“The Hunger Games” trilogy written by Suzanne Collins took the world by storm in the early 2010s, ensnaring younger and older readers alike with its character dynamics, drama, romance and political commentary. Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of the original trilogy, spearheaded the districts’ uprising against the Capitol throughout her involvement in the Hunger Games –– an annual event where children from each district must fight to the death until one remains. Haymitch Abernathy guided her through it all as her mentor in the 74th Hunger Games, a role he was appointed due to his standing as District 12’s only surviving victor. Readers received mere breadcrumbs of Haymitch’s history, only knowing him as a gruff, solitary person with an alcohol addiction. Audience curiosity prompted Collins’ release of his backstory 17 years later in the form of “Sunrise on the Reaping.”

“Sunrise on the Reaping” transports readers 24 years back from the first novel to Haymitch’s 16th birthday, which also happens to be Reaping Day. Haymitch lives in District Twelve, monetarily impoverished yet rich in love; he is desperate to avoid being selected for the Games so he can stay in 12 with his family and girlfriend, Lenore Dove. Young Haymitch nearly escapes the Reaping, but a cruel turn of events finds him forced into participating in the 50th Hunger Games after Lenore Dove’s wellbeing is threatened at the ceremony. To make matters worse, the 50th Hunger Games is also the second Quarter Quell, where twice as many tributes are reaped in honor of the Games’ anniversary. The novel follows Haymitch throughout his fight for survival amidst a system wholly against him, with his commitment to his family and Lenore Dove and yearning for a world without the Hunger Games driving him to survive. Even though his death is almost assured, love, family and hope gives him a reason to fight to live.

Akin to the other novels in “The Hunger Games” series, “Sunrise on the Reaping” reflects upon themes of existentialism, interpersonal relationships, identity and corrupt governments. While the original trilogy highlights the need for revolutionary measures in the face of an unchecked government, and the first prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” takes readers inside said government, Haymitch’s prequel dives deeper into the propaganda and manifestations of corruption in Panem –– how a government twists events to skew public opinion. Since Haymitch is driven by his determination to make it back to his family and Lenore Dove, he must comply with the Capitol’s desired narrative. He can’t stir up any trouble –– if he does, the Capitol is sure to retaliate by harming someone he loves. This forced, manipulative compliance complicates Haymitch’s perspective of himself. In order to survive the Games, he has to play along with the Capitol’s narrative. In order to maintain his ethical beliefs from his life in the districts, he has to rebel against the Capitol. Where’s the balance? How can Haymitch protect his loved ones with compliancy without entirely becoming the Capitol’s “plaything?”  

Suzanne Collins’ extraordinary ability to convey relatable emotions and situations in a dystopian setting shines in “Sunrise on the Reaping.” Similar to her work in “The Hunger Games” trilogy, the prequel is written from Haymitch’s first-person perspective. This narrative choice grants readers unfiltered access to his thoughts and emotions, giving us context for every action he takes. If Collins wrote his story through the third-person perspective, like in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” readers would receive a limited understanding of his personality. Third-person worked for the other prequel, given it focused on Coriolanus Snow, whom we know as the cruel President Snow in later novels, so the disconnect feels justified. However, Haymitch’s prequel, which is so emotionally driven, is perfect for a first-person narrative, seeing as his internal battles are integral to every action he takes throughout the novel. Through his mind, readers can learn more and sympathize with Haymitch, feeling all the dread, conflict and anger as he feels them, despite his drastically different circumstances. Readers are not fighting to the death in an arena, yet it definitely feels like it.

In that vein, Collins’ adept world-building skills also further immerse readers. Panem is a society ruled by social class distinctions –– the rich stay rich, while the poor stay poor. “The Hunger Games” society takes social class discrepancies to violent heights, yet they are still rooted in Collins’ perspective on society beyond the page. We may not be forced to endure fatal death games perpetuated by the filthy rich, but readers can still identify real-world problems in Collins’ dystopia. Through Panem and all her characters’ experiences in that world, Collins presents political commentary on corrupt governments, propaganda and the necessity of community amid societal turmoil. As mentioned before, “Sunrise on the Reaping” is a brilliant case study on propaganda specifically, as Haymitch frequently grapples with controlling his narrative, as evidenced by his mantra, “Don’t let them use you. Don’t let them paint their posters with your blood. Not if you can help it.” The Capitol’s manipulation of footage from the Hunger Games and its tributes is one of the main points of contempt throughout this novel, highlighting Collins’ warning to readers to be aware of propaganda in our own society. 

“Sunrise on the Reaping” is a poignant addition to “The Hunger Games” series, marked by its emphasis on media literacy, emotional depth and unique capacity to reflect reality in its dystopia. Collins skillfully fleshes out the beloved character of Haymitch Abernathy, answering over a decade’s worth of questions regarding his past. The only flat points of the novel lie in its conclusion, which reads as rushed due to its tendency to tell rather than show –– the numbness residing in Haymitch conveyed in ways that lack the profound emotional complexity seen in the rest of the book. Still, “Sunrise on the Reaping” is an excellent revisit to Panem that provides a satisfying history to a beloved character while issuing an important political warning, creating a modern take on literary warnings in the likes of George Orwell and Franz Kafka.