Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.
Sunrise on the Reapingoffers new insights intoHaymitch Abernathy’s Hunger Games tournament, and the book’s big reaping twist follows a District 12 trend that gives him yet another thing in common with Katniss Everdeen.The Hunger Gamesbooksfeature no shortage of parallels between Haymitch and Katniss, both of whom have the same difficult personalities, similar family tragedies, and even similar attitudes and reactions towards things. AsHaymitch’s flint striker in the prequelsuggests, he’s the spark, while Katniss is the actual fire of the rebellion.
And this isn’t something the originalHunger Gamestrilogy touches on, as the Capitol uses propaganda to cover up the reality of the second Quarter Quell. Much of Haymitch’s story isn’t widely known, especially 24 years later, when Katniss enters the arena. With readers receiving information about Haymitch through Katniss, we’re not even privy to all the details. This allowsSunrise on the Reapingto throw in some surprises, including the fact thatHaymitch isn’t properly reaped for his Games.
Sunrise On The Reaping Reveals Haymitch Wasn’t Really Reaped For The 50th Hunger Games
He Was Illegally Chosen For The Second Quarter Quell After A Tribute Was Killed
It’s not discussed or widely known duringThe Hunger Games,but Haymitch isn’t actually called during the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games tournament. District 12’s escort at the time, Drusilla Sickle, pulls two other boys' names: Woodbine Chance and Wyatt Callow. Haymitch almost avoids the arena for another year, but Woodbine Chance tries to run away and is killed for it. Lenore Dove steps in to help the boy’s mother, andHaymitch is then illegally reaped for attempting to protect her from the Peacekeepers
Sunrise On The Reaping Recap: 15 Biggest Spoilers From Haymitch’s Hunger Games Prequel
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is finally here, and these are the biggest revelations from Haymitch Abernathy’s prequel story.
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This revelation puts an unexpected twist on Haymitch’s story inSunrise on the Reaping,and it adds another layer of tragedy to it. It’s bad enough thatreaping day falls on Haymitch’s birthdayand that winning the Games leads him to lose everyone he loves. The fact that it shouldn’t have happened at all makesSunrise on the Reaping’s endingeven more devastating. And while Katniss doesn’t find herself in quite the same predicament,it’s interesting that neither of them is properly chosen for the Games.
The New Hunger Games Book Gives Haymitch & Katniss Another Similarity With This Detail
It’s Possible None Of District 12’s Tributes Were Reaped
While Haymitch is illegally reaped after avoiding being called for the Games,Katniss volunteers as tribute in 2008’sThe Hunger Games. Like her mentor, she manages to avoid having her name called, but she’s still sentenced to the arena when Prim’s name is pulled instead. Katniss' courageous act of sacrifice kicks off a trend for Suzanne Collins' District 12 winners, too, as all three of her stories' leads aren’t reaped fair and square. Peeta is the only District 12 winner who’s thrown into the arena out of sheer chance.
Given that District 12 tends to get the short end of the stick, perhaps it makes sense that they face such unfair treatment.
After all,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesheavily suggests that Lucy Gray’s reaping is rigged, with Mayor Lipp and his daughter plotting to send her to the 10th Hunger Games. This meansLucy, Katniss, and Haymitch all shouldn’t have been in the arena— and it raises questions about how many other reapings are handled properly. Given that District 12 tends to get the short end of the stick, perhaps it makes sense that they face such unfair treatment.But asSunrise on the Reapingand the other books prove, this doesn’t always end in the Capitol’s favor.
