Sunrise on the Reaping Review: Haymitch’s Story in the Hunger Games Prequel

What is Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins about?

Sunrise on the Reaping is a gripping prequel (Haymitch’s story, 50th Hunger Games) in the Hunger Games Series. This story explores courage and sacrifice, giving a view into Haymitch’s past and how his experiences shapes him to the person we later meet in the original Hunger Games Series.

Discover our Review and Summary of Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

“Ladies and gentlemen, let the 50^th Annual Hunger Games begin!”

This book begins on the morning of the reaping – a ceremony where a girl and a boy are randomly selected to fight to the death in order to win the crown for their district. But that year, the Second Quarter Quell took place, and it came with a twist…

This is the story of the unfortunate Haymitch Abernathy and his love, Lenore Dove. They have a deep connection and love each other very much, though on the day of the reaping there can only be woe. When the ceremony arrives, everything goes as planned. Just when Haymitch thinks he’s safe, the boy who was reaped suddenly runs. Chaos breaks out, and gunshots begin to fire. Amidst the confusion, Haymitch is wrongly taken in his place. All of a sudden, he is whisked away to the Capitol and becomes part of the Hunger Games.

From his arrival in the Capitol, Haymitch discovers true personalities and forms alliances with people reaped from his district. Haymitch becomes key to this Hunger Games, as it turns out things are not what they first seemed, and the districts have a plan to  rebel. But will he succeed, or will the Hunger Games live on?

My favourite character in this book is Maysilee Donnor because she is very smart and  a bit of a rebel, unwilling to obey all the Capitol’s rules. I like her spirit and bravery; she is also a loyal and trustworthy friend.

My favourite part in the book is when the candidates for the Games are doing their interviews, as it is very amusing to read how each person responds and shows their talent. My favourite interview was Lou Lou’s, as I found her a bit bizarre and comical.

Is Sunrise on the Reaping Worth Reading?

I loved Sunrise on the Reaping, and I rate it 5 out of 5 because the storytelling was amazing. It was really interesting to see how different elements of the story come together in the story of Haymitch and the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading dystopian novels and likes the Hunger Games series.

Full series (in the order of publication) includes, The Hunger Games| Catching Fire| Mockingjay| The Ballad of Songs and Snakes| Sunrise on the Reaping.

If you enjoyed Sunrise on the Reaping, you might also like these other thought-provoking reads on my blog:

1984: A powerful dystopian novel that explores what it means to be a human in a society built on fear.

Animal Farm: A powerful political satire that uses a simple farm story to show how power can lead to corruption and inequality.

The Hunger Games: A powerful story of survival in a Dystopian government controlled districts.

The Giver | Gathering Blue | Messenger | Son: A thought-provoking dystopian series. Each book has a different main character and takes place in different communities, but they are all connected across the series.