Tag Archives: suzanne collins

Apr19

Lil Red’s Book Club: Sunrise On The Reaping By Suzanne Collins Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Sunrise On The Reaping By Suzanne Collins Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a book that I simply couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into: Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins. I am an avid fan of any and all things Hunger Games and it was nothing short of thrilling to reenter the world of Panem once again. And, of course, to time travel as this is a prequel and Sunrise On The Reaping takes us back to Haymitch’s Games for the Quarter Quell. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning for graphic violence and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Haymitch Abernathy of District 12 lives with his kid brother Sid and beloved Ma. He is an assistant bootlegger that keeps his District flowing with the good stuff, loves his girlfriend named Lenore Dove fiercely, and has a big day in store. It is his sixteenth birthday but what should be an exciting occasion is always bleak as his birthday falls on the day of The Reaping. This is no ordinary Reaping, either. It is the fiftieth anniversary of the Hunger Games, AKA the Quarter Quell, and the stakes are high: The amount of children being Reaped has been doubled. Two boys and two girls from each District for a grand total of forty-eight tributes will fight to the death until one lone victor remains.

As I’m sure you guessed, Haymitch is chosen as a District 12 tribute along with Wyatt, Maysilee, and Louella and they are whisked off after the Reaping to prepare for their untimely demise. There are meetings with stylists, training with the rest of the tributes, interview prep, and a plot that could change the course of Panem forever. Through contact with some unlikely allies, Haymitch learns that a hatred of the Games isn’t limited to the Districts. There are people in the Capital who loath it too and the perfect world plan is for this to be the biggest, most shocking Hunger Games yet. Not because it’s a Quarter Quell, but because they want to break the system and burn the Games to the ground. And, who better to carry it through than Haymitch? Will he succeed in creating a brighter future for Panem? Or will this plot destroy his own future, instead? Read Sunrise On The Reaping to find out!

Holy WOW, people. Sunrise On The Reaping was absolutely phenomenal and it is, easily, one of my favorite books of the series. I am not surprised – not just because it was excellent but Haymitch has always been one of my favorite characters and it was really cool to learn his backstory. And, let me just say, it is harrowing, tear jerking, and will give you an answer as to why you will never find Haymitch in present day without a drink in his hand. Once you are done with this book, you can hardly blame him.

While Sunrise On The Reaping was emotionally intense, Suzanne Collins was able to pepper in joyous moments expertly. IE: The first introduction of treasured characters from the original trilogy, a pair of tributes sharing a picnic during the Games, or Haymitch tapping into the “rascal” persona his team curated for him. These instances and more were like salve on the wounds of all of the atrocities the tributes faced. However, I knew that the other shoe would drop and when it did it felt even crueler. This book was an emotional rollarcoaster from start to finish and was a perfect addition to the Hunger Games series.

I am going to award Sunrise On The Reaping with the coveted ten out of ten stars. I loved every single minute of reading it. So much so, that I plan on rereading the entire Hunger Games series complete with a movie marathon too. I can’t wait!

What are you currently reading? What is your favorite Hunger Games book? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov27

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes By Suzanne Collins Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes By Suzanne Collins Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! This post has been a long time coming because The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins was five hundred and fifteen pages. It took me a while to finish this prequel to The Hunger Games series but it was worth every single page and then some. As always, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:

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For those of you who don’t know, I am a HUGE fan of The Hunger Games. From the books to the movies, I love it all and Katniss is one of my heroes. I am also #teampeta till the day I die, in case you were wondering! ANYWHO, The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes was pre-Katniss times and focuses solely on the future president of Panem, Coriolanus Snow, and his ultimate rise to power.

Young eighteen year old Coriolanus (Coryo to his loved ones) is a Capitol sweetheart despite secretly barely having a penny to his name. He covers his lack of cash with the gift of gab and excels at school. In fact, he excels so much that for the first time in Hunger Games history, students at the Academy are going to be mentors to the tributes and he is chosen to coach none other than Lucy Grey of District 12.

Originally, Coryo was disgusted by his fate because surely a scrawny girl from 12 couldn’t be the victor amid her extremely tough competition. What’s more, sadistic Dr. Gaul who is one of the head scientists of the games is watching his every move and she has plenty of surprises up her sleeves with her genetically mutated animals and love of war.

Despite Coryo’s obvious setbacks for the games, he lives by the motto “Snow lands on top” and he will do anything to win. And, as Lucy Grey proves herself to be a formidable opponent and a huge prize for the winning coach is announced – a full ride to the University, Coryo becomes even more intent on reigning victorious.

The Hunger Games are just the beginning of this wild ride and, sadly, I really can’t give any more away without spoiling a MAJOR plot twist that left me with my chin touching the floor. So, I will say this, The Hunger Games fans will absolutely love this book because it was easily one of my favorite ones of the series.

It was so interesting to read The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes because it tied in beautifully to the other three books. From beloved songs like “The Hanging Tree” and characters like the introduction of Lucky Flickerman, this prequel answers a lot of unanswered questions and it paints a very clear picture of how The Hunger Games began and why they are still happening decades later once Katniss volunteers as tribute.

Jam packed with action, twists, and turns on every page, it was impossible to put this book down. It also leaves you feeling conflicted about Coriolanus Snow who can almost be viewed as a tragic hero in his younger years. Don’t let this fool you, though, because if you have read the series or watched the movies, you will know that he ends up as a president who runs things more like a dictatorship.

Yes, Snow lands on top. But at what cost? Read The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes and find out!

Who else is a fan of The Hunger Games? Are you #teampeta or #teamgale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah