Suzanne Collins spent another 382 pages warning readers of the dangers of propaganda in a totalitarian regime in her best book yet.
“Sunrise on the Reaping,” released on March 18, is the latest addition to the dystopian series “The Hunger Games.”
Collins conveniently released the book at a time where the United States’ political climate is at one of its most controversial. It could be seen that she is making her own statement.
“Sunrise on The Reaping” is the most complex and well-written book in the series because it connects dots and answers questions readers did not even know they had.
Why is Haymitch Abernathy a drunkard?
What happened to the Covey after Lucy Gray Baird?
Why are Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen the tributes Abernathy invests in after mentoring 24 years’ worth to their death?
All are answered and further explored in this rendition of the series.
In her previous book, “Ballad of the Songbird and Snakes,” Collins’ character Baird said, “I don’t sing when I’m told. I sing when I have something to say.”
Collins spoke through that character and wrote her best when she had something to say.
The story follows Haymitch Abernathy, who readers see in the original trilogy as the drunken mentor Everdeen and Mellark during their games, through his own Hunger Games victory.
In the timeline this story takes place after “Ballad of the Songbird and Snakes” but before the original trilogy “The Hunger Games.” The original book was followed up by “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay”.
Abernathy is forced to become a murderer at 16 years old by his own government in order to survive.
This victory was alluded to in the other books as he is a mentor to District 12’s tributes Everdeen and Mellark in the original books. He mentors the two in the 74th and 75th games.
To become a mentor, Abernathy had to win his games.
Abernathy involuntarily participates in the 50th Hunger Games, which is also the second Quarter Quell.
Quarter Quells are when special rules are applied to games to “celebrate” them every 25 years.
For the 50th, twice the amount of tributes are reaped. The normal reapings include one male and one female.
From the beginning Abernathy was set up to die by the capital and President Snow. His family – Ma and his brother, Sid – and his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, took priority over his own life from the moment he was “reaped.”
The parallels between this book and the four others in the series made it a fascinating and complex read. Collins connected small details from the original Hunger Games books and further family trees.
She creates depth in groups such as the Covey and emphasizes the main characters of the original books whose relationships with Abernathy are far deeper than readers may have realized.
To understand the complete mastery of Collins’ books, the other four stories must be read first. “Sunrise on the Reaping” should not be read as a standalone story for the full picture to be painted as Collins intended.
However, the strongest part of the book is its political message.
The book intertwines with the previous four books expertly while still maintaining the established political dexterity of the series.
Collins is known for her dystopian style presenting the dangers of what government propaganda can do. She is clear that propaganda could lead to total control.
This book is no exception.
Collins develops the evil of President Snow’s character and how he grew the games to be used as a tool more than a punishment, as originally intended.
The games are used against Abernathy as a tool against resistance, just as readers saw in book two of the series, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.“
While the possibility of another book, the games of Finnick Odair or Joanna Mason, looms over fans heads, this could be the one to cap off the series at its peak.
