Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel)

"Oh, Suzanne, you sadistic genius you. This book tore me apart from the inside out. After just reading the tragedy of Haymitch’s life, I understand his coping mechanisms and I myself need a drink. This is a bold claim, as I love the four books that came before this one, but I have to say this is my favorite book of the series. It’s full of heart, ingenious callbacks and senseless poetic tragedy. It also introduced me fully to my favorite character Miss Maysilee Donner. I only knew her a short time, but I loved her to pieces. I feel hollowed out after finishing that. I feel like the only thing I can do now is reread the original series, and rethink everything I thought I knew."

"Wow. Just wow. This book gave me every feeling and definitely held up to the original series. I am so happy this book exists. Haymitch definitely deserves his own story and Suzanne Collins definitely did him justice. "

"Suzanne Collins does it again! Haymitch has been my favourite character in this series since the original books came out, so I was so excited to see how his story had unfolded prior to Katniss’. I felt all the emotion in this and developed a whole new love for Haymitch while reading. Incredible story and world-building. Ahhhh I love this series so much!"

"Bloody fantastic. Collins just doesn't write bad books, and all the hype I felt waiting for this release was completely justified. I read the top liked review on Goodreads—a scathing two-star take—and honestly, I think the reviewer misunderstood a lot about the book, especially when it comes to the Capitol's propaganda and how it always manages to win. Collins nailed the idea that the rebellion didn’t just suddenly appear during the original trilogy—it had been brewing for years. The gears were already in motion; they were just waiting for the right opportunity to spring into action. That’s what makes this story so powerful. It’s a message of hope: even when the rebellion was repeatedly snuffed out, completely out of view of the public, people still found ways to fight back. They didn’t stop. Despite the odds, despite the Capitol’s control, they resisted. Haymitch gets screwed over—of course he does. But we already knew that. His story is about how lives can be destroyed for trying to do the right thing. And while he may not be the most traditionally “intelligent” main character, that’s not what he needs to be. Not every dystopian protagonist has to be the genius or the leader. That doesn’t make his arc any less meaningful. I don’t get the anger at Collins for not delivering your preferred message in your preferred way. She wrote a story—just like she always has. The themes are there, they just don’t have to be shouted from the rooftops. Not everything needs to be spelled out. That said, I do agree with one common criticism: the overuse of cameos. It started to feel a little unrealistic and distracted from Haymitch’s own story. You don’t need to give a backstory to every character from the original series. The connections are fun, sure, but at times it felt more like Collins flexing than anything else. (Full review on my Goodreads @ambrosemalles)"

"Anyone who read the original Hunger Games books knows Haymitch. They know how damaged he is. No one starts this book not knowing what they’re getting themselves into. Did that knowledge help prepare me for the emotional damage that was inflicted upon me?….apparently not. I loved getting this glimpse into the past with the people we’ve come to know and love. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I cried…more than once. Brutal. Tragic. And somehow still beautiful."

"Ladies and gentlemen Suzanne Collins does it again! This book had everything I ever needed or wanted from Haymitch’s games🐍 🦅 👏 👏 "

"I definitely came into this book knowing it would be sad, but I didn’t expect to cry as much as I did. This truly was a missing puzzle piece to the series, I have more appreciation for certain characters and everything they went through. The ending truly broke me, even though I kinda expected it. I absolutely loved this book and the writing was incredible! "

"Haymitch’s Hunger Games 😭😭😭"

"Suzanne Collins has once again exceeded my expectations ten-fold. Dare I say, this prose was even more engaging than TBOSAS. Absolutely devastating in every way. Don’t talk to me about Wyatt; I can’t take it…"

"uncontrollably sobbing"