Sunrise on the Reaping…Deep Dive (some spoilers)

Hello, fellow bookworms! Welcome, or Welcome back! My name is Amanda, and this is where I share spoiler-free book reviews and other bookish things. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten for Fiction. This is a review of Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. Join the conversation and share your thoughts!

About The Book 📚

Title: Sunrise on the Reaping

Series: The Hunger Games #0.5

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publication Date: March 2025

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction (Dystopian)

Pages: 387

Content Warnings: Click Here

Three Words That Describe This Book: dark, emotional, political

My Review

› I may not be a fan of this cover, but I’m a huge fan of this book. Sunrise on the Reaping is my favourite book of the series. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, then you’ll want to skip this review. I will include some spoilers.

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

“I know that every year for my birthday, I will get a new pair of tributes, one girl and one boy, to mentor to their deaths. Another sunrise on the reaping.”

“That the sun will not rise tomorrow is no less intelligible a proposition, and implies no more contradiction, than the affirmation, that it will rise.” — David Hume

› This first-person narrative begins on Haymitch’s birthday, which is also reaping day – July 4th. He has a younger brother named Sid. They live in “the Seam”. It’s the Second Quarter Quell, celebrating 50 years of the games and this time they are reaping twice as many kids. District 12 had a victor a long time ago, but no one seems to know much about her. Haymitch thinks that because the reaping has always happened on his birthday that it will always continue; however, his girlfriend Lenore Dove disagrees. Is the sun actually guaranteed to rise tomorrow? How do we know this? Will the Capitol always reap these children? Lenore Dove challenges Haymitch to question this and to believe in change. The people who’ve read The Hunger Games trilogy know that she’s right. It does take many years to finally stop the sunrise on the reaping, but it is within Haymitch’s lifetime, and he does play a huge part in that shift.

“You were capable of imagining a different future. And maybe it won’t be realized today, maybe not in our lifetime. Maybe it will take generations. We’re all part of a continuum. Does that make it pointless?”

Haymitch sneaks into District 12 to work at the distillery (this is such a sad fact considering he ends up an alcoholic). Rumours say the fire at the mine that killed Haymitch’s father wasn’t an accident. Some say his father sabotaged the mine. If so, why did he do it? Was his father part of some bigger plan?

I noticed many similarities between Katniss and Haymitch. They were both 16 on their reaping day, they both had younger siblings, they both had single mothers, and neither was actually “reaped”. Katniss volunteered to go, and Haymitch was picked after the guy who was chosen tried to run away, and Haymitch got involved. They also both had a token given to them to wear to the Games. Haymitch wore a songbird and snake striker, and Katniss wore the mockingjay pin. In Sunrise on the Reaping, we learn who made that famous pin.

We learn that Lenore and Katniss are related to Lucy Gray. The colour gray is used all over this story, reminding us of Lucy Gray. The colour gray is a suitable one for such a bleak story. The gray also makes me think of how the motivations for war or rebellion are not black and white. There is no “good guy” and “bad guy”. There is a gray area where we have to question the intentions and actions of both sides. Does the end justify the means?

“All propaganda is lies, even when one is telling
the truth. I don’t think this matters so long as
one knows what one is doing, and why.” — George Orwell”

The Capitol uses propaganda to control the public, just like some politicians use misinformation and disinformation. The tributes can also choose how they are portrayed and tell their story. In interviews (which are rare), Collins has spoken of her interest in philosophy, and you can see this by the quotes, poems, and philosophical themes found throughout this series (such as Hume, Orwell, and Blake). We allow ourselves to be governed, and propaganda is used to sway our vote. How can we protect ourselves?

The Hunger Games are used to show that human beings are violent by nature. That’s why they choose children as tributes. “Look, see, even your children will kill each other”. The Capitol uses this violent nature as an excuse for its controlling government. They make Panem believe the forceful government is necessary, otherwise, the nation would crumble into chaos.

The poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is a perfect choice. I’ve loved Poe since I was a young teenager. The raven in the poem, uttering “nevermore,” reminded me of jabberjays. The feeling of the poem conveys Haymitch’s powerful love and intense grief for Lenore Dove. That scene with him feeding the geese tore me apart.

“Repeatedly reminding me of President Snow’s crystal-clear message to me on my homecoming. That I will never get to love anyone ever again. Nevermore.”

Collins is a smart writer who creates a variety of characters with different goals, strengths, flaws, and characteristics. Some of the references to the other books are fan service and pulled me out of the story; however, I did enjoy seeing some familiar faces: Maysilee Donner, Beetee, Wiress, Mags, Plutarch, and Effie. The settings, descriptions and world-building are incredible. The writing style is engaging, with well-developed dialogue and high readability. The pacing is expertly crafted throughout. I didn’t want to put it down. Many messages and themes provide a thought-provoking narrative.

Quotes That Stuck With Me

› “They will not use my tears for their entertainment.”

› “The snow may fall, but the sun also rises.”

› “My dreams are nothing I want to remember, full of people I must never forget. I visit death after death. It’s a relief to be woken up.”

› “Each book’s as precious as a person, she says, as it preserves someone’s thoughts and feelings long after they’re gone.”

› “Public opinion is driven by emotion. People have an emotional response to something, then they come up with an argument for why it logically makes sense.”

› I can’t wait to see the movie adaptation. There are so many amazing actors casted! Here’s a video that breaks down some of the cast members: https://youtu.be/HV6aEiauoiA?si=jdOJUajJnAlNyv2S

APPEAL FACTORS
Storyline: action-packed, character-driven, issue-oriented, plot-driven, tragic
Pace: fast
Tone: emotional, bittersweet, heartwrenching, romantic, sad, suspenseful, dark, bleak, violent
Writing Style: well-crafted dialogue, compelling, descriptive, engaging, gritty
Character: authentic, awkward, brooding, complex, flawed, likeable, quirky, relatable, well-developed

Read Alikes:
Dead Happy by Josh Silver
Snowglobe by Soyoung Park
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

› In the past, I have given a rating out of ten and converted that to a star rating, but I’m no longer giving a star rating here on my blog. I will continue to do that on Goodreads and The Story Graph.

› I’m sure there are many things I missed. Leave your favourite scenes or quotes in the comments!

› Final Thoughts
• Sunrise on the Reaping is a bleak and action-packed story about truth, lies, propaganda, war, oppression and rebellion. I think this is the best book in the Hunger Games series.