“Nothing appears more surprising to those who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few and the implicit submission with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers,” said philosopher David Hume.
Inspired by Hume’s idea of implicit submission and the use of propaganda in today’s society, Suzanne Collins released “Sunrise on the Reaping” on March 18. The novel is a prequel to her beloved trilogy “The Hunger Games” and follows Haymitch Abernathy, who was Katniss and Peeta’s mentor in the original books, during his Hunger Games.
Despite being a sixteen-year-old boy from the poorest part of District 12 and having to support his family, Haymitch is content with his life. He has a caring family, a stable job and a loving girlfriend. However, his dreams of happiness are crushed when he is reaped for the 50th Hunger Games. These Games are even more deadly than previous ones because they feature double the amount of children sent into the arena, a total of 48 instead of the usual 24. Along with his fellow tributes, Haymitch must try to survive the Games and make sure the Capitol doesn’t make him a puppet for their entertainment.
One of the greatest concerns fans had before reading the novel was making the story fresh. Readers of “The Hunger Games” trilogy already knew the outline and ending of Haymitch’s games because Collins wrote it into the second book, “Catching Fire,” so the question became how Collins would keep readers engaged and the story fresh.
Collins eradicated all doubt when “Sunrise on the Reaping” was published because she created unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats that miraculously didn’t feel forced. Each surprise in the plot served to advance the storyline and emphasize the book’s greater themes.
However, the structure of the novel mimicked the original “The Hunger Games” book almost exactly, which did not allow as much suspense as it could have and gave the book a slower pacing than what the book truly needed.
One of the most exciting parts of the book was the connections to the original books and the earlier prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Along with creating new characters, Collins explores the backstory of many familiar characters that readers hadn’t known much about. The main character, Haymitch, is one, as readers discover why Haymitch is so misanthropic and cynical in the original novels.
Maysilee Donner, one of Haymitch’s district partners, is another character who has an excellent and unexpected story arc as Haymitch slowly gets to know her and understands her true depth. She becomes a character to root for due to her fiery, fearless personality.
A recurring theme throughout all the “Hunger Games” books is rebellion, and “Sunrise on the Reaping” showcases not only how Haymitch is a rebel, refusing to be a pawn for the pleasure and demands of the Capitol, but more importantly, why. Nearly all of the people he surrounds himself with encourage him to defy the Capitol: his girlfriend, Lenore Dove, Maysilee and his fellow tributes.
Furthermore, a new theme explored is propaganda and implicit submission. Although these ideas had taken shape in Collins’ previous novels, they took the main stage this time. Collins investigates this theme thoroughly with characters who either easily submit to the government in the Capitol and believe that the Games are necessary, or question the Capitol’s methods and stories. The Capitol constantly warps the true image of not only the Games but nearly everything they can control. However, while Collins does argue against all usage of propaganda in the book, she does offer more nuance to the people who are affected by it by offering understanding to those manipulated by the government’s propaganda.
While “Sunrise on the Reaping” did have some flaws with pacing, overall it is a captivating novel with daring characters and compelling themes. Fans of the “The Hunger Games” books can draw countless parallels to the characters and themes in the original books making the novel even more riveting and earning the book a four and a half stars out of five stars.
