For years, fans of “The Hunger Games” franchise have wanted more insight into the unknown details of past tributes. When Suzanne Collins announced last year that a brand new “The Hunger Games” novel would be released and that it would revolve around Haymitch Abernathy’s Hunger Games – the second Quarter Quell – I have been eagerly counting down the days until its glorious release. Now that the book is out and I have had some time to reflect, it’s time to discuss.

   I can comfortably say that “Sunrise on the Reaping” (SOTR) is my least favorite book in “The Hunger Games” series. Let me be clear: I loved the book and my notes are minimal, but based on the online reactions I saw before reading it myself, I was left slightly disappointed. I had this feeling that a lot of the shocking or sad moments were already hinted at or even explicitly stated in the original trilogy. The best way that I can articulate my thoughts on this prequel is to compare it to Collins’ first prequel release, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (TBOSS).

   Originally, I was not in love with President Snow’s prequel novel. I initially rated the book a 4.5 out of 5 stars, but now it is my second favorite book in the franchise (second to “Catching Fire,” of course). I think TBOSS successfully provides the reader with a new perspective or new information on a story that they do not previously have, things a lot of prequels fall short of doing. TBOSS takes place 65 years before the original trilogy, presenting almost entirely new characters, settings and information. You leave that book with the answer to a question you might not have even been asking: how did the Hunger Games evolve to what they are in the original trilogy?

   In the original trilogy, we learn that Haymitch is the victor of the 50th Hunger Games, which doubled the number of tributes from the typical 24 to 48. The original book provides a general description of the arena and the events that took place. Katniss and Peeta are also told by Haymitch that his family and girlfriend were killed after his victory. Knowing all of this well before SOTR was released made me a little apprehensive about the novel and unsure that I would gain a lot of new information or perspective on the original trilogy. 

   While TBOSS felt equal parts independent and intertwined with the original trilogy, I would say SOTR does not stand on its own in the same way. What I wanted from this book that I didn’t get was some time with Haymitch between his own games and his time with Katniss and Peeta. In TBOSS, we get a large chunk of time with Snow when he is a peacekeeper in District 12. I was hoping that we would get that kind of time dedicated to Haymitch as a mentor for future tributes. That would have been the information I wanted to know, and it would have been the information to bridge the gap between SOTR and the other books.

   That being said, I live, eat and breathe all things “The Hunger Games” and I am just as eagerly awaiting the release of the film next fall. I think with time this book will grow on me, just like TBOSS did, and I don’t want to give off the impression that I didn’t like it (I gave it 4.75 out of 5 stars). I quite literally loved every other aspect of the book.