Review by sincerelyj - Sunrise on the Reaping

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sincerelyj 's review for:

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

4.5

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: Complicated

Yikes! Sure did destroy me! There is so much to process from this book I feel the need to go back through it and stop every sentence and connect it back to the entire overarching plot of the series. And reread them in chronological order rather than release order even though release order should always be the go to for the first read through with a new book/series. Holy shit. The characters had so much depth, more so than in the first book in my opinion. Seeing the connections between the characters throughout the series was really satisfying and devastating all at once.

I’m grateful for the epilogue because connecting Haymitch back to Katniss really drove it all home for me. It gave me some closure but also hurt even more knowing for so long he never had that depth to Katniss and Peeta. Somehow Plutarch knew him best for the most of his life, and somewhat Effie given she realized the full extent of everything and saw past the propaganda. How quickly Haymitch went from a part of his community (which was in much better shape in his youth than in Katniss’s) to being so alone and a drunk is a punch to the gut. And that’s only how Katniss knew him. He was never Uncle Haymitch. The anger and injustice I feel knowing how much of the Games were cut up and the Capitol and Districts didn’t see the truth of Haymitch’s actions is insurmountable.

But I guess that’s what keeps the books so powerful; Suzanne Collins doesn’t give us that happy ending. It stays grim and full of trauma and despair. She gives us a future but she doesn’t pretend that the characters aren’t permanently broken from what they’ve been through. I just want the truth to have been plastered across all of Panem so everyone knew what really happened and who Haymitch really is.

Content Warnings