**This article contains spoilers for the Hunger Games franchise**
In June of 2024, author Suzanne Collins announced Sunrise on the Reaping as the newest prequel to her Hunger Games series, and set the release date as March 18, 2025. The other books in this series include the trilogy, The Hunger Games (2008), Catching Fire (2009), and Mockingjay (2010). A prequel titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (TBOSAS) was released in 2020, and all of these books have been adapted into films.
Collins’s newest prequel, set to begin the morning of the reaping of the Second Quarter Quell from the perspective of the character Haymitch, bridges the gap between the books in her series. As a Hunger Games fan, I pre-ordered this book and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival for months. On March 18, I finally got my hands on it and finished reading it within a day. Buckle up for all the connections I found that Sunrise on the Reaping has to the other books in the series!
CONNECTIONS TO KATNISS AND PEETA
Sunrise on the Reaping reveals connections to characters related to Katniss and Peeta. In the trilogy, Katniss never reveals the full names of her parents, they are simply called Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen. Similarly, Peeta’s parents are simply called Mr. and Mrs. Mellark. Both Katniss and Peeta’s parents are around the same age as Haymitch, so I was hoping for a glimpse of them.
In Sunrise on the Reaping, Haymitch’s best friend is named Burdock Everdeen, who I immediately suspected to be Katniss’ father from the last name. Haymitch says Burdock has a lovely singing voice and his family are hunters, proving he is Katniss’ father.
Haymitch also describes a girl from his town named Asterid March, a blonde merchant’s daughter who works in the apothecary, who I also suspected immediately as Katniss’ mother. Haymitch mentions Burdock and Asterid blushes, revealing her reciprocated feelings for him and proving Asterid is Katniss’ mother.
This connection between Haymitch and Katniss’ parents adds to the dynamic between Haymitch and Katniss in the trilogy, where some view Haymitch as a complicated father figure. The reveal of Mr. Everdeen’s name also shows that the Everdeens named their children after plants because Burdock, Katniss, and Prim are all types of plants.
During the reaping ceremony, Haymitch sees Otho Mellark, the baker’s son, blundering around as the peacekeepers fire into the audience. Burdock shoves Otho down, saving his life, and because Otho is more than likely Peeta’s father, this moment is special because Burdock saves Otho’s life many years before their children are reaped together and saves each other’s lives many times over.
CONNECTIONS TO OTHER VICTORS
In Catching Fire, Katniss is once again reaped because, in this Quell, the tributes are reaped from the existing pool of victors. Katniss meets many of the victors from other districts, and Haymitch knows a lot about them and is shown to have close friendships with a few of them.
In the days spent at the Capitol leading up to Haymitch’s games, he meets a few of the victors that we know from Catching Fire. When Haymitch is reaped, there are no living victors from 12, so they’re assigned mentors from districts with multiple victors. The mentors are Wiress, a victor from 3 who won the previous year, and Mags, an older victor from 4. These two characters are tributes in the 75th games, and we learn so much more about Wiress and her games, and about Mags as a person and her relationship with Haymitch.
Haymitch meets a boy named Ampert from District 3 while they are training, and Ampert tells Haymitch to go meet his father. Haymitch thinks Ampert is crazy until he sees Beetee, a previous victor, and realizes that Ampert is his son. Haymitch learns this is purposeful; Beetee was caught attempting to sabotage Capitol communication systems, and his punishment is the reaping of Ampert for certain death. Beetee knows Ampert is going to die and wants Haymitch to help with a plan to destroy the arena. Beetee has a devastating backstory, but it’s also established that he has always worked against the Capitol.
Haymitch’s love interest is named Lenore Dove Baird, a relative of the victor of the 10th games, Lucy Gray Baird, who appears in TBOSAS, the girl who Snow mentors and falls in love with (and still can’t get over). Lucy Gray is nowhere to be found, and although she has a tombstone, it’s not certain she is dead. Lenore Dove calls Burdock her cousin, and while they are not “real” cousins, the Everdeens are technically a part of the “Covey” group.
CONNECTIONS TO CHARACTERS FROM THE CAPITOL
While Haymitch is in the Capitol, he encounters many characters from both the trilogy and TBOSAS. The first is Plutarch Heavensbee, shooting promos about the tributes from 12. Haymitch realizes he is helping with Beetee’s plan to take down the arena. Plutarch is the head game maker in Catching Fire who plans to destroy the arena and save the tributes, then in Mockingjay, he helps plot the revolution. His character in Sunrise on the Reaping establishes that, like Beetee, he has always worked against the Capitol and they have been planning to rebel for over 24 years.
Caesar Flickerman interviews the tributes, looking and sounding the same as he does 24 years later. President Snow also makes several appearances, and he is as evil as ever, using poison to kill his enemies and punishing Beetee and Haymitch by killing their family members. Snow also indirectly brings up Lucy Gray to Haymitch when he asks about Lenore Dove, so he is as bitter as ever (yikes).
When the District 12 stylist falls through, one of the prep girls named Proserpina cries and calls her older sister for help. Minutes later, a young woman with lavender hair arrives, saying she must help her sister and introduces herself as Effie, and helps style the tributes. I was hoping to see a young Effie in this prequel so it’s safe to say I freaked out.
GENERAL CONNECTIONS
Haymitch calls Katniss “sweetheart,” which she thinks is sarcastic. One of the tributes with Haymitch is a 13-year-old girl named Louella from the Seam, a friend who he nicknames “sweetheart” endearingly. Katniss reminds him of Louella, completely changing the meaning behind “sweetheart.”
Second, the Mockingjay pin that Katniss receives from Madge is brought up when Haymitch asks Maysilee about it. Maysilee owns the Mockingjay pin so it goes to her twin sister, who gives it to Madge, who gives it to Katniss when she is reaped.
This book changed everything I thought I knew about the Second Quarter Quell. Haymitch’s perspective compared to the televised version that Katniss saw shows how the Capitol manipulates television and eliminates Haymitch’s rebellion and complexity. There is so much more to say and likely many connections I missed, so all I have to say now is go read or re-read the fantastic Sunrise on the Reaping.
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