Savannah Keel

“Sunrise on the Reaping” is a compelling yet tragic tale of a beloved character, Haymitch Abernathy. This much-anticipated and newest Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins was released on March 18.  

In the dystopian Hunger Games realm, Panem is ruled by a cruel government referred to as the Capitol. The Capitol controls 12 districts that support Panem with their specialty trades. 

Coriolanus Snow is the president and is responsible for much of the government’s cruelty. The districts are ruled by fear and controlled by Peacekeepers sent from the Capitol. The Capitol claims to keep the peace while severely punishing anyone who defies or dares to stand up against the government. 

To keep the “peace,” and as a reminder, two children are reaped every year. Tributes are randomly drawn from each district and sent to die in an arena built for control and entertainment. 

These 24 tributes have no choice but to participate in the Games. Only one survives as a victor, and the victors mentor future tributes. This is the Hunger Games. 

From this point on, there will be spoilers for the trilogy and prequels. This is your official warning.

The Hunger Games trilogy follows and is narrated by Katniss Everdeen, a teenager from the poverty-stricken District 12. As the plot unfolds in the series, Katniss defies the Capitol and becomes a symbol for a rebellion against the government. 

Along the way, readers learn about past Hunger Games victors, as well as the history of the districts and the Capitol. However, many mysteries leave fans with questions. 

In the end, Katniss successfully leads a mission resulting in the destruction of the Capitol and President Snow’s capture. All of this occurs at the cost of countless lives. Finally, there is true peace. 

Throughout the trilogy, Haymitch, as an experienced victor, prepares Katniss for her two Hunger Games and offers advice while they plan to overthrow the Capitol. He proves to be a loyal friend to the end. He is one of the many heroes in the trilogy and is beloved by many.

Rewinding 65 years, fans meet President Snow as a young man in the prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Readers learn about Snow’s past and his connection to District 12. 

Determined to maintain his status and secure his future, Snow mentors a girl from District 12 for the 10th Hunger Games. Through a series of events, he eventually “lands on top” in the Capitol.

Sunrise on the Reaping takes place about 25 years before Katniss’ first Hunger Games. In this new prequel, readers meet Haymitch again, but this time he is a 16-year-old boy living with his mother and brother in District 12. 

The book begins with reaping day, which falls on Haymitch’s birthday. This year’s Games is extra special because it is a Quarter Quell that occurs every 25 years. This year, twice as many tributes will be reaped from the districts.  

After saving his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, from a Peacekeeper, Haymitch is punished with an illegal reaping into the Games. 

Leading up to the Games, Beetee, who is a past victor, approaches Haymitch with a plan to sabotage the arena. Haymitch forms an alliance with many of the tributes, but no one knows of the plan except Ampert, who is a District 3 tribute and Beetee’s son.

In the arena, Haymitch quickly learns the fruit and water are poisoned. As he tries to survive and execute Beetee’s plan, Haymitch meets other tributes whom he cannot save from dying. He blames himself for their deaths. 

While facing off against the only other tribute still alive, he tries to destroy the arena with one final attempt. The plan fails, but Haymitch becomes the 50th victor of the Hunger Games.

During the victory tour, everyone and Haymitch watch a heavily edited version of the Games where there is no evidence of rebellion, his illegal reaping, or how he cared for many of the tributes.

To keep his loved ones alive, he plays the part and entertains the Capitol. After crowning Haymitch victor, President Snow says, “Enjoy your homecoming.”

Haymitch returns home with three dead tributes. He finds his home uncoincidentally set on fire, but it’s too late to save his mother and brother from the flames. 

After reuniting with Lenore Dove, she unknowingly eats a poisoned gumdrop, and once again, Haymitch cannot save her. With her last breaths, Lenore Dove urges him to prevent another reaping.

Overcome by grief, Haymtch isolates himself in his new home and pushes away his friends out of fear for their safety. He knows too well how cruel President Snow can be.

As years pass, Haymitch mentors tributes to their deaths until he meets Katniss. In the epilogue, he says, “She’s not an easy person, she’s like me, Peeta always says. But she was smarter than I, or luckier. She’s the one who finally kept that sun from rising.”

Fans were horrified by the Capitol’s cruelty, yet loved learning about Haymitch’s past. This novel is a puzzle piece to the overall Hunger Games narrative, while providing easter eggs and appearances by familiar characters. Many of these details intertwine with the main trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

“It ripped my heart into a million pieces,” says Lauren Butté, a UNA student. “Suzanne Collins is so intelligent and a master of her craft. She handles these heavy, dark topics tastefully, but she also doesn’t hold back in her descriptions of the horror of the Games.”

While being a trauma-filled story, Collins includes relevant themes of control, propaganda, and the power of the media.

Jenna Hazelrig, a UNA student, reflects on the novel. “it is probably the most devastating book I’ve ever read. Although I love the book, by no means would I say it’s enjoyable to read. But it’s not supposed to be. This book is about power and how those in power can abuse those lower in the social hierarchy. With the current state of the world, that feels especially terrifying right now. It’s not fun to read about, but it’s important, and I think Suzanne Collins does a fantastic job of critiquing our own society through her representation of the Capitol.”

Following suit with the other Hunger Games books, a film adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping is set to be released on November 20, 2026.