Sunrise on the Reaping🌅🐍🐦🔥

Since finishing Sunrise on the Reaping after its recent release, I have thought about little else. I had been counting down the days and finally now we know what happened during Haymitch's games. Which as a longtime Hunger Games fan, is an area of this fictional universe that I've been the most intrigued about.

What did we already know? The circumstances we were aware of through the original trilogy were that Haymitch, Katniss' mentor, the only known and alive victor of District 12, was the winner of the Second Quarter Quell, the 50th hunger games. You witnessed in the second book, Catching Fire, Katniss rewatching the games of previous victors which features a clip of Haymitch's game. This shows his use of the arenas forcefield to win the games. You also knew of Katniss' mother's connection to another tribute in the 50th Hunger games, Maysilee Donner, whose parents gifted her a songbird after Maysilee's demise. Apart from this we had no idea of how he won, what happened to his family considering he was an alcoholic and completely alone. You had to wonder what drove him to this state.

*Spoilers Ahead*

First things first, Haymitch's family. We found out that before he was reaped in the games he lived with his Ma and similarly to Katniss his father died in a mining accident. He also had a younger brother Sid, and similar to Katniss and Prim's dynamic he prioritised his safety and survival. He also had his love Lenore Dove who is Covey just like Lucy Gray and most likely a descendant from her cousin Maude Ivory, both who featured in the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Lenore has rebellious tendencies and has been previously arrested twice before the morning of the reaping where the book begins.

We learn the image on the front of the book was actually Haymitch's token gifted to him by Lenore on the morning of the reaping which is also Haymitch's 16th birthday. So every year his birthday is correlated with the fear of being reaped. The gift is a striker used to make fire when met with rock. This is symbolic of how Haymitch had all the means to be Mockingjay, and set fire to the rebellion but not the opportunity. He was the beginning of a long legacy that led to Katniss. 

We also identify the true origin of the Mockinjay pin, Katniss' token which was crafted by Tam Amber, Lenore Dove's uncle, as a gift from Maysilee Donner's father for her and her twin sister. Maysilee insisted the pin was ugly as she considered Mockinjays' as mutts and therefore kept it in a draw at home.

Cameos and fun connections to the original trilogy:

🔥Haymitch was illegally reaped. His name was not 'plucked from the masses' but instead his interference with the peacekeepers trying to protect Lenore Dove wound him up as the second boy tribute. This is a parallell across Lucy Gray, Katniss and Haymitch as all three victors were not supposed to be in the hunger games. Lucy Gray's fate was fixed by the Mayor, Haymitch was chosen due to poor behaviour and Katniss volunteered.

🔥Haymitch's mentors in the games were Wiress and Mags, from District 3 and 4 who both appear in the 75th Hunger games alongside Peeta and Katniss. Whats interesting with this is that when Katniss is forced to choose allies among the victors in the 3rd quarter quell she wants both Wiress and Mags. Haymitch seems unhappy with her choices, but in this new light maybe he was impressed with her ability to select those that were the most trustworthy. It is also clear from their state in the 75th Games they have undergone some amount of torture for their connection to Haymitch and his attempt at rebellion as Wiress is refered to as Nuts and Mags is practically mute. The fact all three of these Victors were supposed to be in the 75th games does call into question whether is was rigged as it would have eliminated 3 people who had been severely defiant of the capital.

🔥This leads us onto to Beetee and his involvment in SOTR. as not only is he involved in the plot to damage the arena in this games as well, his son Ampert has been reaped as punishment. So not only does Beetee have to mentor someone to death, its his own son. And Ampert's fate is so graphic, no wonder Beetee didn't give up until Snow died for his crimes. The fact Beetee already had one attempt to destory the arena shows how important it was that Katniss didn't fail. And why everything in the 3rd quarter quell was so perfectly planned, it wasn't a first attempt. 

🔥Plutarch's involvement is also interesting as he is the insider working with the capitol and gives hints about the arena to Haymitch like he did to Katniss. Once again, i enjoy the fact Plutarch was finally able to succeed in a plan that was 25 years in the making. It does still leave me questioning his motive for rebellion? Other than simply wanting equality across Panem and an end to suffering, there is no personal motive for Plutarch who seems to have quite a lavish life and lineage in the capitol. 

🔥Effie's appearance had to be my favourite cameo, and her relationship with Haymitch is so much more than working together every year for the games. She looked out for him the same way she looks out for Katniss and Peeta, saving the day with the costumes and being the last person he sees before he goes into the arena. I loved Effie before but this has just made me love her even more. Icon!

🔥Another connection to Katniss' is Haymitch's relationship with her parents, Burdock and Astrid. Burdock is the mirror of his daughter, a good bow man and a beautiful voice. And one of Haymitch Abernathy's best friends. Astrid is described as the town beauty and Haymitch is aware of Burdocks infatuation with her even at this age. It is sad to know how their story ends. But why did Haymitch never bring either of them up to Katniss? Why do we never see an interaction? Well, after Haymitch looses his Mother and Brother in a fire set by Snow and Lenore is poisoned with gum drops gifted by Snow as his 'homecoming' Haymitch recognizes that Snow will punish anyone he appears to love. So he pushes everyone away. After throwing a rock at Astrid they finally understand he does not want them around and that is the end of their friendship. This is also when Haymitch turns to alcohol as at the beginning of the book he states he isn't a drinker, but at the end its the only thing keeping him going reflecting how Snow and the games truly took everything from him. 

🔥Poison plays a huge part in this universe as Snow uses it to kill of all his enemies and in Haymitch's arena everything is poisonous. An interesting parallel with this is that Snow uses poison to kill Lenore Dove through Gumdrops. Haymitch believes they are the ones he gifted her on reaping day, but only once she has consumed one does he saw they are all blood red. The saddest part being, that she was held in the Prison for that long in order to starve her. So that she had no hope of vomiting it up. Also Haymitch had been kept on a diet of bread and milk to stop him from eating one and dying with her. This mirrors Katniss and Peeta and their act with the poison berries. When Peeta originally finds the Berries Katniss is able to stop him from eating them where Haymitch couldn't. Then when there can only be one victor they both choose to die which was a choice Haymitch didn't have. 

I honestly could talk for days and days through the significance of this novel and in fact the whole universe of The Hunger Games, but we would be here alll day. So overall, if you haven't read it you should. If you haven't read any of them, start with ... 

0 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes🐍🐦

0.5 Then Sunrise on the Reaping🌅

1,2 and 3 Then The Hunger Games trilogy in order.🔥 

And if you hate books watch the films. The film for this book comes out next November so we've got to hold on waiting for that one, but the book is finally here and i couldn't be happier with the result even though its arguably the most tragic story of them all. Suzanne Collins is one talented author.