Though not stated directly in the book, losing these characters and being a part of the games caused him to join the rebellion cause. His interactions with Ampert, Sid, and Louella reveal a gentler side to him. These characters symbolized how he interacted with Katniss and Peeta as they reminded him of Louella, Ampert, and Sid. Haymitch showed his teamwork side when he had asked the other tributes to team up with him and helped them create tokens that would destroy the arena’s computer system to end the games. Maysilee Donner’s development was one of the best in the novel. At first, she seems like she is a spoiled rich kid from District 12, but then she shows her true side, that she is scared and has a sweet side to her, as seen in the scene when she helps the girl tribute from District 9 recreate her flower token, but this time with explosives in it.

Collins’ Writing Techniques

Collins, who wrote the excellent novel, has brought amazing techniques to her newest piece of writing. Her descriptive nature created a universe that transported the reader into the story. The arena that she created for this novel was genius. In the previous novel, the arena was inside a building that used to be used for entertainment events such as a circus, a tropical clock, and a forest surrounding a lake. For Sunrise on the Reaping, she used imagery to create an arena where everything was poisonous, like the river water, and the plants could not be consumed by the tributes. She used the narrative of the story as an allegory to portray a story of anti-government and the power that propaganda has on a rebellion. Throughout Sunrise on the Reaping, the rebellion was a secretive underground movement designed to take down President Snow and end the Hunger Games. This is a recurring theme throughout the series. She also uses this story to expand the characters that are from previous stories, like Wiress. Collin explains why Wiress went crazy after the games and how she was tortured by Snow for her involvement in the rebel plan to end the games. This also explains why Mags can no longer speak and reveals that Beetee’s rebellious activities caused consequences for his family. Collins uses the characters’ actions to allow readers to better understand the world of The Hunger Games. These actions put in the picture the dire circumstances that the tributes were under during the games. Collins also brings in the story of where the Mockingjay pin from the original books came from, which was a token in the games from tribute Maysilee Donner.

‘May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor’

Overall, Sunrise on the Reaping is worth reading. It reveals much more about Haymitch’s character than was known in the prior novels, along with other characters. Sunrise on the Reaping is a welcome addition to the Hunger Games universe. “May the odds be ever in your favor,” and pick up a copy of Sunrise on the Reaping from a local bookstore or library.