by Suzanne Collins

YA Science Fiction (Dystopian), 2025 by Scholastic Press, 400 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

To my knowledge this is the first time there’s been an obvious quote or nod to something we’d recognize from our history. No spoilers but it threw me. Yes, I am aware of the link to our history and that Panem sits on North American soil. But having a quote we’re familiar with tossed in was jarring.
Don’t get me wrong, I was ECSTATIC to read so many familiar names in this story. BUT … why is this the first we’re hearing about the relationship some of them have? Odd that it never came up during the 74th or 75th games, right?
There’s a lot of nods to the previous books. Most fans will adore this but I could see it being “too convenient” for some readers. Personally, I loved it. 12 is a small district, connections make sense. But I see the other side of the argument as well.

What I Did Like:

Haymitch. Look, I’ll try not to be partial. He was my FAVORITE character in the trilogy (maybe excluding Peeta). Getting a front row seat to how Panem broke him is going to be ROUGH and yet amazing at the same time. The fact that this is HIS games is 100% of the reason I preordered this book and why I cleared my schedule to read it when it arrived.
As is to be expected with this series, this one hits the ground running. You’re into the world quickly and you’re ANGRY quickly. It’s emotional in the same way the original three were. Possibly, because we know what to expect (to some extent) it’s even more powerful and emotional.
An excellent link between the 10th games, which seemed almost primitive, and the 74th where everything was incredibly high end. This one shows that growth in an interesting way.
Heavy on the big themes. Government overreach, brainwashing, fascism, propaganda, and even touches on AI. She hid nothing this time, it’s all in the open.

Hunger Games fans, obviously. I wouldn’t say you need to reread the original trilogy. They give you reminders you might need.
Dystopian fans. This is a dark dystopian series. I wouldn’t recommend reading this one first but I would recommend it. I would also say this one felt deeper, darker, and somehow more grown up than the original trilogy.
Readers who need a book about a character who is utterly destroyed by a terrible government.

I struggled with how to rate this because I loved it SO much. But at the end of the day this one is for dystopian fans or Hunger Games fans. I can’t see it appealing to readers who read outside of those genres.