Suzanne Collins seemingly only adds to this series when she has something meaningful to say about our world today. Given how the media has wielded the power to manipulate narratives and create propaganda in recent years, this book felt especially timely. It really highlighted the importance of maintaining a critical eye—questioning what we’re shown, recognising who controls the narrative, and understanding how easily truth can be distorted by a ruling class intent on hiding their incompetence.

I thought it was brilliantly done. As someone who loved The Hunger Games series as a young teenager, I now realise that much of its deeper message probably went over my head at the time. This book revisited those themes but with greater nuance, which I appreciated as an adult. It felt more mature.

One thing that really struck me this time was just how young the tributes are and how truly tragic and brutal the whole concept of the Hunger Games is. At 12 or 13 years old, I don’t think I fully grasped the horror of it—the sheer injustice of children being forced to fight to the death for entertainment. That hit much harder now.

Haymitch’s story was heartbreaking, and the inclusion of other tributes as mentors and side characters added new dimensions to their roles in the original series. It was great to revisit the world of Panem. This book contributed significantly to the world-building, particularly in expanding the lore of District 12, the fleshing out the stories of characters we already know and the introduction of those we didn't (Maysilee Donner, you queen!). 

In addition to all that, Sunrise on The Reaping also highlighted just how long it takes for a revolution to take root. Katniss may have been the spark, but the groundwork had been laid for decades before she held up those berries.