*This review contains spoilers *
When Lenore Dove tells Haymitch, that she’s like to be a Raven, she becomes her namesake dove in the sky, whilst Haymitch becomes the Raven. Raven are stronger bigger birds with ash black feathers, with a rugged quality on its feather and high levels of intelligence and survivalist instincts. Not to mention, ravens are sometimes referred to as a treachery, conspiracy or even an unkindness – which can also refers to how Haymitch is treated by the capitol and even Plutarch – when in their flock or grouped together. This makes a Raven, much like a dove for Lenore and a mockingjay for Katniss, hauntingly true yet devastating form for Haymitch to take.
When Haymitch says there are only survivors not winners in the games, it matches the Raven, who survive against odds, but can be perceived as good or bad, pending on the person or circumstance. Sunrise on the Reaping is the story of a young Haymitch, once full of love, life and hope, slowly become a Raven, a bird built to survive but never sing. And how he sparks the rebellion but suffers physically, mentally and soul destroying loss, pain and violence as a result, as a tribute in the 50th hunger games, also known as the second quarter quell.
And the victor of those games was Haymitch Abernathy. He waited 25 years before he got to take his revenge on President Snow, to see a day where there was a sunrise on his birthday, not overtaken by reaping day. Every year on his birthday, Haymitch had to watch the reaping and later mentor tributes to their death, leaving him in a viscous circle of ash and death. What happened for Snow to so venomously attack him, to transform Haymitch into a reserved broken shell of his former self is answered in Sunrise on the Reaping.
All we previously knew of Haymitch is that he was the victor of the 50th hunger games, the second quarter quell, he dulls the haunting hisses of snakes and last cries of doves with drink, and lost his village, after his games. Sunrise on the Reaping is the missing puzzle piece to the history of district 12, the rise of the rebellion and the violent enforcement of Snow’s vendetta against the fire starting rebels of district 12.
Everyone knows how Haymitch’s story ends. The journey from a younger Haymitch surrounded by love, and hope to the violence, rebellion and trauma he suffers as an illegal reaped tribute for the 50th hunger games, having met Snow, and the aftermath of trying to fight against him is so much deeper, more interlinked and more soul crushing and mind bending than we ever dared thought.
“My tears will not be used for their entertainment.
– Haymitch vowing not to let the caption take his emotions away and twist them.
If Katniss was the fire of the rebellion, Haymitch was the spark, the boy with the fire starter. He was a happy, young, ‘rascal’ devoted to his friends, family and love of doves. The snow came and too all of that from him. In Sunrise on the Reaping, Haymitch sparks the flames of rebellion against the oppression and dictatorship of President Snow, but no fight is won without sacrifice and ashes, before the new sunrise. It breaks not only the mind or heart, but the soul to join Haymitch on his descent into hopelessness, and ash, he was never a drinker until the violent physical and mental trauma of the games, the loss of his family and dove, the forced isolation from his friends, could only be dulled by induing in drink, doing something else he vowed never to do to himself.
Whenever Suzanne Collins writes a book, she has something to tell us, the readers, and society, especially those who seek to dedicate, control, manipulate , oppress and mentally and violently attack others, people they are meant to protect or govern. It’s as though she is also responding to anyone praising or romanising the younger Snow in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Leaving the message that some people are just monsters, nothing will ever change that and we shouldn’t believe their attempts to sugarcoat their reputations and behaviour. Collins show that like Haymitch, disbarring with and fight back against the power, the monsters is not without risk, and it’s a lifelong fight to make a better future, for hope to become stronger than fear and darkness. It seems as though Collins is giving us the story of Haymitch to show us how people, especially the young, are exploited by adults, and how trapped and scared they are and become by the systems they live in.
“I’m entirely the Capitol’s plaything. They will use me for their entertainment, and then kill me, and the truth will have no say in it.”
-Haymitch being punished by Snow and the capitol for starting but inevitable not fuelling the fire of the rebellion, and disrupting the games.
If this wasn’t enough to prove Collins’ message, or highlight how all dystopian reading is political, referring the dark ashes of our realities, Sunrise on the Reaping is also released on a year, that in the hunger games, would have been a quarter quell. On the first page, Sunrise on the Reaping begins with four quotes that show Collins’ commentary on reality through the history and tales of the hunger games. Quotes on the dangers of political propaganda, misinformation and truth, and on why people shouldn’t be simply submit to opinions and beliefs of their governors, especially when they’re wrong, and people fearing what would happen if they disagree.
