Collins, Suzanne. Sunrise on the Reaping. Scholastic, 03/2025. 382pp. Fiction. Trade $27.99. 978-1-5461-7146-1. GRADES 8–12. ADDITIONAL.
Sixteen-year-old Haymitch Abernathy is one of forty-eight people chosen in a competition to the death, set in an arena where comforts are poisonous and even natural disasters are unnatural. The competition is televised, and he wants to make a statement against the regime that cannot be overlooked. Haymitch is an adult character in The Hunger Games(2008), which means that much of the dramatic tension around whether he will survive is removed. Haymitch is not particularly compelling except when narrating unusual events, so his turn to depression and alcoholism in the book’s closing pages is not a surprise; it is difficult to be surprised by a thinly-drawn character. In this title, Haymitch’s race is not mentioned or cued. Collins’s fans may enjoy this look at a younger Haymitch, but this is not a good starting point for a newcomer to the franchise.
Alli Angell—Benicia Public Library