Before this book was announced I was a big believer that we don't need prequel books about other victors games. I still believe that and plan to kind of pretend the canon of this book doesn't exist going forward. Despite that I was really excited when about this book which is why I think I'm so disappointed. I believed what Suzanne Collins said about only writing when she had something to say but I don't believe this book is that, or at least that it's just that. After BOSBAS I thought she could write a prequel without falling into the trappings that others do. But here we are. 

My biggest issues are: The continuous arrival of characters from the original series, the unnecessary explanation for things and the changes made to the canon regarding Haymitch and his games. 

The last one is the worst to me because the snippet we got in Catching Fire was so perfect for him and his character. He doesn't at all fall for the trappings of the capitol or the tricks they pull, immediately identifies the dangers of what seems like a paradise, refuses to engage with other tributes and just heads in one direction for seemingly no reason. Maybe to see where it goes or maybe to just avoid being part of the games at all. Eventually he partners with Maysilee but knows they can't keep it up and then avenges her when she dies, killing a career with a cheating trick (ON PURPOSE BECAUSE HE'S SMART) and being punished because that's not how you play the games and the capitol wants him to know that for the rest of his life. 

The most unnecessary thing in this is Beetee and the "break the arena" plot. It feels like Collins was trying to give an origin story for the group that did the CF plot but that isn't needed since we can assume they got together during other games where they were mentors and Plutarch was working as a mole for them. We already know Haymitch is smart and willing to do things against the capitol it doesn't need to be established how he got pulled into the rebellion. In fact I think it would be better if this came about when he was a mentor, had witnessed more games and had more trauma and was maybe instrumental in the creation of the group. Here he is more of a proto-Katniss. Given what to do without understanding it whereas the Haymitch we see later is a planner, not a doer. He's much better as a schemer with quiet intellect hidden behind his scrubby exterior. Which his CF games shows: he seems to just be grumpily storming off but when it comes down to it he uses the arena to win in a way no one expected. This version of Haymitch is just following instructions and isn't very interesting in his own right, his best moment is taken from him as his final kill is made into a happy accident. 

Also changing Haymitch from a perpetual loner to someone who allied with LITERALLY EVERYONE is such a choice. Yes adult Haymitch is a loner because he learnt from his games that having people close to you means having people to control but it's simply out of character to have him me such a team player. And to take care of basically every tribute that comes his way? The I bet on loosing dogs attitude is much more Katniss than Haymitch, behavior he'd tell her is useless because those tributes have no chance and only one of them can win. I do adore how similar Katniss and Haymitch are but they are still seperate characters and I feel like this book rolled back a lot of their biggest differences.

The constant cameos made me groan. I literally had to close the book and take a deep breath. I think having Burdock, Katniss's dad, was enough but also having her mother and Peeta's dad was overkill. Especially giving them names because them being nameless in the trilogy is so intentional and this throws that out the window for a little bit of fan satisfaction. Three past victor is too much. Beete's inclusion felt the least forced and seeing the phenomenon of victors children being reaped was interesting. Mags was the least needed, we know she was a caring mentor from Finnick and this didn't show anything new for her character. Finding out about Wiress's games was interesting, she didn't need to be present for that though. Haymitch could have recalled last years games himself. I do think Wiress could have been kept since showing a Mentor fresh from their games, barely managing with that trauma and now coaching kids, knowing that's what Haymitch will be forced to do next year would have been narratively good. She would be a mirror of his future self. The worst moment is making it so Haymitch is responsible for Wiress and Mags being disabled. Mags is implied to have had a stroke in the trilogy and yes that could have been a capitol lie but not everything needs to be torture or linked to a main character. Sending an old disabled woman into the games was evil enough. Effie can stay though we love Effie . 

One last thing about the plot: I think it would have worked as a story with one change: Have Haymitch be a mentor and not the tribute. This is something I wanted from a Haymitch prequel before this book was announced. We know his games but seeing his early years as a mentor would have been something entirely new. And then there's a fresh games to do whatever you want with it without changing an already narratively sound bit of character work. This would also allow for him to interact with past victors without it being forced and we can get his back story stuff through him reliving his games trauma and lamenting his losses. Also Haymitch would have reason to be involved in a plot because he'd have nothing left to lose. 

A hunger games book about how media changes perceptions would be perfect and details like the arena being an eye hammer home that Collins still has the ability to do complete unsubtle and narratively satisfying symbolism. Fire is back as a metaphor for rebellion and I love that. Haymitch and Lenore Dove are amazing, his family too. His district 12 life is well done and fills the gap between BOSBAS and the trilogy perfectly without giving too many details. I wish the book had spent more time with them and less at the games. The characterisation of the other 12 tributes is great, they all feel like real people. The other tributes not so much. I did love Panache but think some of this moments should have gone to the girl Haymitch stands off with at the end because she wasn't really a character until that point so the end was unsatisfying. I did like how Haymitch ended his games intent on leaving the capitol victorless much like Katniss was determined to give them two knowing they couldn't go without one. 

I forgot about the egregious inclusion of Lucy Gray and having Haymitch realise that the Snow was in love with her. That was abundantly unnecessary. Having Lenore Dove know but not tell was enough, a ghost of Lucy Gray to haunt the narrative. 

I know that the point of this book is to show Haymitch before the trauma and evilness from the capital changed him into a grumpy, loner alcoholic but the character in this book doesn't feel like Haymitch at all in the narrative voice and in his actions it just feels like a completely different character. I could've believed that at some point he was hopeful but not to this extent. Collins had a need to make this games more epic in scale since she was dedicating a book to something we've already seen. The solution would've been to focus on Haymitch's life before and after the games rather than to change well written and established. In BOSBAS this is done well the games are important but don't take up much of the narrative. I also just think it's a disservice to fans to years later completely rewrite the story and then to make the version of events we know actually a capitol trick. I hope this is the last we see of the hunger games, at least for a while.