After a decade and a half in obscurity, Haymitch Abernathy’s tragic backstory has finally been revealed for Hunger Games fans. And it includes some surprising connections to several iconic characters in the saga, like Katniss Everdeen herself. With Sunrise on the Reaping now on shelves, here are the most important revelations that fans need to know about.
The new prequel centers on the 50th annual Hunger games, which has been mentioned in previous books but specific details had not been delved into. For this second Quarter Quell, double the usual amount of tributes were chosen to compete in an especially deadly arena. The final outcome of the game is already a spoiler by necessity — as avid fans already know that Haymitch is declared the victor. But a lot of even more important details show just how devastatingly the Capitol traumatized Haymitch, leading him to become the abrasive alcoholic we meet in the original Hunger Games trilogy.
Spoiler Alert: The rest of this post reveals plot details from Sunrise on the Reaping.
1. Haymitch’s Reaping Was Even More Unconventional Than Katniss’
Every Hunger Games fan knows that Katniss first entered the games by volunteering herself to protect her younger sister Prim. And Haymitch also had an out-of-the-ordinary reaping. When one of the boys reaped in District 12 is killed as he flees the ceremony, Haymitch is chosen as the replacement, since he ran into the chaos over the dead body to try to protect his girlfriend, Lenore Dove.
2. Haymitch Is More Closely Connected To Katniss Than Anyone Realized
The prequel reveals that Haymitch was very close friends with Katniss’ father, Burdock Everdeen. In fact, it was Burdock who introduced Haymitch to Lenore. Since Lenore is Burdock’s cousin. Haymitch would have been Katniss’ uncle in another lifetime — one in which his true love didn’t die.
The newly released story also confirms Haymitch saw Katniss as a baby. But when Burdock was introducing his newborn daughter to the town, Haymitch only snuck peeks from afar, since he’d then decided the best way to protect his loved ones from the Capitol was to distance himself from them.
3. He Also Has History With Effie
Turns out, Haymitch and Effie Trinket weren’t simply fast frenemies when they seemed to meet as the mentor and chaperone of Katniss and Peeta prior to the 74th Hunger Games. Sunrise on the Reaping reveals that the two actually knew each other during the 50th Hunger games, when Effie was assigned to replace Drusilla Sickle as District 12’s chaperone.
4. Wiress, Beetee, And Mags’ Connections With Haymitch Are Revealed
In Catching Fire, Haymitch encourages Katniss and Peeta to align with a group of outcasted former victors. His reasoning is unclear at that time, but Sunrise on the Reaping reveals why he trusts those three specific competitors so much.
Wiress and Mags served as Haymitch’s mentors in the 50th Hunger Games, even undergoing torture by the Capitol for helping him in his rebellion. Beetee was also a crucial ally for Haymitch — informing him of how to shut down the arena. Haymitch carried out Beetee’s plan with the help of the former victor’s son, Ampert.
5. Haymitch’s Post-Mockingjay Life Is Detailed
The book ends with an epilogue that majorly jumps forward in time, after the events of the original trilogy. After his experiences with Katniss and Peeta, Haymitch tells them his full story, including how everyone he loved has been killed by the Capitol after his Hunger Games. Although Haymitch says he’s probably close to death due to liver damage, he tells Katniss and Peeta that they are the only family he considers to have left in the world.
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