This might come as a surprise for those who have been seeing my posts in the forum 😂. Don't get me wrong; I do like Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. It added more to the discussion on propaganda, manipulation, oppression, and the cruelty of the Capitol and Snow, but there is something missing that dulled the impact it had on me. I think this is more of a situation where it's a good book, and it's for those who want more from the franchise, but it just wasn't for me.

I think the book generally focused more on the message it was trying to convey rather than the plot itself. It had a purpose: to dissuade people from sympathizing with Snow (especially after TBoSaS) and portray how propaganda works at twisting information and swaying masses. I fully support the message, and I found the ways in which it did portray this were very engaging and thought-provoking. It brought forward a call to always question and unearth the truth behind the information the media and the government are disseminating. However, I felt cheated out of a plot or a new story. It felt too reminiscent and repetitive with Katniss' journey. Though I understand the possible reasons behind this and how this repetitiveness feeds into the discussion of rebellion persisting through the years, it does feel like a cop out at times. I wonder if my reception to this would be different if, instead of Haymitch's Quarter Quell Games as the central point, the story was anchored on Haymitch's first mentoring job. I think that his survivor's guilt, PTSD, the start of his alcoholism, and the discussion on propaganda could be explored more as he tries to get his tributes to survive and learn how to use his social intelligence (though possibly failing). But this is just me!

While the writing was emotional and the difference in voice and tone compared to the trilogy was refreshing, it faltered in one aspect for me. The writing is sometimes more heavy-handed when it comes to delivering its messages. I loved how Haymitch is so perceptive and socially aware (and it fits his character!), but it did come at the cost of information being spoonfed at times. Everywhere else, I really commend Collins's writing in this. I also really liked how Haymitch's personality changed as the story progressed, and it showed in the writing. The writing weaved in poetry and lyrics, which was a hit or miss for me, but it did add more to the emotional impact and color to District 12.

Overall, I think it's a good book, but I wanted more out of it.