daisical 's review for:

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
4.0
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Did I think we needed a book about Haymitch's games? Not reallyy. Did I enjoy it? Yes. 

This book is undeniably a major retcon, and there's quite a lot of fanservice, but I can't say it wasn't purpose-less. The games were entertaining (painful) to read about, although I was hoping for more of a focus on the aftermath of the media manipulation according to the promised exploration of propaganda tactics and of Hume's ideas. How is Haymitch as a victor received by District Twelve and the rest of Panem in light of the manipulated narrative created by the Capitol? Sadly, we don't get to find out, because we return to what we've already known since Catching Fire.

I would say the strongest aspect of this installment is its prose. Haymitch's story is rife with tragedy, and I think the author delivered on this aspect via the expressiveness of Haymitch's voice as a narrator. Perhaps more could have been done to flesh out his relationships (or rather more subtlety could have been exercised), but we all know what happens to the people he loves, and their unjust deaths hit me hard anyway.
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