(SPOILERS) Sunrise on the Reaping (Hunger Games #0.5) by Suzanne Collins - Review

Book Synopsis:

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 Review:

4.5/5 stars. Once again, Suzanne Collins has delivered a thrilling, heartbreaking, powerful novel with the same formula as the original - someone gets reaped and has to survive the Games - but with its own unique twists and new atrocities from the Capitol. Haymitch has such a big heart, and I just want to give him a big hug. I loved the other characters, too. The ending was almost too depressing for my preference, though, which is why this isn't quite five stars.

Something I noticed early on is that the writing style of this felt different than the original trilogy. It was in first person like the original, but it felt simpler or like things were explained more. Not necessarily dumbed down, but different. That didn't affect my enjoyment of it one way or the other, but it was an observation I had.

The plot of this one was similar to the first book in the sense that they both take place mostly in the Arena. It was similar enough to be familiar but also had so many new plot points and aspects of the Games to make it unique. There was the same level of thrilling action and horrifying circumstances with new obstacles. This one differed from the original in theme, too. While the main series was all about active rebellion, this seemed to touch more on "the status quo." There was a lot of commentary about how people with less power don't do anything to fight back because they feel like they can't. They just accept that "it is what it is" even if they don't like it.

I loved the characters. As I already mentioned, Haymitch has such a big heart, and I wasn't expecting him to be that way based on how he was in the series. My heart broke for him at the end. The other characters were great, too, like Wyatt, Maysilee, Louella, and Ampert. The many cameos from recognizable characters were also nice, even if there were a ton of them.

Every book in this series just finds new ways to demonstrate how awful the Capitol is. There were small things, like someone having a "Hunger Games party" and students being so concerned about getting a bad grade if their tribute didn't do well. But then there was the whole situation with Louella. That was heartbreaking to read about.

The only complaints I have are toward the end. I wished the breaking of the arena happened just a bit sooner. It felt like it was getting dragged out a little long. Also, the ending was so depressing. I love books that make you feel things and wreck you, but I also appreciate a bit of hopefulness. This didn't really have much hope.

Content:

Language: p*ss, h*ll, a**

Sexual Content: Lots of kissing and making out, but never described, just mentioned; a scene where all the male tributes are naked and a mention of one of them "thrusting his privates at people"; mentions of lewd gestures; mention of the possibility of someone being raped

Violence/Gore: What you would expect from a Hunger Games novel - people getting shot; blood, wounds, injuries, deaths, torture, starvation, descriptions of people's gruesome ends and dead remains, etc.

Drugs/Alcohol: Haymitch has a job making illegal alcohol; a girl is constantly drugged as part of a way to make her think she's someone else; Haymitch becomes a constant drunk