Brittany's Book Corner

“Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins

I am not immune to the charm of a good franchise. In particular, Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” trilogy quickly became my favorite book series after I read it last year.

I was initially very critical of its prequel, “A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” but I must admit that it has grown on me, as well. Lesson learned – read the book before watching the movie, and you’ll like it as much as the originals. Almost.

“Sunrise on the Reaping,” the newest addition to “The Hunger Games” follows Haymitch’s time in the 50th Hunger Games, a special occasion with double the original number of participants. Instead of 24, there are now 48, which would mean that the stakes would feel higher, right?

They did not. In fact, there is not much here that was not done better in one of the other books. At least in “A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” the reader was allowed to enter the world of President Snow and see, once and for all, why he became the villain we see in every other book.

That was an unanswered question, one that was new and exciting – it is always a pleasure to read from the perspective of a monster. Haymitch, on the other hand, never left the audience with questions because we already knew why he was the way he was. Who wouldn’t want to turn to a vice to escape the deaths of 47 of your peers? There was never much to explore here.

That wouldn’t be such a problem if the writing hadn’t taken such an obvious dip in quality.

To begin with, some of the new characters are less than stellar. Not all of them are one-dimensional or unlikable, but the ones that are make themselves known and unwelcome very quickly.

The only original characters that I actually enjoyed were Louella/Lou Lou, Maysilee, Ampert and Wellie. One character, Lenore Dove, was annoying simply because of how often she was mentioned. I understand the reasoning behind her constant presence, but I wish there was more substance to it besides romantic pandering.

As for Collins’ prose, that, too, has taken a nose-dive. I found myself consistently wondering where the subtlety went. In the previous books, there was never any need to explain the importance of events or symbols because it was assumed that the audience would grasp it.

If they didn’t, the elegance of the prose would make it clear.

In “Sunrise,” there is no elegance. Haymitch explains everything for us immediately, only to move on without it having a true impact. Katniss and Coriolanus were impacted by things.

Everything held weight, and it made the events of the story all the more tense. Everything in “Sunrise” is rushed, and there is no time for anything to sink in.

It seems as though this is a second or third draft, not the final published product.

That’s not to say there isn’t anything good here. I thought everything before the Reaping was interesting – it was nice to see what Haymitch’s life was before it was ruined beyond measure. I loved Louella/Lou Lou’s arc, though I felt like it ended rather abruptly. And Haymitch’s descent into despair is very believable. It is gradual and understated, but it picks up right on time at the very end, making it the most satisfying aspect of the book.

“Sunrise on the Reaping” needed about a 100 more pages and a few more drafts before it could be up to the standard of the previous books. I know some readers will say it is unfair to compare because a prequel should be judged on its own merit. I must disagree – if it weren’t for my love of the franchise, I never would have bought “Sunrise,” and I certainly never would have finished it.

Ultimately, it adds nothing to Haymitch’s story. I might argue it ruins his story, in some ways. I am always hungry for new content, but this just felt like it was missing the spark that brought the original trilogy to life.

Nevertheless, I’m still waiting for Finnick’s book. Like I said, I’m not immune.