Take a photo of a barcode or cover
michaila3 's review for:
Sunrise on the Reaping
by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
I really liked this!! I thought all of the cameos and characters were so well fleshed out it’s like I could hear them speaking! The relationships between Haymitch and the other tributes, as well as the mentors were all so lovely and heartbreaking and horrific. The arena design was incredibly interesting and cool. The imagery and gore was crazzyyyyy omggg. And my gosh poor Haymitch. I understand now why he is Like That and I don’t blame him at all.
Ok now some light criticisms. Right off the bat I found it very difficult to keep it in my brain that Haymitch was the narrator (I know he went through some pretty intense trauma and also 25 years but still) except one bit right at the end where he was speaking to Plutarch, but even as a random 16yo boy his character was interesting and well developed. It just took a bit longer to get into the book initially than it would have if his character voice was more like the Haymitch we know and love. I found some of his internal monologue (the epilogue especially) to be more sappy?? and clunky? than one would expect from him. Lastly, the last 50 or so pages -while devastating- seemed like trauma and pain and death just for the sake of it? just to make the readers upset? Yes, I understand that’s kinda Snow’s thing but also I just kept thinking, why didn’t he do the same to Katniss’ family? Why didn’t Snow outwardly hate Haymitch more in the later books/movies? And also- if Plutarch is already working with the resistance, do they just never try anything else for the next 25 years? or were there other attempts that we just don’t know about? either way it felt….I don’t know. Like there are plot holes or at least really big chunks of information missing.
Overall, it was a great book. Reading it as an adult compared to when I read the hunger games in junior high is such a crazy difference. Back then I saw it more as a cool adventure story about overthrowing the government but now I just see kids (KIDS!!!) put in torturous situations. I teared up probably 7x in the first 50 pages just thinking about that fact. Man. Did I cry at the end? No but I might have if my mom wasn’t interrupting me every 30 seconds to read a facebook meme out loud.
Ok now some light criticisms. Right off the bat I found it very difficult to keep it in my brain that Haymitch was the narrator (I know he went through some pretty intense trauma and also 25 years but still) except one bit right at the end where he was speaking to Plutarch, but even as a random 16yo boy his character was interesting and well developed. It just took a bit longer to get into the book initially than it would have if his character voice was more like the Haymitch we know and love. I found some of his internal monologue (the epilogue especially) to be more sappy?? and clunky? than one would expect from him. Lastly, the last 50 or so pages -while devastating- seemed like trauma and pain and death just for the sake of it? just to make the readers upset? Yes, I understand that’s kinda Snow’s thing but also I just kept thinking, why didn’t he do the same to Katniss’ family? Why didn’t Snow outwardly hate Haymitch more in the later books/movies? And also- if Plutarch is already working with the resistance, do they just never try anything else for the next 25 years? or were there other attempts that we just don’t know about? either way it felt….I don’t know. Like there are plot holes or at least really big chunks of information missing.
Overall, it was a great book. Reading it as an adult compared to when I read the hunger games in junior high is such a crazy difference. Back then I saw it more as a cool adventure story about overthrowing the government but now I just see kids (KIDS!!!) put in torturous situations. I teared up probably 7x in the first 50 pages just thinking about that fact. Man. Did I cry at the end? No but I might have if my mom wasn’t interrupting me every 30 seconds to read a facebook meme out loud.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War
Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts