Intern Reviews: Sunrise on the Reaping

Sunrise on the reaping by Suzanne Collins
Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
This book was an emotional rollercoaster. All of Collins’ books are, to be honest. But something about this hit so much harder, maybe because I grew up with Haymitch in the original trilogy ❤️ 🩹 and reading HIS story was like being stabbed straight in the heart.
The first 50% of the book was before the Games started, and I think I got very comfortable within those pages. I got to see who Haymitch was, learn more about his district partners, and meet new and old characters. From seeing Effie Trinket to Beetee to Mags to Wiress to President Snow to the Covey family to Plutarch, it almost felt like returning home. A very unstable, murderous home, but a home nonetheless LOL.
This book really broke me in all the good ways. The deaths in the arena were swift, brutal, and endless. It tore me apart bit by bit until Haymitch was the only one standing. Collins really knows the best way to get you attached to the characters before wiping them out, and I will forever hate her for it. I had to reread some parts several times because my brain could just not process the fact that these little kids were…gone.
Of course, there were some things that I didn’t like about the book. The parallels drawn between Lenore Dove and Lucy Gray were sometimes visibly forced and made me annoyed. And once the tributes were in the arena, the pacing turned really weird. In some parts, it was slow, and in other parts, it was really fast. The writing was also weird sometimes, but I brushed it off as Collins trying to channel her inner sixteen-year-old Haymitch.
Still, the book was worth every bit of five stars and more for me. SOTR really placed a huge emphasis on how the rebellion started way before Katniss was even born. We get to see the behind-the-scenes from Haymitch’s POV and how he played a role. Through the 2nd Quarter Quell (48 total tributes, instead of 24), we also get to experience the brutality of the arena in a new light. I like how instead of focusing on the intimidating Careers like the Hunger Games did, SOTR focused on the “lesser” district kids and their struggle to survive. It really made it that much more devastating. I found a lot of parallels between this world and our world, and it made the entire thing seem that much more real to me.
The movie is actually coming out November 20, and you know what they say: read the book first before you watch the movie! I really hope you guys enjoy it just as much as I did.