Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

 

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, 400 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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.
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.

I recently reread The Hunger Games series last year and was happy to see how much I still enjoyed them. While I did not like ABOSAS, I was excited to finally get a book on Haymitch's games. This book was great, and definitely one of the darkest in the series. Suzanne Collins does a great job at tying so many plot points together in this book and now I already want to read the series again to see what I catch this time!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- 374 pgs.

By this time, everyone should know the story of The Hunger Games, but here is a recap:  America has been divided into 12 districts and a Capitol after going through a war.  To keep the districts in check, the Capitol holds The Hunger Games where each district sends one boy and one girl to fight to the death on national TV.  Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her sister when her sister's name is called.  With her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, Katniss prepares to fight for her life, while keeping her humanity.

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - 398 pages

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay - no matter what the personal cost.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I made the mistake of watching the film adaptation of The Hunger Games before reading the novel. Throughout the film I felt as if chunks of the story were missing, so I of course rushed out to read the book immediately. Sadly even though it filled in several of the gaps I still felt as if something were missing from the story. The premiss of the tale is that each one of twelve districts must provide a male and female tribute to essentially be sacrificed in the annual Hunger Games as punishment for the Rebellion. I was not as impressed by the book as I had hoped I would be, but none-the-less am excited to read the next installment of the series.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-  374 pages

This book is a futuristic dystopia that takes place in Panem (future North America). Panem is divided into 12 districts. Once a year, two teens from each district are selected to compete in the Hunger Games, a televised event in which they are pitted against one another in a dangerous arena. The story follows Katniss, a resourceful 16-year-old who volunteers for the games in place of her little sister. I had initially read this book a few years ago and wanted to refresh my memory since the film version is coming out soon. It was even better this time around. Though at times it can be brutal and depressing, that does not overshadow the overarching themes of bravery, love, and perseverance.