Sunrise On The Reaping Mar 29, 2025

Sunrise on the Reaping: The Hunger Games Prequel That Broke Me (In the Best Way)

A haunting, powerful dive into Haymitch’s past that reshapes The Hunger Games universe.

Sunrise On The Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) (The Hunger Games)

I honestly didn’t think I would love this book as much as I do—not only that, but be completely hooked on YA dystopian again! I’ve been a Hunger Games fan forever; these were the books that got me into reading, so I was beyond ready to escape back into Panem, fall in love with Haymitch, and get lost in the storyline. (And yes, that’s not just my newfound obsession with Haymitch talking!)

I had been counting down the days until I could get my hands on this gorgeous book—ever since I finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and they announced Sunrise on the Reaping along with its accompanying film, set to be released in late 2026.

Ballad took over the internet, and once again, the Hunger Games hype was back and stronger than ever! But, if I’m being completely honest, I think Suzanne Collins saw the rather questionable crush on young Coriolanus Snow and thought, Let’s remind them just how evil he really is.

So when the book finally dropped on March 18th, I had my copy within a week! I decided to take my time with it—spot all the Easter eggs, soak in every detail, and just enjoy it—so it took me five days to finish, which I think is quite the achievement! And now, without further ado, here’s my full review of the newest (and best, in my opinion) Hunger Games book: Sunrise on the Reaping.

The Hunger Games Series Timeline

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) - Set 40 years before The Hunger Games, following a young Coriolanus Snow.
Sunrise on The Reaping (2025) - Set 24 years before The Hunger Games, focusing on Haymitch Abernathy’s Quarter Quell.
The Hunger Games (2008) - Katniss Everdeen’s story begins.
Catching Fire (2009) - The 75th Hunger Games (Third Quarter Quell) and the rebellion unfolds.
Mockingjay (2010) - The final confrontation against the Capitol.

What is Sunrise on the Reaping about?

“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.”

This is the fifth book and the second prequel set in the Hunger Games world. It takes place approximately 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 24 years before the first Hunger Games novel.

The story follows a young, 16-year-old Haymitch as he is reaped for the 50th annual Hunger Games—a Quarter Quell year. Each Quarter Quell comes with its own cruel twist. For example, in the 25th Hunger Games, the districts were forced to choose their own tributes instead of holding a reaping. In the 75th Hunger Games, featured in Catching Fire, tributes were selected from previous victors. But for the 50th? The Capitol doubled the number of tributes—four children from each district.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he is ripped away from his family, friends, and the love of his life, forced to become a tribute in the annual bloodbath that is The Hunger Games. He knows he will have to fight for his life if he wants to survive. But what he doesn’t know is that he will have to fight for something even deeper—something far more dangerous than the Games themselves…

My Review

Some books haunt. Some books entertain. But this one? It devours.

This was the last missing piece of the puzzle, the final wrap-up—and everyone knew it. The story didn’t just give us a deep, personal understanding of Haymitch as a person and a tribute; it connected all the dots across all five books. It’s a heavy read, and I’m still in shock, but my word, it was amazing.

There was so much more to the story than I imagined—so much depth, heartbreak, and understanding of the characters that truly did the series proud. In my opinion, this is the best Hunger Games book.

Suzanne Collins’ writing was as stunning as ever. A meadow-themed arena? I loved that. The different flower dunes, each with its own poisons and ways to die. The mutts. The maze hedge. The sheer imagination it takes to craft something like this is beyond me.

It has shattered me—seeing how Haymitch was treated by the Capitol, and especially by Snow (let’s just say that crush is long gone). This wasn’t just a story of survival, but of what survival takes from you. The way people can be ripped away in an instant, leaving you breathing but not truly alive.

Lenore Dove, Haymitches girlfriend, is such a powerful, underrated character, her fate looming throughout the book. Their true love is just gorgeous to read about, but she isn't just that, she represents the last bit of innocence and hope in Haymitch’s life. She is the one that broke his heart, one he never recovered from, the cause of his self-destruction. I was honestly crying at the end because of her.

The themes were as powerful as ever—politics, propaganda, media manipulation—showing all the ways Snow deceived Panem. And in today’s world, that message hits even harder. Suzanne Collins has always said she only writes when she has something to say, and that absolutely shows, even from the four quotes on the opening page.

Sunrise on the Reaping was everything I ever wanted and more—a brutal, gut-wrenching dive into Haymitch’s past. Watching him go from a District 12 nobody to a victor was both thrilling and devastating.

Should You Read It?

If you’ve gained anything from this review, it’s that you need to read this book! It’s absolutely gorgeous—beautifully written and devastatingly haunting. The messages woven throughout make it more than just a work of fiction; it’s a powerful, influential read that leaves a lasting impact.

Even if you’re not a Hunger Games fan or have never read the series, this book is pure perfection. A must-read.

