Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) (The Hunger Games) Hardcover – 18 Mar. 2025

’The moment out hearts shattered? It belongs to us.’Brutal, harrowing and highly disturbing at times ’Sunrise On The Reaping’ doesn’t simply pack a handful of emotional gut punches and flinch inducing moments into its pages; its jam packed with them throughout. Yet, despite its heavy nature, it’s a highly compelling read that is pretty much impossible to put down. Not a combination that is always easy to come by but Suzanne Collins always nails it somehow. Needless to say I was hooked.Truthfully I can’t fully decide if this is the most brutal of The Hunger Games books yet. There were certainly occasions when it felt that way to me with scenes and manoeuvring that felt particularly barbaric. But it must have been over a decade now since I read the original series so maybe time is a factor in me feeling that way; I’ll never forget the hollowed out, bleak feeling that fell over me upon finishing ’Mockingjay’ all those years ago after all. This definitely had more than its fair share of macabre moments though and I have to say that these particular games may just be the most savage yet. Obviously, given the twisted nature of the games they’re always unthinkably horrific but between its misleadingly idyllic setting, its vast array of mutts and the higher than ever number of Tributes the barbarity of this particular set of ‘games’ really stands out.’Sunrise On The Reaping’ is more than just an account of Haymitch’s time within the arena though. Technically that’s what is covered but there’s another storyline interwoven throughout which will mean a lot to fans of the series. Here you learn just how long certain things have been brewing. This is also a chilling insight into the propaganda of Collin’s world. Its more than simply disturbing to see just how expertly the Capitol can put a spin on any moment.Character wise there’s a mixture of old and new faces involved in this instalment. Some of the individuals from the other books that featured caught me completely off guard. It gave me additional insight into several characters who appear within the other books and also left me oddly curious to discover more of Plutarch’s story. Within the previous books I don’t think I gave him as much thought as I should of; now though...well I have to confess I’m kind of craving an instalment centred around him. Just how insightful an account of propaganda would you get by following in the footsteps of one of the people whose job it is to sell the Hunger Games story? Besides which I desperately crave more insight into his motivations now.Besides these old characters there were a few new faces that particularly stood out to me. I won’t name anyone again – as I think it’s best uncovering what people are like for yourself – but there was definitely one new face that I loathed instantly (trust me, you will too) and another that I ended up coming to root for immensely over the course of the book. Character journeys certainly seem to be something that the author excels at.There’s more that I could say about this novel but truthfully I think this is a review that’s best kept vague. Although I will quickly highlight the beauty of the epilogue too because I can’t share my feelings and not give that segment a shout out. Other than that I’ll simply say that this is a magnificent, brutal and fascinating new venture into Collins’ world that is sure to delight – and devastate – fans of the series.Altogether I definitely recommend ’Sunrise On The Reaping’ ; it’s another glorious book by Suzanne Collins that has left me longing to dive back into the dystopian genre (and re-read her original trilogy too). Its sure to strike a chord with the series many fans but if you haven’t yet read any of the books this could still work as a starting point into exploring the series. Its harrowing, brutal, chillingly disturbing and yet utterly impossible to put down. Needless to say I was utterly hooked and can’t wait to see what others think of it too. Please tell me I’m not alone in wanting a Plutarch book now.

SPOILERS UNDER SEE MOREI couldn't put it down, it's an absolutely phenomenal work from Suzanne Collins; the symbolism is spectacular, the character voice is unbelievably clear - she's made Haymitch simultaneously stand out more than ever; while staying true to him as we saw in the trilogy and as a mirror of Katniss.The themes and motifs are incredible - it's kept the mythological depth of the series going and brought its own themes to the table, to the point where it's in my opinion surpassed its predecessor books.Spoilers below:..........Spoilers :::::- The inclusion of characters from Hunger Games such as Effie, Mags, Wiress, and Beetee will definitely be divisive, especially considering the film entries into the series being very popular, I personally liked it, especially Beetee's inclusion and his son being in the games really made his willingness to commit to the rebels and devise brutal tactics and weapons hit differently.- The Covey inclusion and confirmation of Katniss relation to them really made this feel like part of a bigger world - something which I felt could only have happened after SBOSAS was so well recieved; I don't know if Collins had more books in mind when writing THG, I suspect not - but she did a amazing job of linking them all together to make a greater whole. Not just thematically, but even tiny stand out sentences like "pearly white bones" and small links like both Haymitch and Katniss both having Avox nightmares. You feel like Collins has genuinely mulled over every word, but it flows like water throughout.I think it's genuinely incredible how now every future reading of the series has greater depth in a way that feels as if it was always there. Characters barely mentioned in THG now haunt the narrative and remain good, well rounded characters in the story (my beloved Maysilee and poor lost Lenore) despite the ending for them being a foregone conclusion.It's also incredible how Collins has made this literally part of the book's underlying message - oh you thought you knew what happened in Haymitch's games? No, you saw the curated version because Of Course you did! Every book has mentioned that they splice and edit to their heart's content; but this one makes it real and awful, in a fantastic nod to growing modern day distrust of journalistic media.The horror elements of this book do not hold back, with Lou Lou's entire presence and Ampett's and Willie's death chilling me in a way that no other death in the series has managed. This book has made me genuinely re evaluate how I've glossed over dystopic elements of the series as a whole.If I had to make negative remarks, it would be that in the arena between Maysilee and Haymitch, it felt very much sometimes like she'd gone back specifically to insert dialogue - in scenes which didn't really call for it - which we'd seen from THG so readers couldn't compare the two side by side and call her out online - which was one of the only points of the book I felt pulled away from it.Also, Snow's characterization as so openly and actively vindictive and willing to reveal information felt a bit strange considering it's 40 years on from SBOSAS and I thought if I were going to see him it would be more similar to Katniss' view of him as the controlled master manipulator. It worked in universe though, considering Haymitch had actively been involved with the Covey so Snow was carrying on a very personal vendetta.Overall, this book is possibly the most powerful of the series and the political commentary hits like bricks in this day and age. I loved it and can't wait to digest it and reread. Could not recommend more.

I love the Hunger Games and was so excited when this book was finally released, however on reading it I was left feeling a little disappointedAs it is very similar to the first hunger games book in many ways.I still liked this book and would recommend reading it to anyone who loves the series, but I didn’t find it as good as the ballad of songbirds and snakes.I did like the fact it introduced characters from the first books such as Mags, Wiress, Beattie and Effie, and gave you much more of an insight into their characters.It also made you realise why Beattie and Haymitch are the way they are and how the Capitol and Snow destroyed them.Overall I would say it was a good book and worth the read, just not quite as good as the last book in the series.