A Hunger Games Novel
By: Suzanne Collins
“And that’s part of our trouble. Thinking things are inevitable. Not believing change is possible.”
Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping
*This post contains spoilers for Sunrise on the Reaping, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay
Overview:
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Sunrise on the Reaping
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Call Backs to Previous Novels
This entire novel is a companion novel to the Hunger Games. It would be impossible to treat it as if it were a standalone story.
The Hunger Games Trilogy
At first I was concerned about the characters from the original trilogy fitting perfectly into the plot. Then I realized that the drawing of the 75th Hunger Games was not random. Wiress, Beetee and Haymitch (he ends up getting replaced by Peeta) all getting pulled for the Reaping is no coincidence. Snow was not just looking to quell Katniss’ fire but other Victors that have tried to rebel in the past.
Honestly, Katniss was probably the least of his worries and she fit in nicely with the plan for the Quarter Quell that he had set years before.
I’m sure that President Snow had reasons for the other Victors being choosen as well. I mean he had a point because they were planning to overthrow him and bring down the games. Had he succeeded in killing all but one of them he probably could have successfully prevented the rebellion during his lifetime.
We also got the introduction of Katniss’ parents. Obviously we meet her mother in the original novel but at that point she is a shell of herself. It is such a small community that of course they would be there.
This also provides a bit of backstory as to why Haymitch has difficult feelings towards Katniss being in the arena. Her father was his best friend. He probably feels guilty that she is in this situation and will most likely die. Over the last 24 years he has watched all the children he has mentored perish and he has not allowed himself to care for anyone. Katniss comes in and he automatically has this regret because he pushed her father away years ago.
Haymitch should have been in her life from the day she was born.
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
I could have used less about the Covey.
Having Haymitch be in love with a Covey girl seemed only to serve the purpose of connecting Sunrise on the Reaping to The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. We didn’t need that connection and it being 40 years later makes all the call backs seemed forced.
Haymitch’s relationship with Maysilee and Louella was much more interesting. I think the time the author gave to Lenore Dove could have been better used to talk about Haymitch’s relationship with his family or Burdock Everdeen. Lenore Dove was only there to compare and connect Haymitch to Snow.
I also find it hard to believe that President Snow would have given so many clues to Lucy Gray when he did a very good job of removing her from history. He even allowed for Haymitch to see a clip of her singing and young Snow standing to the side confirming the relationship and a possible weakness.
Overall,
I enjoyed this book once I got over my skepticism. I was proved wrong and the characters who we see later in the series had purpose. It gave a good background to why these individuals are rebelling and the sacrifices they have already made for freedom.
This also leads to the idea that Katniss Everdeen, while the main character of the original trilogy, is not really that important. Rebellion has been put in place long before she arrived. Most likely old friends would have banded together for the 75th Hunger Games to similar results had Primrose been the one to go into the arena and perish.
I like this realization. It is like when you read Harry Potter and find out that he’s only there for one very specific reason and arguably not the main character or protagonist.
Katniss was only ever a symbol because the people of Panem resonated with her more than the others.
Again, this is not a stand alone book and can’t be treated as such but it provided background information and was more enjoyable than the previous prequel.
So where do we go from here?
Is there room for another Hunger Games novel?
You could argue that a story could be written about each of the 75 Victors (74 games were won but Katniss and Peeta were dual Victors). However, many of those stories would be anticlimactic. Watching Career after Career become victorious is boring. Also, it is mentioned often that the Hunger Games in their infancy were nothing special and more of executions than the spectacles they became.
So that narrows down the stories that can be told.
I do think it would be interesting to see the Games that some of the other Victors we are familiar with played in. No one would complain about Finnick being the lead.
Another obvious plot would be the war. We got small glimpses of it in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and it could be an interesting story to tell.
We’ll have to wait and see but I’m sure this is not the last we have heard from the world of Panem.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
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