Back to the Arena: Is ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ by Suzanne Collins a Masterpiece Sequel to our Beloved Dystopian ‘Hunger Games’ series?

I woke up the morning after finishing Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins with a headache…from sobbing non-stop. Am I emotionally devastated? Yes. Distraught and not sure I’ll ever recover? Yes. Was this book one of the easiest five stars I’ve ever given? Also yes. Suzanne has this insane ability to waltz into our lives every so often and drop a banger of a book that has the potential to cause rippling effects across society for years to come. I know that sounds lofty for a book that’s only been out a few days, but she’s crafted a world and characters we end up caring for deeply. And her underlying messages are never subtle. She is truly a master storyteller, and while I knew going into it, it was going to be sad, I was, in fact, not prepared for how heartwrenching this book is. In fact, I’ve cried multiple times trying to finish writing this review. Knowing the endgame of it all makes it hit that much harder. She seamlessly connects all the dots from her previous books in this world, and I could not put it down. This book does a meticulous job of showing us how easy it is to manipulate audiences—even us—the readers, into thinking we knew what happened in Haymitch’s Quarter Quell Games. We didn’t. We had no idea. Definitely check trigger warnings—this might be her most brutal story yet. Ready to get into it?

Things to Know:

• Dystopian

• Prequel of Haymitch’s Games

• 50th Hunger Games, another Quarter Quell

• Must read The Hunger Games series beforehand

• Also recommend reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes beforehand

• TW: torture, death, child murder

***SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT—YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!***

One of the things I love about Suzanne’s storytelling, is the perfect execution. She fills the gaps with lush character development and plots we never saw coming. There are virtually no plot holes, and it somehow works perfectly with what we’ve already read from this world. We literally get a play by play of Haymitch’s Games in Catching Fire when Katniss and Peeta watch his tape, but what we’re seeing through their eyes is the edited version the Capitol wants everyone to see. What ACTUALLY happened was a completely different story. So while it has the same ‘bones’, Collins has weaved a story of tragedy, love, loss, and a cautionary tale of perception vs reality.

Yes, we know the Hunger Games are brutal. And we know it’s full of deliberate punishments and trampling of any spirit of defiance, but this was beyond brutal. I was also not prepared to see so many familiar faces: Mags, Beetee, Wiress, and how long Snow has been torturing them. Plus, Effie and Plutarch?! And I think all of this hit so much harder reading it and knowing what ends up happening to them. Ampert?! Sobbing.

I’m going to say it with my full chest: President Snow is one of the best written villains in literature. He’s complex, and meticulous in his utter destruction of a person’s psyche. He knows exactly what to do to them to cause the longest, lasting damage, and break their soul. And don’t even get me started on all of the connections to Lucy Gray and Lenore Dove that fuel what he ultimately does to Haymitch. I’m going to start crying again if I think about it too long. I saw someone on Booktok say they want a nepobaby theatrical version of this book, and I am 100% for it. I cannot imagine anyone but Kiefer Sutherland as Snow in the movie adaptation. And the fact that we could have Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son as a young Plutarch?! Done deal.

I remember reading The Hunger Games when it first came out and being really jarred at the first person narration. Not many authors can do it well and still tell a great story—especially because we only know what that main character knows. But it also drops us right into the thick of the story, and for me, I felt I was right there experiencing every emotion Haymitch was going through. She makes us part of the Games, not just observing it.

I also can’t write this review without mentioning how badass Maysilee Donner’s character is. Yes, I also sobbed when those wretched birds made their appearance. She’s also a complex character who you don’t really like at the beginning, but by the end becomes one of your favorites. Her defiance, her willingness to dish it right back to Drusilla, and her gumption to survive made her so memorable. And her pin being the symbol of the rebellion?! She really is that girl.

The fact that Haymitch calls Katniss “Sweetheart” took on a whole new meaning after reading this book. We think of Haymitch as a drunk and washed up, but he created the biggest alliance the Games had ever seen. He defied Snow multiple times and paid the price in the most horrific ways. No wonder the man turned into an alcoholic. And it’s no wonder so many of the Victors are loyal to him in Catching Fire for yet another incredible alliance. I’m convinced they did it for him, not Katniss.

Haymitch was the spark, and Katniss, the flame. Two ordinary people who are beyond damaged, but managed to ignite an entire country. There are so many parallels between him and Katniss—even down to the littlest kids in the Games who flock to them both for safety and how they can’t protect them and have to live with it. I was honestly sobbing for the entire last third of the book, but that Epilogue really did me in. He was besties with her FATHER?! I have so many more thoughts, but I’m going to wrap for now and add more to this review later as they come to me. If you loved The Hunger Games, you absolutely need to put this at the top of your TBR. It’s worth every second. Thank you Suzanne. I now need therapy.

I love you like all-fire.

Quotes:

“You and me to the end. Right, Hay?”

—

“You are on a high horse, mister. And someday someone will knock you off it straight into your grave.”

—

“Do you know much about doves, Haymitch?”

“They’re peaceful.”

“If they are, they’re outliers. All the birds I’ve encountered are vicious. Bet I know a thing or two about your dove.”

“Like what?”

“Like she’s delightful to look at, swishes around in bright colors, and sings like a mockingjay. You love her. And oh, how she seems to love you. Except sometimes you wonder, because her plans don’t include you at all.”

—

“We need wordplay. Something clever or rhyming or catchy. But not crude—this is a family show.”

—

“No, Haymitch, we need someone exactly like you.”

“Just luckier?” I say.

“Luckier, or with better timing. Having an army at their back wouldn’t hurt.”

—

“Somewhere Beetee’s heart breaks into fragments so small it can never be repaired.”

—

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