The Hunger Games vs Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Book review: The Hunger Games vs Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My Rating: ☆☆☆☆

The Hunger Games is pretty much a rite of passage for teenagers. Regardless of whether you watch the movie or read the book, it still holds the same meaning for most of us. I read the Hunger Games for the first time at thirteen years old, and it’s one of the first few YA books that I couldn’t put down. It wasn’t just about Katniss Everdeen and every challenge she overcame as a sixteen-year-old, but about this fictional world where all our worst fears exist. A society where every year, twenty-four children are thrown to the wolves in the Capitol to keep the rest of Panem in line.

I was one of those teens who watched the movie before they read the book, which, as a reader, I’m not too proud of now! I knew exactly what the book was about when I started it, but that didn’t stifle my excitement to read it as fast as I could.

Katniss Everdeen, a plain girl in this dystopian world, is thrust into madness and a brutal game of survival-of-the-fittest to save her younger sister. So many people she meets, new places she discovers outside of her district, only to be aware of the slim chances of living she truly has. Katniss is incredulous about every new person she meets, and fairly so.

Even after over seventeen years, the world-building in this book is unparalleled. The way Suzanne Collins writes about this post-apocalyptic future is incredibly impressive.

It is a glimpse into what a deranged, yet industrialised future could look like and a symbol of strength of a lone young girl. Not to mention, every character in this book has their own hurdles they’ve crossed. Much more than Katniss’s story, it’s about perseverance.

Something I really appreciated about this book is the writing style. Coincidentally, it is also the one thing that deterred me from giving it a full five stars. It’s not uncommon for YA books to be in first person or present tense perspective, but it’s always been something I’m not a great fan of. But in this book, Katniss’s narration offers a particular insight into the world, and it strikes me as something much needed.

While reading the book, the words feel like an unfiltered version of her thoughts, enforcing the idea that she is indeed just a teenager fighting for her life. Her direct ideas and perceptions don’t twist anything into something complicated, instead showing us the world exactly the way she sees it, and the way any of us standing in her shoes would see it.

Simultaneously, I’ve realised that it does give us a very biased record of all that occurs. We see everything through Katniss’s tinted-glasses, and her opinions become our fact. I don’t particularly appreciate that, because it creates doubt about whether or not we’re receiving an accurate depiction of what is happening. But over time, it becomes clear that the prejudiced style transitions to being more open.

Katniss might be biased, but she’s also honest, and this is where the most development of her character is seen, when she slowly realises that Peeta Mellark is someone she can trust, as well as when she mourns the loss of someone she becomes close to in the Games. Even though through most of the book Katniss is oblivious to the pain and suffering of others, she comes to recognize the need for subsistence and survival in all of them.

Overall, I feel like this book is a landmark for many teens, with the slow-burn romance, glorious happenings, and likeable characters. It might not be for everyone out there, but it will continue to have a lasting impact on those of this age. The second book in particular, Catching Fire, remains one of my favourite books of all time. Almost twenty years since it’s release, but the Hunger Games is still as commonly mentioned in conversations as it used to be. With the introduction of new books and movies in the franchise, it is ever so popular. And that brings me to the second review, Haymitch’s prequel novel.

Book: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

My Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Released seventeen years after the release of the Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping was just as much of a phenomenon as the original was. It is the story of Haymitch Abernathy from District 12, the victor of the 50 th Hunger Games, also known as the second Quarter Quell. Haymitch also happened to be the only District 12 victor before Katniss and Peeta. So, he’s the one who sent every chosen lamb from his district to the slaughter.

From the original trilogy, Haymitch was already established as the drunk who’d given up trying to save everyone, surviving the Hunger Games his one regret. He wasn’t a particularly likeable character for me, but his story felt like an untold one. Through Katniss, we knew that his Games were filled with the loss of his allies, being the sole survivor. We’re also aware of the fact that he has no living relatives or close ones, and he spent his days mourning his losses through drink and despair. It isn’t much of a good impression, but he proves himself over and over, showing that his only wish is to save what is remaining of the people who have lived and lost.

I knew in the back of my mind as I started this book that there is no uncertainty about the fact his story will not end well. The end of it is already established from the trilogy, twenty-six years later in the book’s timeline.

This forethought is a prominent shadow whilst reading this book and made it much more intense than the Hunger Games for me. There is no happy ending for Haymitch’s games, so every event that happens in this book is a mosaic of sadness that shapes the idea of his rebellion. It is definitely very emotionally penetrating.

As the story progresses, what we know of Haymitch starts to piece together, along with how he came to be what he is. Characters from the trilogy appear who played a part in the overthrowing of the Capitol, and connections are made where you wouldn’t expect them to be. It’s unsurprisingly devastating seeing familiar faces, though their major presence in the role is surprising.

In all honesty, my only thought first two chapters in, was, ‘This is definitely going to be one big emotional rollercoaster.’

One by one, Haymitch bids goodbye to his loved ones, every one of them sadder than the last. He wants to survive for the love of his life, Lenore Dove, who is his main purpose and reason.

We not only get tons of insight on Haymitch’s past, but also on the backstories of characters from the rebellion after the 76 th Hunger Games. There are so many explanations I did not realize we needed, even after Haymitch wins his Games.

There were innumerable things that felt like they were done on purpose, solidifying my ideas about characters from the trilogy.

The major difference that I felt in Sunrise on the Reaping and the first book was how mature the writing felt in the prequel. Haymitch seemed a lot more worldly aware than Katniss did. He was more socially and emotionally aware, with significantly different thoughts and perceptions. While there were similarities in their District 12 upbringing, they grew up with vastly different childhoods.

Katniss had a detached relationship with her mother, whilst Haymitch’s mother was caring and a more important character. Their social lives were also very different.

Haymitch had wants and dreams, in contrast to Katniss’s need for pure survival.

I think this novel was incredible and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the Hunger Games! In my opinion, it was quintessential to read Sunrise on the Reaping to fill any gaps the Trilogy left us with and properly understand the happenings of the Games as well as the characters.