The Hunger Games are finally back, but this time, the odds are even more stacked against their favor. The Hunger Games are dystopian novels and movies set in a futuristic America. In this dystopian world the Capitol controls its people through fear. The Hunger Games forces children from twelve different districts to be reaped every year on the fourth of July to fight to the death in a televised spectacle. Each year, two tributes from every district are chosen at ‘random’, their survival is both entertainment to the Capitol people and a reminder of the Capitol’s power. The original Hunger Games Trilogy has Katniss Everdeen challenging this system, sparking a rebellion that changed Panem forever.

Now, Suzanne Collins, the Hunger Games author returns with a new prequel called Sunrise On The Reaping. The book was released Wednesday, March 18th and is set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen enters the arena. This book recounts the 50th annual Hunger Games — won by Haymitch Abernathy, later the mentor of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. The 50th games mark a special occasion, it is a quarter quell; meaning the games have a twist added to them. A quarter quell happens every 25 years and always has some special twist occurring during these games which are planned by the Capitol. 

Collins only returns to The Hunger Games universe when she has something to say about the real world, using her stories to reveal real world issues. This is also how the original trilogy started. When Collins noticed she kept switching between news channels about the Iraq war and reality TV, and the images started to combine in her head like a war reality TV show. Sunrise On The Reaping explorers the power of propaganda; how narratives are changed, shaped, and weaponized by those in control. This theme is very relevant to today as for the past few years we’ve been watching, hearing and reading constant propaganda from different sources. This is because of wars, governments, and social media. In an age of misinformation and deep fakes, Sunrise on the Reaping reflects our growing concerns about who controls the narrative and how easily truth can be distorted.

Overall, Sunrise On The Reaping was a very strong book and a great return to the story. The book is full of tense, emotional and rich story that even deepens the lore of the Hunger Games. I think Sunrise On The Reaping is a great read and well written, filled with the kind of tension and depth that makes it hard to put down.