CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, YA FICTION
ABOUT THE BOOK
series: tHE HUNGER GAMES
AUTHOR: SUZANNE COLLINS
GENRES: YOUNG adult, DYSTOPIAN FICTION
PUBLISHER: SCHOLASTIC PRESS
PUBLISHING DATE: MARCH 18TH, 2025
FORMAT: HARDBACK
PAGE COUNT: 400 PAGES
source: SELF-purchaseD
BEFORE THEre was a MOCKINGJAY THERE WAS HAYMITCH
GOODREADS summary
When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town.
As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
SUNRISE ON THE REAPING BOOK REVIEW
You probably remember The Hunger Games—the explosive dystopian YA novel and movie franchise. Set in a country divided into 12 districts, it’s ruled by an authoritarian regime that forces children to fight to the death in a televised arena.
The wealthy districts have the advantage and usually survive, while the poorer ones—like District Twelve—are treated like slaves: half-starved, regularly beaten for minor infractions, and almost never producing a victor. All the while, the Capitol pulls every string. Most people are too exhausted, scared, or numb to even question why they go along with it.
“Fire is catching, she’d say, but if this one burns down the arena, I say good riddance.”
Then there’s Katniss Everdeen, the stubborn girl from Twelve with a knack for archery and a special talent for getting under President Snow’s skin. She shows the districts that the only real way to win is through solidarity, intelligence, and sheer willpower—not mere brutality.
We first meet Haymitch, her mentor—and the only living victor from District Twelve—on a train bound for the Capitol. At first, Katniss sees him as just an old, selfish drunk. She has no idea how wrong she is.
Suzanne Collins’s Sunrise on the Reaping tells Haymitch’s story. Read it, and you’ll understand the hell he’s been through—and why he drinks. Trust me, you’ll want a box of tissues nearby for this one.
The novel opens on the morning of Haymitch Abernathy’s sixteenth birthday, which always happens to fall on reaping day. But this isn’t any ordinary reaping—it’s the second Quarter Quell. Haymitch is a charming, scrappy kid who doesn’t drink (yet), but helps make and sell liquor to help his family get by.
For this Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes are chosen: two boys and two girls from each district, for a total of 48. The anxiety lingers in the back of Haymitch’s mind, but he’s determined to enjoy the day with his girlfriend, Lenore Dove—a covey girl.
If you read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, you’ll remember the covey: a group of creative, musical, nomadic people nearly wiped out for their rebellious spirit. Lenore has all those traits, which turns out to be dangerous for both her and Haymitch.
“Like all the Covey, music in her blood. But not like them, too. Less interested in pretty melodies, more in dangerous words. The kind that lead to rebel acts. The kind that got her arrested twice.”
Like all the Hunger Games novels, the theme of standing up to tyranny is ever-present here. When Haymitch is forced into the Games, a spark of rebellion ignites in him as he starts losing friends and allies.
Familiar characters—Mags, Beetee, Plutarch, Effie, Wiress—return to urge him on, showing him why and how to defy the Capitol. But is the price worth it? You’ll have to read Sunrise on the Reaping to find out.
Haymitch does try to fight the good fight—earning him the wrath of President Snow. And we all know what happens to those who cross Snow.
“I would welcome death, if it wasn’t for my promise to Lenore Dove that I would somehow keep the sun from rising on the reaping.”
My take?
This is another knockout from Collins, but it isn’t for the faint of heart. There’s one scene involving genetically engineered mutt dogs that made me put the book down and clutch my pearls.
The world-building is as rich as ever—so vivid that reading it feels like watching the movie already. I loved seeing Haymitch’s tragic backstory, and getting more about Mags, Beetee, and Wiress, too.
Prequels often make me wonder if they’re really necessary, but not this time. Sunrise on the Reaping adds real depth to an already complex story. I’d give this series all the stars in the sky if I could, and I can’t wait to see it on the big screen.
Speaking of which—are you excited for the cast announcement? I definitely am.
But before the movie, you have to read the book! Because let’s be real: the book is always better. Always.
Click the links below to grab your copy, and let me know if you enjoyed this review.
Happy reading, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
The HUNGER GAMES SERIES ORDER
- The Hunger Games
- Catching Fire
- Mockingjay
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
- Sunrise on the Reaping
Want more YA dystopian book recommendations? Check out my post on my favorite young adult dystopian books here.
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