Chapter by Chapter: Raw Reactions to Sunrise on the Reaping (1 & 2)

 

This is my running commentary while reading Sunrise on the Reaping. Expect emotional outbursts, incorrect predictions, and the occasional excessive use of exclamation marks. This post covers Chapters One and Two.

Warning: There are SPOILERS for Sunrise on the Reaping and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

CHAPTER 1

Chapter Recap

The first chapter of Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins focuses on establishing who Haymitch is and explaining why we should care about him. From the get-go, we are bombarded with the introduction of numerous characters, some more significant than others, and many with ties to characters found in the original trilogy. The chapter begins on the morning of the day of the reaping, following Haymitch as he completes his tasks and meets up with his girlfriend prior to the ceremony. The chapter culminates with the reaping of the four tributes and the untimely death of one of them, Woodbine Chance.

Raw Reactions

Honestly, the first chapter contains an absurd amount of foreshadowing. The most obvious is Haymitch’s narration that he dislikes drinking, which is a stark contrast with how he eventually turns out. We also meet Katniss’s parents, Burdock Everdeen and Asterid March. Additionally, the narration emphasizes Burdock’s skill with a bow and arrow, as well as his good singing voice, traits that Katniss inherits. 

Returning to my personal thoughts on the actual chapter… It had a strong ending. Woodbine getting his head blown off was diabolical. I was prepared, but not for that. I was completely taken by surprise. What frustrates me is that it was an entirely avoidable incident. The idiotic Peacekeepers shot him just to flaunt their power. Woodbine was just a child, and they probably could have eventually apprehended him if he actually managed to escape. Instead, they decided that blowing a child’s head off was the best option. Even if they see the districts as animals, this course of action is illogical. Woodbine was going to die in the arena regardless. This only complicates the situation.

I wonder how Haymitch gets chosen as a tribute, since he wasn’t one of the original four. I know he would probably not volunteer because he has a responsibility towards his mother and brother, so I feel like it will be some type of insane, manipulative move by the Capitol to showcase their power.

Anyway… this chapter low-key slaps. It’s an incredibly strong beginning to the book. I genuinely look forward to being traumatized and emotionally destroyed in the pages ahead.

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If you’re reading along, what was your reaction to the chapter’s ending? Drop your thoughts below, no holding back!

 

CHAPTER 2

Chapter Recap

The second chapter of Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins encompasses the chaos brought by the brutal death of Woodbine Chance. The Capitol is scrambling to get everything fixed and continue the transmission so that the rest of the citizens do not see the disorder in District 12. This narration continues with Haymitch protecting his girlfriend, him being chosen as a replacement, the tributes’ lack of goodbyes, and culminates with him being locked in a room in the train where he sees Lenore out a window as he leaves District 12.

 

Raw Reactions

Incorporating Haymitch being chosen for the reaping in a nontraditional way leaves a big impact. This means that in the original trilogy, when he was chosen for the third Quarter Quell, that was the first time he was actually reaped. Of course, we could argue that the reaping in that novel was also manipulated, but that’s another discussion.

It had been years since I read or even seen the Hunger Games movies, so I didn’t know much about Haymitch’s character aside from small snippets found in my memories. I assumed he was just another unfortunate tribute chosen and luckily won, with no malpractice or rebellion included. But the fact that Haymitch was chosen as a tribute because he had the audacity to protect his girlfriend from danger is insane.

You mean to tell me that everything that happens from this point on wouldn’t have happened if Haymitch and Lenore Dove had strictly followed the event’s rules? Everything that will unfold will be the result of that single action. It’s not that I blame them; they’re children and innocent. But knowing that everything that happens will be the result of this action is a hard pill to swallow.

All of his and his family’s suffering will stem from his decision to protect Lenore Dove, who chose to help Woodbine’s mother. It’s just so heartbreaking, especially given how much Haymitch will suffer in the coming days and years. I honestly don’t even know what to say. The fact that all of this could have been avoided will haunt me forever.

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If you’re reading along, how did you react to Haymitch’s reaping? Did you have any predictions about how that would play out? Drop your thoughts below, no holding back!