella; his snobby classmate, Maysilee; and an oddsmaker, Wyatt. Since they're from District 12, they're all but forgotten as they make their way to the Capitol and are paraded in front of the people before they're sentenced to death in the games. They've clearly been set up to fail, but Haymitch is determined to at least make his sacrifice count in a way that will echo across the Capitol, the Districts, and into the future. And to never let them use his tears for their entertainment.

My Thoughts: Damn, this book hit so hard. Maybe it's because I haven't read the original trilogy in a while, but I forgot just how brutal the games can be when you get to see the perspective of the tributes. I also appreciate Collins telling Haymitch's story so we can see exactly how he became who he is in the original Hunger Games books.

Though truly devastating, the story told in Sunrise on the Reaping does bring some hope to District 12 for the next 25 years before Katniss and Peeta enter the arena.
The fact that Haymitch was able to even slightly shake the gamemakers and Snow created huge ripples and helped the rebellion prepare for when someone like Katniss came around. I truly believe Haymitch could've been Katniss if the time was right and if he was luckier. That narrative can clearly be seen when you look at this book and the original trilogy with 20/20 hindsight.
Readers learn about how different key characters are connected and how they came to be involved in the rebellion years before they could actually make a move.

Sunrise on the Reaping has clearly already had a huge impact on fans of this series, but more than that, it gives us insight into how easy it is to become complacent in a society where silence is rewarded and rebellion seems futile. Anyone who loves the Hunger Games trilogy, or who wants to take a critical look into what our world could become should read this novel.

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

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dark emotional 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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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

Sunrise on the Reeping is one of the strongest books in Suzanne's arsenal, if you ask me. I love how interconnected Haymich's story is with the other stories without taking away from his story or making the connections feel forced. And a lot of questions raised in the other books find their answers cleverly worked into this book. Suzanne's worldbuilding is one of her greatest strengths and this book showed just how capable she is. 

A note to those who it might affect: if infant loss is a trigger for you, tread lightly. It's not a main plot point or described in a disrespectful or graphic, but it could be something that could be jarring to someone who is dealing with that more than the other deaths in this series. 

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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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