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Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
making me cry my eyes out even more than any of the original books!!!
LENORE DOVE, I LOVE YOU LIKE ALL FIRE. Maybe Suzanne didn't quite have all of these prequels planned out while writing the original, because after reading this and Ballad, I wish Katniss had been Covey.
This was a great book and a great backstory for Haymitch. Although to be honest, after reading this, I am shocked Haymitch was a functioning alcoholic in the original trilogy... and I am terrified to see all of this on screen because it's gonna break me. 🫠
One of the things I loved most about this book is how it showed that the revolution was decades in the making before Katniss came along. It reminds me of H*rry P*tter and how just because he was The Boy Who Lived and our protagonist, the entire wizarding community was fighting against fascism long before the original series. These worlds are so much bigger than our original protagonists and all of the context and characters are crucial to the original protagonists' stories and heroism. Here, the plans of Plutarch and Beetee and Mags and everyone is incredibly important. Katniss became a great symbol for the revolution, and obviously drove a lot of it herself, but the original trilogy would not have happened without all of this work and building resentment and horrors that came before. Revolutions don't happen overnight and the seeds planted by characters like Plutarch and Beetee are crucial.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, War
Minor: Torture
As always, Collins chose to write a new installment in this series for a specific reason. Therefore, this prequel does not feel like the author is milking her successful series but like an important addition to a previously existing story. Few authors would have the ability to discuss subjects as complex as implicit submission and propaganda in a dystopian YA novel as easily as Collins.
However, it seems important to mention how exponentially more violent Sunrise on the Reaping is in comparison to previous installments in the series. You thought the death scenes in the original trilogy were bad? Just you wait... This book destroyed me in the best way possible.
Although not being an inherently completely inappropriate read for a teenager (though I would argue that it is a book for children aged at least 13 and up), the nature of the themes and contents of this novel might mean that this book won't be fully understood by younger readers.
Like Mockingjay and Ballad, while the book can be perfectly enjoyable for younger readers, parts of this story might resonate more with an older audience.
In all cases, this book is a fantastic read and a great extension to this universe, but should be read with caution and after a quick read of potential trigger warnings. Protect your peace and read it only if you are in the right mindset for it!
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
But there would be no true mockingjay without the clever songbird and the rebel rascal of before, district 12 forever in Snow’s blindside.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Cursing
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
The writing is tight and the author is excellent at creating tensions of all different kinds, of creating expectations and subverting them, of creating unlikeable heroes and charismatic villains, and demonstrating clearly how propaganda is created and how it props up and is propped up by the fascist power dynamics at play politically, far from where Haymitch grew up but controlling the district at a distance.
The audiobook is exquisite, and the narrator performs with excellence. He really goes from optimistic to devastated via every emotion imaginable. Absolutely excellent reader.
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol