Title: Sunrise on the Reaping
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publish Date: March 18, 2025

Excerpt:

When you've been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.

My Thoughts:

This book was everything I had hoped The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was going to be. While I enjoyed learning about President Snow's backstory, that book didn't deliver nearly as many easter eggs, references, or cameos as Sunrise on the Reaping. I was left with more questions than answers. This book gave me everything I wanted, and so much more!

The surprises and reveals start early, with the first few chapters alone packing enough emotional weight to make the inevitable heartbreak worth every moment. Collins masterfully takes us back to the beginning, introducing us to characters we never got to meet in the original trilogy. We also get to see beloved characters we already know and love, and learn more about their heart wrenching stories.

Out of all five books in the series, this one ranks second for me, slightly below Catching Fire. And one of my favorite moments? The epilogue reveal explaining why Haymitch always calls Katniss "Sweetheart." Oh, my heart! This book was absolutely fantastic.


Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