Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Amanecer en la cosecha

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Amanecer en la cosecha by Suzanne Collins

832 reviews

kristenbyers's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It has been a long time since I read The Hunger Games, but it didn’t matter. Haymitch was a memorable enough character and I could recall his basic involvement in the original series, and this prequel did a good job of diving deeper into his background and taking us through his iteration of the games. I loved the new characters but this story definitely ends on a sad note, and explains why Haymitch turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism.

Content Warnings

lmgrame11's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

dani794's review against another edition

3.0

“Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Incompetence. You can’t ignore it or it spreads.”

As a fan of the original series, I felt myself slightly let down by this.

The narrative of the strength that propaganda has, is important and very relevant within both the Hunger Games Universe and ours. My favourite scenes are Haymitch's direct interactions with President Snow – showcasing his fearful charm that he is well known for.

Snow: Do you know much about doves, Haymitch?
Haymitch: They’re peaceful
Snow: If they are, they're outliers. All the birds I’ve encountered are vicious.”

Other than those interactions, I felt like a lot of the other characterisations left a lot to be desired. A lot of the relationships felt shallow when I know I was meant to feel more. Wyatt, Maysilee and Louella have a "found family" type of relationship which I didn't believe in. Haymitch's interactions with characters like Plutarch and Beetee just feel strange.

Haymitch's character to me, does not feel like Haymitch. I am aware I was not going to get the same character we have seen in the other books, as we see how he becomes so snarky and cynical in Sunrise on the Reaping. However, he felt way too bland to me. I didn't understand his thought process a lot of the time. Does he want to get back to Lenore Dove or does he want to spark a revolution? His focus would alternate and it didn't click well for me, and a lot of his decisions felt like he made them for the sake of the plot. (ie separating himself from

LouLou, Wellie and Maysilee.

) I just wish he was more interesting.

The games were extremely underwhelming to me. This is an arena with 48 kids in it, yet it feels the most empty. Most of the games Haymitch is alone,

with an ally coming to find him and then dying

. The main events at the start of the games

that killed like 18 people, including Wyatt, was something we didn't witness because Haymitch ran off alone, unscathed. The threat of double the tributes is instantly amounting to nothing. That lack of threat continues, as he only sees any of the Careers towards the end, where he kills two Careers, and the main antagonistic Career is killed without any real issue.

That might link back to the Newcomers, which is described as this incredible alliance that has never been done before. It is basically all the tributes, except the Careers (1,2, and 4). Haymitch narratively says how its a really smart alliance, but to me it's more of an agreement not the target each other. They didn't really have a plan for the arena, and they never collect in groups either.

“The Careers have been edited to appear smarter, the Newcomers less unified.”

In regards to the quote above, I mean, was it really that difficult to make them appear smarter? They would move in packs, while the Newcomers seemed to split off a lot. The point of the quote is to show how propaganda can change a "whole narrative",

but I just wasn't convinced by the genius nature of the alliance which never really did anything – especially since Haymitch decides to go alone to protect others, but it just read to me as trying to match up with the other books.

The plot to

destroy the arena is stagnant since we know it fails? The whole grand plan from Beetee was just so weird too. I guess it was trying to show sparks of revolution and build up to Katniss and the events of Catching FIre, but it played out so weird anyway. Why did Beetee randomly choose just Haymitch to do it with anyway?

So many characters are placed just to make references. Mags and Wireness being mentors was weird, did there need to be two of them? Effie's inclusion, although I love her, felt awkward.

I know I have complained, but I don't think I can rate it lower than a 3. I do appreciate what it went for, the ending was interesting, the Magno and the University stylists were entertaining and informative, and several things did shock me –

like Louella and the LouLou storyline.

Hey, maybe this series is just too YA for me now, but I do still have a space in my heart for it.

“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping, and she is the most precious thing I’ve ever known.”

Content Warnings

vumalilli's review against another edition

1.25

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Once again, a prequel where the most engaging content is squeezed into the final few chapters. My overall opinion: I think these additional stories should be short stories, or novellas to maintain a level of mystery and afford more room for the audience to engage in their own creative interpretations. It feels a little bit like the author is force feeding how we should feel and giving far too many bizzire connections between President dictator Snow, and the District 12 community. His obsession with one District is bordering on unrealistic now.

This book has a few of sensational new characters - like Ampert (my heart!), Maysilee, Wyatt, Lenora Dove, and Louella. It's also very dark and does not hold back in ensuring readers understand how Haymitch Abernathy is the jaded, alcoholic, disengaged mentor we are introduced to in Katniss' Hunger Games trilogy. Unfortunately, despite this being the long awaited story of the 50th Games, the 2nd Quarter Quell and one of only four District 12 Victors, the majority of this book was very … underwhelming. The first prequel and the main trilogy are carrying this story!

Largely because, we already know how Haymitch story goes. I knew the entirety of the book that he’d survive, how he won, and what was waiting for him on the other side of his bitter victory. That element of surprise is the most captivating aspect of these books. Watching an innocent member of a district enter an arena and being completely unaware about how it will end for them. I didn’t realise how much these books relied on the audience waiting to read who wins the Games. I missed that element so much throughout and lost interest frequently while reading this.

