The wait is finally over, and Panem is as brutal as we remembered.
After years of fans begging author Suzanne Collins for the “Haymitch Prequel,” she has officially delivered with Sunrise on the Reaping. The book follows a -year-old Haymitch Abernathy (originally played by Woody Harrelson) during the th Hunger Games, and let’s just say… it’s a total tear-jerker.
While the story is a fresh look at the Second Quarter Quell, the internet is losing it over the sheer amount of “Easter Eggs” and character cameos. Unlike The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which only featured a young President Snow, this new installment is practically a family reunion—if your family lived in a dystopian nightmare.
Naturally, the star of the show is a young Haymitch Abernathy. Fans are calling his transformation “heart-wrenching” on TikTok, as we watch his innocence get “torn apart piece by piece.” We finally see why he became the cynical, “belligerently drunk” mentor Katniss met years later: after he won his Games, President Snow punished his rebellion by taking away everyone he loved.
Speaking of President Snow, the villain is back and more “heinous” than ever. While we saw his rise to power in the previous prequel, Sunrise shows him at his most peak villainy—literally burning Haymitch’s family alive.
But it’s not all gloom! Fans were delighted to see a young Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman). It turns out he was plotting the rebellion decades ago! He even helped Haymitch’s girlfriend and family get extra time to say goodbye.
X (formerly Twitter) users are also obsessed with the return of Effie Trinket. In a viral twist, we learn that Effie’s sister was on the prep team for District . When the official stylist abandoned the tributes, Effie stepped in to “save the day,” using her own aunt and uncle’s clothes to style them. Talk about a glow-up!
The book also officially reveals the names of Katniss’s parents: Asterid and Burdock Everdeen. Asterid was a healer who helped Haymitch with “sleep syrup” upon his return, while Burdock was Haymitch’s best friend. This “emotional connection” makes Haymitch’s future protection of Katniss feel so much more intentional.
Returning victors Wiress, Mags, and Beetee also provide some of the book’s most “gut-wrenching” moments. We learn that Beetee’s son, Ampert, was actually reaped for the Games, forcing Beetee to watch his own child die while mentoring him. “I wasn’t prepared for the Beetee backstory,” one fan wrote. “Suzanne Collins really chose violence this time.”
Even Caesar Flickerman makes an appearance, nosy as ever, helping a young Haymitch craft the “rascal facade” that would eventually win over the sponsors.
But the biggest shocker? A surprise appearance by Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the epilogue. The pair are seen writing a memorial book to honor the fallen, finally giving Haymitch a sense of “hope and family” after a lifetime of tragedy.
Whether you’re here for the lore or the heartbreak, one thing is clear: the Hunger Games are back, and we are officially “sat.”
Sunrise on the Reaping is available now.
