Review by pitbulls_and_prose - Sunrise on the Reaping

pitbulls_and_prose 's review for:

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

5.0

challenging dark 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

We already knew the basics of Haymitch's story becoming the victor of the 50th Hunger Games. I definitely forgot a lot of it before reading this (I haven't reread the original books since 2012?), but as I read, a lot of things felt familiar to me. Knowing what's going to happen does not take away from this story at all, however.

I really loved the fellow District 12 tributes, which made it all the more difficult to keep reading the book honestly. I didn't want to read about what I knew was going to happen. I feel like you get to know more tributes than in the original book which was really nice if not upsetting as well. I think that some of the deaths in the arena were among the most gruesome that Collins has done yet. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF THAT IN THE MOVIE. I almost put off reading this one longer because I knew that this would be a downer the entire time. With no happy ending. But I think that Collins does manage to fit just a little bit of hope into it, if only because we know how the series as a whole ends.

These books are not subtle. And reading this one in particular during our current era in the US was difficult. The parallels are strong and purposeful. I beg you to be critical of what you hear from your government, as propaganda is one of the most powerful tools they have. And never go along with anything that dehumanizes others and strips them of their autonomy & dignity.

Content Warnings