Bralynn Newell
On March 18, 2025, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” the newest installment of Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” series, was released to the public, starring Haymitch Abernathy, the character most known for being Katniss and Peeta’s alcoholic mentor during their Games. This intriguing book will tempt readers not to put it down until they have read it cover to cover.
For many who read the first three books and saw the four original movies, the stories of Katniss, Peeta and Panem sank into their subconsciouses, only to be awoken briefly in discussions where they became relevant. A more permanent reemergence of these stories came, however, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when Collins released “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
For years, some fans theorized about the lore of the world of Panem outside of what Collins explicitly provided, but the internet came alive with theories after “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was released, begging Collins to write about their favorite victors’ Games despite the author’s famously hard stance on only writing when she “[has] something to say.”
There were two particular standouts in the sea of names suggested by readers — Finnick Odair and Haymitch Abernathy. For better or for worse, the latter camp got their wish.
Attempting to review this book without spoiling everything is a bit complicated, as “Catching Fire” readers will already know the basic beats of Abernathy’s story.
As the second book in the trilogy reveals, Abernathy was selected to be a tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quells are special anniversary Games with additional rules set for the reaping ceremonies. The rule for the First Quell was that tributes were to be voted in by members of their districts. The rule for the Third Quell, which takes place during “Catching Fire,” is that the tributes were to be selected from each district’s pool of previous winners. The rule for the Second Quell, however, is that twice the number of tributes were chosen from each district, resulting in 48 tributes rather than the customary 24.
Readers also know that one of the mayor’s daughters was reaped and killed by mutant birds, that the arena was gorgeous but poisonous, that Haymitch barely won his games by using a Capitol forcefield against his opponent and that Haymitch’s family was killed as a result of his perceived cheating. Knowing all this background about Haymitch’s game from “Catching Fire,” could readers really be fascinated by a book telling its story? The answer is yes.
Collins handles this story with an extremely deft hand. Right off the bat, she adds a new layer of complexity to the story that could only ever have been hinted at in earlier books or movies in Haymitch’s reaping. She also makes readers question what they thought they knew. She has said in interviews that she wanted this book to be a commentary on propaganda, and it most certainly is.
After reading the book, it was hard not to fixate on the following questions. What, if anything, can we truly know, and what lengths will the people in power go to in order to protect their version of events? If the first books do not get readers much in terms of horror, this book will, forcing them to take several pauses to sit with their discomfort. That might sound unpleasant, but for a novel of this nature, that reaction marks it as a decided success. Fans of the franchise would be missing out by skipping this book or just waiting for the movie.
On a final note, here are a few spoilers without context: always do your chores, beware of squirrels and do not drink the milk.