Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins

1495 reviews

thatboyadrian's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective 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

---

It took me a while to finish this book because it was making me depressed. The themes were hitting a little too close to home with our current political climate. But this is an amazing book. I loved all the callbacks and nods to the previous books, especially to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Sunrise on the Reaping perfectly shows how Haymitch went from a normal teen to the cold-hearted drunk we met in The Hunger Games.

It also perfectly shows the seeds being planted for the rebellion in Catching Fire and Mockingjay. You can tell how much they learned from Haymitch's attempts and planned better for when the time came. While reading I couldn't help but be in awe of how many parallels existed between Haymitch and Katniss. They both made money doing something illegal. They weren't actually reaped. They both received rare scores. Haymitch told Katniss and Peeta pretty much the exact advice that Wiress gave him for surviving.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Torture

Minor: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

These games have some horrifying and heartbreaking deaths, probably because we actually know the characters better. I cried while reading this, prepare yourself accordingly.

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

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Alcoholism

erin22's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

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

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death

Moderate: Police brutality, Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism

abreads18's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent

Minor: Classism

emilybee728'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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War

Minor: Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault

maddyshelley's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma

madlibs554's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

---

You know the saying... Suzanne Collins writes when she has something to say. And boy does she. This book was fantastic. I don't know how Suzanne Collins writes a story we know the ending to in such a way that has you hooked from the first sentence. She masterfully worked with propaganda in this book. I'll reread it soon, after I wipe the tears from my eyes.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol

lydbookgirl's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

toomanyannas's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional 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

---

I loved Sunrise on the Reaping! Getting Haymitch’s perspective was so raw and real—it made me love him even more. The mix of his sarcasm, pain, and cleverness made this such a captivating read. Easily one of my favorites from the Hunger Games world!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent

Minor: Child death, War