By Genevieve Presley
Columnist
On Mar. 18, Suzanne Collins released “Sunrise On The Reaping,” the long-awaited fifth “Hunger Games” novel. This book serves as the second prequel in the series and it’s really dominating in sales. In its first week alone, “Sunrise On The Reaping” sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide, two times more than its predecessor, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” and three times more than “Mockingjay,” which was published in 2010. This caused it to rank as the third-best-selling book of the year in the U.S. and the second-biggest debut of 2025. On top of all this, it was the most anticipated book release of the year, especially for me.
Set 40 years after the events of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and 24 years before the original trilogy, this thrilling prequel centers around one of the most beloved characters in the series, Haymitch Abernathy, and the struggles he encounters throughout the fiftieth Hunger Games.
Any “Hunger Games” fan knows that Suzanne Collins has the ability to write extraordinary, complex characters, and this book is no exception. My favorites include Haymitch Abernathy, Maysilee Donner and Lenore Dove.
As a dedicated follower of the series, I have always loved Haymitch. However, I did not completely understand him until now, which caused me to have a deeper level of respect and admiration for him not realized in the previous books. One thing I was especially impressed with was the fact that he is the narrator and got to tell his own story. If I were to pick three words to describe him, they would be brave, sensitive and rebellious. Throughout the book, his animosity towards both the Capitol and the Gamemakers intrigued me and I am so happy that we got a more in-depth look into the events that shaped him into the person he later becomes.
When it came to Maysilee, she was one of those characters that I was unsure about at first and had to grow on me. This is because she is portrayed as unlikable, but I was never the type of person who hated a character right off the bat without giving them a chance. As I read more, I quickly came to the realization that Maysilee’s good qualities far outweighed the bad. She is resourceful, proficient and highly relatable.
Lenore Dove, in my opinion, is one of the best characters that Suzanne Collins has ever written. She plays a really important role in the book as Haymitch’s girlfriend and reminds me a lot of Lucy Gray Baird from “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” while also being her own unique person. She is beautiful, talented and honestly an unforgettable character. The relationship between her and Haymitch is so heartwarming and not a single moment went by where I was not captivated by it.
To say that I loved this book would be a huge understatement. As tragic as it could be at times, “Sunrise On The Reaping” was so riveting and it is definitely one of those books that will stick with me forever. It might even be my new favorite book in the series, and I found myself becoming more invested in it than the last prequel. This is because President Snow was always one of my least favorite characters, except for the version of him that was portrayed in “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” However, since I have always adored Haymitch, and I have long desired to learn more about his games, it was a lot easier to get lost in the story. From the first page to the last, I was hooked.
Overall, I rate “Sunrise On The Reaping” five out of five stars for the amazing characters and exciting storyline. It was truly everything I hoped it would be and more. The movie is set to be released on Nov. 20, 2026, and I am so excited to see how it will all play out on the big screen, especially who will be cast as Haymitch.
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