Sunrise on the Reaping

(Hunger Games, Book 5)

Grades 8-12. Suzanne Collins, what a lore-driven menace you are. Readers are pulled back into the highly acclaimed world of The Hunger Games, as this prequel focuses primarily on the backstory of the gruff, alcoholic mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, and his participation in the Second Quarter Quell, the fiftieth anniversary of the Games. Haymitch is unfairly reaped into the Games (which feature double the tributes) after he tries to protect his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, from the mayhem that ensued during the District 12 reaping ceremony. From there, chaotic game prep ensues—from chariot accidents and dead tributes to intoxicated, useless stylists to a plot to destroy the arena from the inside. The propulsive story features several nods to characters in the original trilogy and connections that shine a new light on how Haymitch’s games influenced his choices as an adult mentor. Collins is unafraid to pose a scathing commentary on the active efforts of a propaganda machine, showing in real time how narratives are reworked to serve the Capitol’s agenda, help President Snow maintain his sickly grip on the Districts, and keep the Hunger Games alive. Haymitch is presented as a well-rounded, thoughtful character who struggles similarly in circumstance to Katniss; he's thrust into a rebellion but struggling with the seemingly fruitless nature of it under tyrannical authoritarianism. Raw, shocking, and deeply bittersweet, Haymitch’s backstory pulls the pieces of the Hunger Games universe together with ease.