Sad to say this is my least favorite Hunger Games book. That's hardly terrible, since I fucking love 3/4 of the other books and Suzanne Collins is a great author, but my hopes were so high that I was a little disappointed.

Part of what I love about the original Hunger Games trilogy is how subtle and layered it was, especially for YA. The messages and themes are clear, but it feels like you notice something new each time you read. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes still had that to a lesser degree, but Sunrise on the Reaping isn't subtle at all, and I think it's worse for it. 

Unfortunately, I absolutely think this was a purposeful choice, and I understand it. This book was clearly a response to current events in the United States, including current literacy rates. People have been missing the message of the Hunger Games books for years - just look at how a lot of teens (and adults, but Collins is mostly speaking to teens so that's who we'll focus on) responded to Snow's character in Songbirds and Snakes. Probably at least half of the Everlark edits on TikTok are set to billionaire Taylor Swift's songs. When people ask for more Hunger Games media, they literally want to see more hunger games. You know, the horrific spectacle that the capitol gets excited to watch every year. 

So yeah, this book is clearly less subtle as a response, and is also clearly a response to current events. I mean, Collins literally mentions the danger of

deepfakes

. But more than that, in an era of fake news, politicians who blatantly and obviously lie only for their constituents to blindly believe them, increasing corporate greed, and the majority of Americans being poorer than ever, this book is about the dangers of propaganda, the tools a state uses to suppress people, and the importance of continuing to resist over and over again, even if you don't immediately see results. You have to keep trying, you have to keep resisting. One day you will succeed, but that day will never come if you don't keep fighting for it.

I loved all of the new characters, and I wish we got to see more of them instead of having to retread ground. That retreading and seeing characters we've seen before made me feel less connected to this story - I felt most engaged when spending time with new characters and learning more about District 12.

Maysilee

my beloved. She would have loved that

Katniss got her pin

. I'm worried the inevitable movie won't do her justice - look what they did to Lucy, Coriolanus, Tigris, and Sejanus. Snow is

so weird about District 12

that it's kind of hilarious. Like get over it dude. Literally started sobbing at the epilogue when

Katniss brought Haymitch the goose eggs

and never recovered. Ugh. 

Absolutely recommend you read this one. One day I will read Collins' other series because this one is so fantastic, but I need to prepare myself in case it takes over my life the way The Hunger Games has.