As a big Hunger Games fan, I was looking forward to Suzanne Collins’ latest addition to the series, Sunrise on the Reaping. The first book, The Hunger Games, is so well written, I refer to it often in my Crafting Unforgettable Characters workshop. Honestly, I could teach an entire course about it.

Even if workshop attendees don’t care for young adult dystopian novels, I encourage them to read at least the first chapter because it is perfectly constructed. So, my standards for Suzanne Collins’ books are high. Unfortunately, this latest book disappointed me.

Sunrise on the Reaping is set twenty-four years before The Hunger Games begins, when Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss’ mentor, is a sixteen-year-old tribute. I was curious to find out why Haymitch is an alcoholic and so despondent in The Hunger Games, and was eager to listen to the audio version read by Jefferson White.

What I liked about the book

It’s been several years since I’d explored the Hunger Games world (I couldn’t get into The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), so I enjoyed being immersed in it again. And, like Katniss, Haymitch isn’t selected as a tribute; circumstances make him one. When a newly selected male tribute resists, they kill him. In the chaos, Haymitch protects his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, bringing him to the attention of the Peacekeepers. They select him to replace the killed tribute.

Both Lenore Dove and photographer Plutarch Heavensbee are well-drawn, complicated secondary characters. And I appreciated the alliance of the Newcomers during the Hunger Games.

What I didn’t like about the book

With a few exceptions, Haymitch reacts or follows others’ leads rather than taking the initiative. He tries several times to destroy the arena by following previously laid out plans—not his, someone else’s. I prefer protagonists like Katniss, who take charge. And while I know the series is violent, I wasn’t prepared for this level of extreme violence. There’s a lot, including the torturing of a child. I think this is the most violent book in the series. Finally, the ending drags.

But I know I would’ve enjoyed the book more if someone else had read it. The narrator spoke slowly, as if stoned. Speeding up the recording didn’t help because at random intervals, he’d talk faster. Honestly, I really just wanted to hear Woody Harrison’s voice.

I wanted more (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

I wish Haymitch was more proactive and less naïve. Why was he so trusting of these people who cheated him to the detriment of his family and the young woman he loved? I found this incredibly frustrating.

How this book has affected my writing

I will try to make my main characters act rather than simply react. Also, when I hire an narrator to record The Devil Particle Series, I’ll triple-check his previous recordings to make sure he’s a good fit. I wonder if Woody Harrelson is available. 😉

Sunrise on the Reaping gets 👍🏻  👍🏻 and a few fingers for a weak protagonist but well-crafted secondary characters.

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