Suzanne Collins returned to Panem with “Sunrise on the Reaping,” a prequel that expands the lore of the Hunger Games universe and sharpens its political commentary.
The chill of young Coriolanus Snow’s future faced audiences head-on in Collins’s conclusion of her book “The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes” as we all watched in horror at the beginning of the Snow era.
If “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was a study of how tyranny is born, “Sunrise on the Reaping” is about how resistance takes root — even when it’s barely visible. It’s a haunting, resonant read that challenges readers to consider what it really means to play a rigged game — and what it takes to defy it.
Set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s revolution, this prequel centers on the 50th Hunger Games — the infamous Quarter Quell, where two tributes were reaped from each district. Unlike the flashy horror of the Games themselves, the true brilliance of Collins’s latest installment lies in its quiet, psychological unraveling of power, propaganda and the personal cost of survival.
This time, we revisit District 12, still reeling from control and cruelty, but with a disturbingly different scope. We’re blasted back to the past of a fan-favorite character, Haymitch Abernathy.
If you’re still with me at this point and haven’t read “Sunrise on the Reaping,” this is your warning to exit stage left so you don’t see any spoilers.
For those who have finished the book, let’s get into it, shall we?
I knew we were in for something heavy from the very first line — “Happy Birthday, Haymitch!” — especially since it’s the same line the book ends with.
The easter eggs in this book were phenomenal, and I hollered at every page.
Specifically, finding out that Haymitch was best friends with Burdock Everdeen, who is Katniss Everdeen’s father, literally blew my mind. Budrock Everdeen singing “The Hanging Tree” like his daughter would sing 26 years later or so to spark a revolution is otherworldly.
Reading Haymitch’s story absolutely destroyed my Hunger Games heart.
He truly loses everything. The second he arrives in District 12 after the games, he also loses his brother, mother and lover at the evil hands of President Snow on the same day he buries his friends killed in the games.
In his youth, Haymitch vowed never to become a drinker like the rest of his family, but the pain he’s endured has driven him to seek escape. Haunted by the nightly memory of watching his lover die in his arms, he drinks to numb the constant horror he can’t forget.
The fact that Snow ends Lenore Dove’s (Haymitch’s lover’s) life by lacing gumdrops with the same poison that nearly killed Haymitch during the Games and disguising them as the innocent gift he gave her before he left is beyond diabolical. How did he even know about the gumdrops?
What’s truly disturbing is that Snow remains fixated on a girl he loved for only a month — over six decades ago. His obsession drives him to destroy millions of lives simply because she chose to escape him. It’s a terrifying testament to how far wounded pride and entitlement can go.
Haymitch could have never known what it would take to defy the Capitol, but he blazed in, intending to burn it all down with the firestriker his lover had made him. It truly takes a village, as we see many well-known characters and their history mixed into this rebellion.
I also loved all the new characters we were introduced to, especially Wyatt Callow. He quickly became one of my favorites, and his brains and empathy were beautiful.
Maysilee Donner stood out, too, with a fiery spunk that reminded me so much of Johanna Mason. The fact that the Mockingjay pin originally belonged to her made it all the more powerful.
Ampert was so sweet and truly brilliant, like his father, Beetee. With his resourcefulness and gentle spirit, Ampert reminded me of Rue. Reading his death ached in my bones, just like Rue’s did.
The cameos in this book truly stunned me — Effie Trinket, Mags, Wiress, Beetee, Plutarch — I screeched at every appearance. Collins truly thought of everything, and it was beyond interesting to see how these characters connect to the history of the Hunger Games and Katniss and Peeta’s games.
Plutarch Heavensbee continues to remain the truest mystery of Panem.
In my opinion, he is one of the most interesting characters in fiction. How is he getting away with his rebellion for all these decades?
He has planted the seeds of rebellion within Haymitch in the 50th Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games, but why? We know he’s partnered with the capitol but perpetually opposed as we see a huge plot twist at the end of Catching Fire when Katniss is rescued from the arena after blowing it up. A feat Haymitch also accomplished in his games by the inspiration of Plutarch.
Plutarch then informs Katniss that she is the Mockingjay and the face of the rebellion against the capitol, something we find out is 24 years in the making as Plutarch waits for the next Haymitch.
Collins’ writing retains its trademark precision — concise, evocative and loaded with meaning between the lines.
She doesn’t waste a word, yet somehow crafts a world heavy with fear and heartbreak. At the same time, some moments feel like intentional echoes of the original trilogy, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” which doesn’t rely on nostalgia. It deepens the lore, giving long-time fans a more layered view of the Capitol’s cruelty and the seeds of dissent planted long before the Mockingjay’s flight.
Her plot and character development are as masterful as always. It’s the only series I’ve read that doesn’t plunge you face-first into plot holes. How she’s organized this intricate work, which she’s woven over 12 years and still recalls each intimate detail, is nothing short of legendary.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” has become my favorite book of the series. This book doesn’t just expand Haymitch’s story, but the whole history of Panem. It changes how you see it. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time, and it’s truly an ode to us long-standing fans.
My mom and I have never missed a Hunger Games premiere in the theaters, and I’m excited to see this new movie with her on a date that is already saved in my calendar — Friday, Nov. 20, 2026. I’m sure Lions Gate is cooking up another perfect production as we speak.
Marissa Hunt is a junior at UT studying journalism. She can be reached at [email protected].
Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
