By: Suzanne Collins
Libby ebook 27 chapters plus epilogue
Published: 2025
Genre: YA dystopian
When I told Louie what I was reading ("It's about when Haymitch Abernathy was in the Hunger Games for the fiftieth anniversary."), he said, "Well, you know he makes it out." True! As I read this, I pictured a young Woody Harrelson. It seems that a movie is in production and will be out in November of this year. It's weird to picture Ralph Fiennes as a young Donald Sutherland . . .
Chapter 3: "Stress the positive, ignore the negative," says Plutarch.
Even though Haymitch doesn't know if Plutarch Heavensbee is for him or against him at this point, the advice is for his benefit. Plutarch's trying to portray the four contestants from District 12 in as positive a light as possible. Again, I kept picturing a young version of Philip Seymour Hoffman . . . apparently, the movies have left images in my brain. I like when Maysilee says, "Like when our shop calls stale marshmallows 'chewy.' And then charges an extra penny for them." That's putting a positive (but dishonest) spin on things.
Chapter 6: "We never, none of us, had any choices."
Maysilee is pointing out that the children of District 12 were destined to become what their family status made them. She claimed she would have spent the rest of her life behind the candy counter and Haymitch would die wearing miner's coveralls. Choice is interesting . . . we all have choices, but sometimes just accepting the status quo makes the most sense. The boy whose name was called first chose to run, but he only escaped being part of the Hunger Games.
I loved the connections between this book and the original trilogy! Wiress and Mags are their mentors, since 12 doesn't have surviving victors. Beetee shows up in the training room. I like how Collins has created a world that we can visit and people we "know."
Chapter 8: "I still don't think the fear they inspire justifies this arrangement we've all entered into. Do you?"
It really isn't fair for Plutarch to ask these kids such a question. He has money, position, and power. Their fear is well-founded. A rebellion may be something to aspire to in unjust circumstances, but when you've seen people tortured and killed for standing their ground, there's reason to fear.
Chapter 9: Then she remembered she'd read that sometimes the only thing you can control is your attitude to a situation.
Haymitch is thinking of something Lenore Dove told him when she was arrested by Peacekeepers. She was afraid, but remembering the above convinced her to NOT be afraid.
Chapter 13 has Caesar Flickerman giving a "brief retrospective of the other forty-nine Games." It's an interesting history, but doesn't give enough info on how this all got started. I'm pretty sure that's in Mockingjay, but I'm not up for a re-read right now. The phrase "...the Games evolved from pure punishment to unapologetic entertainment" caught my attention. How does violence become entertainment? (This is from someone who cannot watch boxing or WWE-type stuff . . . )
Chapter 14: Sometimes she cries because things are so beautiful and we keep messing them up. Because the world doesn't have to be so terrifying. That's on people, not the world.
Lenore Dove is truly Haymitch's sweetheart. She's like a touchstone for him.
Chapter 14: He sighs when he mentions the tools that were abolished and incapacitated in the past, ones deemed fated to destroy humanity because of their ability to replicate any scenario using any person.
This refers to Plutarch Heavensbee doing some video editing, but the allusion to our current-day AI slop . . . is chilling. It's getting tougher to know what photos, videos, etc. are "real" and which are manipulated.
Chapter 20: Mamaw used to say you never really knew who'd swim in a flood.
I love that Haymitch thinks of this homey aphorism when he sees how resilient Maysilee has been. There are others like this throughout the book. And LOTS of song verses / poems.
Chapter 23: I feel like I constantly demonstrate poor judgment. I don't feel qualified to choose between fried or scrambled eggs.
I can relate to this! And I smiled at the egg comparison.
Chapter 25: I have no idea how my efforts have been edited, blacked out, and card-stacked.
Haymitch sees first hand during the Victor's Ceremony that the Capitol has curated their own version of the truth.
Epilogue: Burdock was so proud of her, he toted her around everywhere. After he died in that mine explosion, she started coming alone, trading the odd squirrel or rabbit. Tough and smart, her hair in two braids then, reminding me for all the world of Louella McCoy. . .
I love that the story of Haymitch ends with his best friend's child being Katniss Everdeen! The way Collins wrote this is impressive.
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