Easter Eggs & Connections

Mockingjay Pin

This was made by Tam Amber, Lenora Dove’s uncle, originally owned by Maysilee who is Haymitch’s ally and close friend in the games. It then gets passed to Madge, Maysilee’s niece and then given to Katniss. It clicked with me how meaningful this would have felt to Haymitch to see Katniss embrace and own the symbol of the Mockingjay, reminding him of his dear friend and “sister” in the hunger games.

Katniss’ Parents

Burdock Everdeen is Haymitch’s best friend growing up and is a cousin of Lenora Dove, Haymitch’s true love. So Katniss has very close ties to the Covey! Asterid (Katniss’ mother) and her husband are the ones that stick by Haymitch the longest after he pushes everyone away. Burdock is the one that showed Haymitch where Lenora Dove’s grave is. The question is what is his ties and knowledge about Lucy Grey like?

Katniss’ Dad Saves Peeta’s Dad at The Reaping

“‘On the ground! On the ground, everybody! Now!’ Automatically, I fall on my knees and assume the position - hands linked behind my neck, forehead pressed to the sooty bricks of the square. Out of the corner of my eye, I see almost everybody around me follow suit, but Ortho Mellark, a big lug of a gay whose folks own the bakery, seems bewildered. His meaty hands dangle loosely at his sides and his feet shuffle back and forth, and then I notice his blond hair’s splattered with someone’s blood, Burdock punches him hard in the back of his knee and it’s enough to get him down on the ground and out of the line of fire.”

Returning Characters

Mags and Wiress are Haymitch’s mentors, and Beetee is the one to tell him about the scheme to break the arena. Later one in Catching Fire, in the 3rd Quarter Quell when Beetee, Wiress, and Mags are all back in the arena and are able to actually blow it up this time. Mags and Wiress are the way they are because they were tortured by the Capitol after Haymitch won the games.

Sweetheart

I thought Haymitch called Katniss “sweetheart” to be condescending, but actually it is because she reminded him of Louella, his childhood sweetheart.

Snow References Lucy Gray and His Knowledge of the Covy

“A dribble of bloody spittle leaks from Snow’s mouth. ‘Bet I know a thing or two about your dove.’ ‘Like what?’ ‘Like she’s delightful to look at, swishes around in bright colours, and sings like a mockingjay. You love her. And oh, how she seems to love you. Except sometimes you wonder, because her plans don’t include you at all.’”

This just shows that Snow is so much more eager to punish Haymitch and Lenora Dove because it reminds him of Lucy Gray.

Attic of Justice Building

Haymitch takes Katniss and Peeta up to the attic of the Justice Building during their victory tour because Plutarch took him there first.

Parallels Between Haymitch and Katniss

Katniss wasn’t the first symbol of the rebellion, they tried before, probably other times in other games, too, before it worked with Katniss.

The Geese

In the epilogue of Mockingjay, it says Hyamitch, after the war, raises geese as a way to cope with his trauma, now we know this isn’t a random hobby, it’s his way of mourning and continuing to love Lenora Dove, this is mentioned again in the epilogue of Sunrise on the Reaping.

“A few days after that, Katniss showed up with an old basket filled with goose eggs, ‘Not to eat, to hatch. I raided a few different nests, so they can breed all right.’ Never mind that we had roast goose for dinner. She’s not an easy person; she’s like me, Petra always says. But she was smarter than man, or luckier. She’s the one who finally kept that sun from rising. Petts fashioned some kind of incubator, and when the eggs hatched, mine was that first face those goslings saw. Sometimes they just graze on the green, but on fine days, we’ve been known to wander on over to the Meadow. Lenora Dove likes it best there, and I’m content where she’s content. Like the geese, we really did mate for life.”

Lucy Gray

Burdock brings Haymitch to the covey gravesites so he can see where Lenora Dove is buried, there are 2 other stones there, for Maude Clare and Lucy Gray, it isn’t clarified if Lucy Gray is actually buried there, or if it is a memorial of sorts for her, but when Lenora Dove dies, Tan Amber says;

“Then the uncles are there. Clerk Carmine ripping her from my arms, trying to restart her heart while he calls her name. Tam Amber standing stiffly over them, his head shaking as he mumbles, ‘Not again, Oh, not again.’”

Is he referring to Lucy Gray’s death?

The Rolls and Milk

I wondered what was with all the rolls and milk and why that was all he was able to eat for weeks … until Lenora Dove was poisoned. Snow wanted to make sure Haymitch was alive to witness all the horror of her death and couldn’t die with her, even while kissing her with the poison on her lips. Snow probably also ensured Lenora Dove was starving enough that she wouldn’t be able to throw up the poison after eating it.

Cat Ears

There was a lady in the audience of the interviews, maybe it was Tigress?

Clerk Carmine

He plays the violin at Finnick and Annie’s wedding in the Mockingjay book.

Could you survive the 50th Hunger Games? Sunrise on the Reaping doesn’t just tell the story—it pulls you into the arena and dares you to fight your way out.