Sunrise on the Reaping Chapter 20 sees the long awaited reunion of Haymitch and Maysilee inside the arena. This review will start with a summary of the chapter before going into a review and discussion on it.

FYI: This review is part of a series where I review one chapter of Sunrise on the Reaping each day as I read along. Each review is written before I have read the next chapter and is therefore spoiler-free for anything after Chapter 20.

What Happens in Chapter 20 of Sunrise on the Reaping?

Maysilee and Haymitch reunite after Maysilee saves Haymitch from Panache. They catch eachother up on how their experience in the arena has played out with Maysilee informing Haymitch that the lava from the volcano was not even hot and was instead some type of gel that gives you chemical burns.

The two set up camp for the night and eat their sponsor gift of soup – which Haymitch suspects is from Mags. They share a sweet moment where Haymitch calls her his sister before they see what tributes have been killed during the day. Ten tributes remain with just two being Careers.

The next morning, they scavenge together the food they have left and find some in the backpacks of the careers they defended themselves from. They have breakfast and then start to wander.

Haymitch finds his bearings when he sees the blueberry bush where Louella had found him and now has a better sense of what direction north is.

The pair reach the hedge ‘maze’ Haymitch had been led away from by a bunny in the previous chapter. At Haymitch’s direction, the pair begin to chop into the hedge that lies at the end of the arena before their arms are swarmed with ladybug-like mutts which begin to explode.

Review – Is Sunrise on the Reaping Chapter 20 Good?

This chapter is just what readers have been waiting for at this point with it giving readers a lot of insight into Maysilee’s experience so far in the arena.

The chapter does a good job at very naturally having the characters catch each other up and in turn inform the readers of what the games have so far entailed for Maysilee.

The sweet moment with Maysilee and Haymitch receiving the soup offers a really great moment of comfort for the characters and the reader. Similarly to basically all chapters in Sunrise on the Reaping, the chapter masterfully does a lot of groundwork with readers ‘reaping the reward’ later on.

This reigns particularly true at the end of this chapter when the bubble of calmness that has been created is quickly burst for the plot twist of the ladybug mutts suddenly swarming Maysilee and Haymitch.

Discussion – Is the Newcomers alliance about to come to an end?

With ten tributes remaining and just two of these tributes being Careers, the likelihood of the Newcomers alliance needing to come to an end is becoming increasingly likely.

From what we have seen so far, the majority of The Newcomers have yet to put much thought into what might happen once all the Careers are out of the picture. In fact, we even saw LouLou break down in her interview with Caesar Flickerman when the question was posed to her.

The potential conflict between the District 12 tributes and what’s left of The Newcomers besides them might soon play out. If it does it will be very interesting to read. However, there is a chance that the two remaining Careers that have survived thus far have survived for a reason and may prevent the need for an inward conflict of The Newcomers alliance.

What are your thoughts?

That wraps up all my thoughts on the chapter! Let me know yours in the comments below!