Safe to say that all the connections and parallels cause us to freeze in shock, as our hearts shatter as each piece of the puzzle of the hunger games, slots into place. When Haymitch says Katniss is just like him, it’s hauntingly clear why. Both ‘fire starters’ saw their fathers die in a coal mine fire or explosion. They were the eldest child, who had to step up and engage in condemned activities (such as bootlegging or hunting) to support their widowed mothers and younger siblings. However once it’s discovered that Haymitch’s best friend Burrock Everdeen was Katniss’ father, one might wonder if the coal mine was explosion that killed him was an accident or planned by Snow to punish Haymitch by killing his best friend and leaving his children to live with the same trauma that Haymitch lived through.
Burdock in a way saves Haymitch by saving Otto Mallark, Peeta’s father, at the reaping, leading to Katniss and Peeta being the ones to lead and help Haymitch when the rebellion finds them all again. Not to mention Haymitch’s other friend Blair is never given a surname, is it perhaps Hawthorne, Gale’s father or relative, we’ll never know.
The connections only break down further into nightmares and bad omens, as Haymitch becomes a tribute. When he was in the hunger games, there were no mentors for district 12, so they bring in Mags and Wiress, and see Haymitch met Beetee, forced to mentor his son in the games to trying to defy the Capitol. If there was still romanticising or uncertainty of how much of a violent vindictive snake Snow was, the torture of these mentors, and the punishments they suffered for trying to help District 12, only cements that fact.
What ultimately they risk, lose and fight for lives for, is the mockingjay of the rebellion, not the Raven, 25 years later when Katniss volunteers for her sister. This brings us to one particular puzzle piece of missing lore that brings tears to my eyes is the story of the Mockingjay pin. Originally made for Haymitch’s fellow tribute and later ‘sister’ Maysilee Donner by Tam Amber, of the Covey. Or when Haymitch calls Katniss sweetheart, seeing Katniss as a daughter, who reminds him of Louella and Maysilee, and honouring them and seeing Katniss pick up their mantles in a way, is bittersweet but so impactful for Haymitch to see some sort of familial love and hope again with Katniss and Peeta.
One of the other biggest revelations is that Haymitch’s one true love, Lenore Dove is Covey: being raised by Covey couple Clerk Curbine and Tam Amber, connecting and likely relating Lenore to district 12’s first victor, Snow’s first mockingjay and Covey girl Lucy Grya Baird. The curiosity grows as Burrock Everdeen reveals he is a distant cousin to Lenore, possibly making Katniss a distant Covey girl herself. Snow seizes the chance to punish Haymitch after his games, leave him orphaned and without his Covey girl, just like him, to rub salt in the wound.
The relationship between Haymitch and Lenore is proof that they are perhaps the unluckiest of all of district 12’s star crossed lovers. Lucy and Snow were doomed from the start, Katniss and Peeta eventually found peace together but Haymitch and Lenore were proof that sometimes you met the right person but never enough time. In the epilogue, Haymitch vows to continue loving Lenore until they can met again, in the next life.
“I love you like all fire.”
-Haymitch and Lucy’s choice of words to express their devotion to each other, inspired by the Covey.
The words of affirmation to each other, “I love you like all fire” is so beautifully simple yet heartbreaking, as Haymitch was the fire starter but never got to finally light the fire of a life long love with Lenore, nor the rebellion. When she refuses to act for the cameras, Haymitch is thankful that their last moments were kept for themselves.
“The moment our hearts shattered, that’s just for us.”
-Lenore and Haymitch refusing to reenact their emotionally vulnerable and heartbreaking goodbye for the cameras, not letting the caption see or use the tears of their hearts and last moments together, for their entertainment.
Sunrise on the Reaping is the soul breaking final piece of the puzzle, that is the start of the rebellion against the Capitol. It may have been fuelled by Katniss, the mockingjay, but was fire was started, with a striker bearing a bird and a snake, by Haymitch Abernathy, the Raven.
“You are on a high horse. Mister. And someday someone will know you right off it into your grave.”
Haymitch’s story has a bittersweet ending, with a gruelling ash striken journey, serving as a bleak poignant reminder of the cruelty of Snow, the Capitol and even the propaganda, misinformation, fights for rights and politics of our own dystopian realities, but like for us, we have fight and we have hope, and for Haymitch, the sunrise will rise again.
“I didn’t want to let them in, her and Peeta, but the walls of a person’s heart are not impregnable, nor if they have ever known love.”
For now, Sunrise on the Reaping gives us a deep complex yet intelligently, vulnerable and survivalist raven, who deserves to finally have his story told. And that Raven is Haymitch Abernathy.
the girl and the city of books 
I would never read that book- dislike BOTH Hunger Games and Dystopian books
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