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ritabs 's review for:
Sunrise on the Reaping
by Suzanne Collins
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As I was reading this book, I started to come to 2 main conclusions:
1. Suzanna Collins doesn't want to write about the Hunger Games anymore. I think she's lost interest in explaining how these kids die (which is like, totally fair). If you look at how she's detailed the bulk of her OG series compared to this one, you can tell that her focus is, and probably has always been, the politics of how you get to the point of the Games. The dramatization of the media and how it affects each character, how they take it and spin it to fit their individual narratives. You didn't see it w/ Katniss' personal dialogue but you saw it w/ Peeta, and in Songbirds & Snakes, you could deffo see it with Snow. You can see it here too, the best parts of this book was the beginning where they're building up to the games & even the tragedies that the characters go through. I think it makes more sense to have a book that focuses on the politics & tragedy of war opposed to the media entertainment of it.
2. I think that Collins has started to see herself become the villian with this series. In her original trilogy, when asked if she'd write more books, she said no because she already had a firm, satifying ending. And, Songbirds & Snakes, it added to Snow's character & you see how he never really valued Lucy Gray as a person and only saw her to promote himself (it also showed Lucy Gray as a way to manipulate show, and gave him that weakness/flaw and empowers the ppl/districts against their collective villain). This book does neither of those things, because you know it's not going to end in a success for the districts—it's the 50th Hunger Games and Catching Fire is the 75th—but it just serves as a tie between all of the side characters you see in Catching Fire/Mockingjay. It doesn't give Haymitch character, only proves why he's sad all the time and it doesn't have a satisfying ending because you know Katniss' story hasn't started yet. This book also had a movie deal before the book came out, which is why I believe that Collins has seen herself become the villain a bit. She's focused on money (which get you bag girl, i get it) instead of telling a compelling story. This book is about tragedy, but it doesn't tell the reader anything new. We knew the games were tragic and we know Snow is bad. If anything, it frames Haymitch as a shitty, self-serving asshole, despite his selfless attempts throughout the book, and I don't think that's very fair.
1. Suzanna Collins doesn't want to write about the Hunger Games anymore. I think she's lost interest in explaining how these kids die (which is like, totally fair). If you look at how she's detailed the bulk of her OG series compared to this one, you can tell that her focus is, and probably has always been, the politics of how you get to the point of the Games. The dramatization of the media and how it affects each character, how they take it and spin it to fit their individual narratives. You didn't see it w/ Katniss' personal dialogue but you saw it w/ Peeta, and in Songbirds & Snakes, you could deffo see it with Snow. You can see it here too, the best parts of this book was the beginning where they're building up to the games & even the tragedies that the characters go through. I think it makes more sense to have a book that focuses on the politics & tragedy of war opposed to the media entertainment of it.
2. I think that Collins has started to see herself become the villian with this series. In her original trilogy, when asked if she'd write more books, she said no because she already had a firm, satifying ending. And, Songbirds & Snakes, it added to Snow's character & you see how he never really valued Lucy Gray as a person and only saw her to promote himself (it also showed Lucy Gray as a way to manipulate show, and gave him that weakness/flaw and empowers the ppl/districts against their collective villain). This book does neither of those things, because you know it's not going to end in a success for the districts—it's the 50th Hunger Games and Catching Fire is the 75th—but it just serves as a tie between all of the side characters you see in Catching Fire/Mockingjay. It doesn't give Haymitch character, only proves why he's sad all the time and it doesn't have a satisfying ending because you know Katniss' story hasn't started yet. This book also had a movie deal before the book came out, which is why I believe that Collins has seen herself become the villain a bit. She's focused on money (which get you bag girl, i get it) instead of telling a compelling story. This book is about tragedy, but it doesn't tell the reader anything new. We knew the games were tragic and we know Snow is bad. If anything, it frames Haymitch as a shitty, self-serving asshole, despite his selfless attempts throughout the book, and I don't think that's very fair.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, Murder