Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
One POV, Series, Young Adult
Isabella’s Rating: ★★★★
Sunrise on the Reaping follows Haymitch, who is a prevalent character in the previous Hunger Games books, and his experience living through the games. This book is the fifth installment of the Hunger Games series, with The Hunger Games being the first. The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, and her story of getting picked to join The Hunger Games. This is a deadly game that consists of 24 children ages 12-18, who have to fight to the death, until one tribute is left standing. The “games” were implemented 50 years prior to the start of Sunrise on the Reaping as a punishment for the parts of the country who lost a civil war.
There are a total of 5 books in this series. The first being The Hunger Games, the second is Catching Fire, the third is Mockingjay, the fourth is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and the fifth is Sunrise on the Reaping. While the first three books are present day, the final 2 are both prequels, which are set years in the past, and both follow 2 very important characters in the series. There are also 5 movies currently out following all of these books, besides Sunrise on the Reaping. The release date for Sunrise on the Reaping is set to be on November 20, 2026.
This book is honestly one of the most heartbreaking books I have ever read. Suzanne Collins has a way of making a statement in her writing, and including commentary about today’s society, while also creating an emotional story that is enjoyable. The nods to other parts of the books were done so beautifully, she was able to incorporate different references so seamlessly without it feeling jarring for the reader. It is so satisfying to read something that you know the author feels so passionate about and watching the story set in place just the way she wanted it to. I feel like the book industry has had an oversaturation of books that genuinely are not well written, that finding actually well-written books is a rare occurrence. Being able to find an author that doesn’t appeal to overconsumption and demand helps balance the book industry. Some books are made to be fun, but without books that contain political commentary and criticism against relevant topics, we lose a form of media that helps inform people and make change. Collins writes in a way that combines both of those ideas and is able to say so much about our society and government in one 300 page book. This book as a standalone is a piece of art that in itself, capturing what is happening now, and how so many issues go unchecked because of the oversaturation in the media.
Branching off from the social commentary that is entwined in the book, the story itself is also very strong. Watching Haymitch go from this underdog fighting for rebellion, to a man that lost everything he loved, was so painful. The readers know who Haymitch is from the original trilogy, and how he has turned out as a person, but you never know why. This book shows you how the capital ruined Haymitch’s life for presumably no reason at all and you just have to watch him get broken and lose all hope because of what happens to him. When you read the book, you want to savor all the parts of Haymitch that he lost after the games and never leave, but at the same time root for what is to come later in the series. We also get a lot of family history of main characters in The Hunger Games original trilogy. We got to see the families of Katniss and Peeta, as well as some District 12 lore, and cameos from other tributes.
Overall this book was beautiful, and I would recommend reading it even if you haven’t read the others, and simply just watched the movies. It is a refreshing book which actually has substance to it when you need something more than a light romance.