As the reader, you know he’s surviving this. I think Suzanne Collins compensated for what her readers already knew by trying to tell the story she told for Katniss over 3 books in one book.

Haymitch is recruited into a rebel plot the moment he is reaped - this made for a very overpacked story!

. The only way to surprise readers was to go HARD in the ways she tortured her 50 tributes throughout the games, and make a whole list of cameos and connections of characters past and present. I did love SOME of the cameos and the subtler connections between Ballads, Sunrise, and THG, but this, unfortunately, adds to the story being upheld by nostalgia and pre-existing contexts. It's rather lazy when you think about it long enough. I also felt like the author did not spend enough time investing in why her characters did what they did throughout. I understood how mistrusting Snow and Katniss (rightfully) were in their stories when interacting with strangers in a cruel and dark world like theirs. In this, a lot of the characters are VERY naive and TOO trusting.

Overall, it's a FINE story, but, I'm not enjoying these prequels as much as I want to. I wish I could say that Suzanne Collins is writing this for her enjoyment of her universe, but it's pretty obvious she's writing this for a cheque and an easy movie-deal.

I hate that Haymitch figured out the connection between President Snow and Lucy Gray Baird. That was so ridiculously written and deserved so much more mystery than it was afforded. Especially since his epiphany is never mentioned again in the trilogy. It was an overkill attempt to connect the first prequel to this and to the trilogy. Lucy Gray being Katniss' distant great aunt on her dad's side was more than enough.

I also think Collin's contradicted her universe A LOT throughout this book by constantly reminding readers that the game makers are capable of putting in delays in the the Hunger Games, and over editing the final show broadcasted and recapped throughout Panem. Lucy's Games erased, Haymitch's Games over-edited and tweaked to tell a false narrative - why didn't he remove Katniss' tribute to Rue, and black out the moment her and Peeta attempted to swallow the nightlock? Why did he allow 5 known rebels into the Games for the 75th Quarter Quell knowing they have nothing to lose in overthrowing him? This is the moment to quit while you're ahead

Content Warnings

theirdarkmaterials's review against another edition

3.0

dark sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I ripped through this and very much enjoyed being back in the world of the Hunger Games. I particularly liked seeing younger versions of the victors we meet in Catching Fire.

My main complaint is that we do rehash a lot of The Hunger Games - the reaping and lead-up to the games especially - sometimes with not enough of a unique spin. Having read the original trilogy, it is interesting seeing historical gaps filled in, but I'm not sure this book distinguishes itself enough to justify its existence.

Surprisingly I found the beginning of the games the part that lagged the most, as Haymitch spends a great deal of time on his own and we miss most of the initial action between the Newcomers and Careers. This is a little baffling considering this Quarter Quell has double the number of tributes, which I never felt was used to its full potential - the arena feels almost deserted at times.

It's at its most interesting when Haymitch is with other characters, Maysilee being a standout. Haymitch himself is not really recognisable to the one we know in the original trilogy. Not enough of the other tributes are distinguishable - maybe it ought to have been a bit longer to flesh more characters out...?

Also - why didn't the gamemakers just kill Haymitch after all the shenanigans he got up to? As I was reading I grew more and more surprised that he's actually allowed to win the games - doesn't really track with what Snow is about. I kept waiting for the promised targeted mutts to appear. This isn't a Katniss/Peeta situation, it would have been very easy to bump Haymitch off without angering Capitol citizens.

I saw another review that said this book should have covered Haymitch's post-games years, when he's a victor and having to mentor year after year of tributes, delving into what life is like for victors in the Capitol. I think that would have made a lot more sense and addresses my main frustration over rehashing old ground. If we were going to do another book on the games themselves, maybe one from a careers perspective?

Sounds like I'm coming down quite hard on this, but overall I did have a good time reading it, just with some caveats. Certainly doesn't come close to the heights of the original trilogy.

Content Warnings

gabigw's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

raebelle0314's review against another edition

2.0

adventurous emotional hopeful 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: No

I wanted to love this book. Truly. I walked in ready to be swept away hoping for new perspectives, deeper character insight, and an emotional punch that would enrich the original trilogy. I grew up as the girl who wore her hair in braids, learned to shoot a bow, threw knives at tree trunks, and whispered “May the odds be ever in your favor” like a prayer. I am the target audience.

Instead, what I got was shallow storytelling, clumsy exposition, characters that felt like cardboard cutouts, and enough contradictions to unravel everything that made The Hunger Games universe so compelling in the first place.

1. Characterization? More Like Name-Dropping
• District 12 didn’t feel like a real place it felt like Suzanne Collins was checking names off a list to make fans nod, not care.
• Relationships were rushed or non-existent. We’re told people feel things, but never shown anything authentic.
• Haymitch’s alliance? The most paper-thin “found family” I’ve ever read. Instant trust, no real depth, no payoff.
• His bond with Maysilee goes from mild distrust to her calling him her “brother” in a way that gave me emotional whiplash.

2. Haymitch Is a Shell of His Future Self
• “He’s only 16” isn’t a valid excuse for him having no real personality or conviction.
• He’s torn between wanting to live for Lenore Dove and signing up for what’s basically a suicide mission against the Capitol. Make it make sense.
• His family—the people he’s supposedly trying to provide for feel like afterthoughts. Until suddenly… they’re not?
• By the end, he doesn’t feel like a young Haymitch. He feels like a placeholder any random teen could’ve filled.

3. Betee and Plutarch: Lazy Fan Service
• Betee meets Haymitch and immediately spills every detail like he’s reciting from a wiki page. Why? How does that make sense?
• Plutarch revealing secrets that would realistically get him executed—for no reason—felt like bad exposition written just to name-drop characters from the OG books.
• These cameos weren’t exciting. They were clunky, unearned, and stripped of any impact. BORING

4. President Snow: From Strategic Genius to Cartoon Villain
• The subtle, calculating menace we feared in the original trilogy? Gone. Poof. Who tf is this guy ?
• This Snow just tells Haymitch everything, including his Lucy Gray connection, as if he’s trying to speed-run his villain arc. Where was the mischievousness of President Snow the speaking in riddles and rhymes. Boring as f***
• The gumdrop poisoning scene was the only moment that almost hit me emotionally—but it collapsed under the weight of weak logic and poor setup. And it was so rushed !

5. Worldbuilding Contradictions That Undermine the Trilogy
• Haymitch, Betee, Mags, Wiress… all act like they’ve never met in Catching Fire. Why?
• No one mentions Wiress’s mental state possibly being tied to this early rebellion? Wild!
• The Capitol has supposedly faced rebellion before—but acts shocked when Katniss sparks one?
• These aren’t small continuity errors. They’re canon-breaking problems that weaken the original story. Like wtf

6. Effie Trinket: Make It Make Sense
• In the trilogy, Effie is assigned to District 12 as punishment—because she’s not good enough.
• But in this book, Plutarch rewards her and puts in a good word?
• So… was she demoted or promoted? You can’t have it both ways.

7. Writing That Feels Like It Was Phoned In
• The prose lacks the nuance and haunting tone that made the original trilogy unforgettable.
• Clunky, repetitive lines like “We’re all just animals sent to slaughter” and “This is my poster” were so overused they became parodies of themselves. If I heard “this is my poster again” I was going to eat a poisonous berry myself
• Dialogue like “You’re probably wondering why I’m here…” reads like a rejected Dora the Explorer script.
• It feels like Collins no longer trusts her readers to feel or infer—she just explains everything. I loved having to think through things myself in the OG. this felt like I was being talked to the way I explain things to my toddler

8. Themes?
• The themes in this book are the same ones explored in the original trilogy—only shallower and more repetitive.
• Yes, the Capitol is manipulative. Yes, propaganda is dangerous. We know. We’ve known. I feel like there could have been more here.
• It doesn’t say anything new. And worse—it says the same things with less depth and far less impact.

Conclusion: The Gumdrop That almost Broke Me

The only moment that almost made ALMOST me cry was when Lenore Dove ate those gumdrops. And even that, while devastating in concept, made no sense within the narrative framework. It was a rare flicker of emotional weight buried in a story full of contradictions and missed opportunities.

This book didn’t expand the universe—it cracked its foundation. It didn’t deepen Haymitch—it erased him. And it didn’t honor the trilogy—it undermined it.
—

But what truly broke me? What could have been.

This book could’ve given us so much more.
Where were the flashbacks to the Games? Where was the Haymitch who couldn’t sleep, who saw Maysilee’s twin sister around every corner, who carried the crushing weight of trauma until it turned him into the bitter, snarky shell we meet in the Trilogy? That’s the story we deserved. The unraveling. The survivor’s guilt. The darkness that doesn’t show up all at once—but grows like rot.

Side note And Maysilee’s death? Blink and you miss it. No buildup. No gut punch. No soul. She was reduced to a plot point instead of the emotional catalyst she should have been.

This could have been a psychological masterpiece. Instead, it’s a Wikipedia summary wrapped in fan service.

Where was the power? Where was the grief? Where was the snarky asshole version of Haymitch we love not yet fully formed, but already there in the shadows?

2 stars. And I’m being generous.
The bow-wielding, braid-wearing, knife-throwing fan in me wanted to love this. But even she couldn’t overlook how hollow this victory truly was.

Content Warnings

avasbookmark's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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 enjoyed this one about as much as Songbirds and Snakes which to say thoroughly! I found some parts a bit cringey like the repeated “all-fire” lines and I wish we got to know Lenore Dove better.

Content Warnings

hdb01's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

lavenderiley's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional reflective 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: Complicated

amazing. absolutely traumatizing. the pacing of the games section is rather quick (understandably, i know collins doesn’t love to spend time detailing gorey deaths), but otherwise a fantastic read. anyone wanting to read this book, put it down after “happy birthday, haymitch!”

Content Warnings

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