Prequels and sequels are usually created to either expand the author’s world or to give another character the chance to have their own story. Sometimes, though, they can be used to shine light on the main series in a way that the reader would never think of.

Haymitch Abernathy is not a new character to us. “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, isn’t a new book/movie franchise either. Everyone who has read the original trilogy knows how Haymitch’s Games went down.

He was reaped as one of the four tributes for the Second Quarter Quell. He was cocky, sarcastic and confident in his interview with Caesar Flickerman. He was a loner in the arena and the only alliance he had was with Maysilee Donner, another tribute from the 12th District. They separated when only five tributes remained and she died in his arms a little while later. Haymitch won the games after his last opponent, a girl named Silka from District 1, threw an axe into a force field and it ended up ending her life.

Straightforward and easy. This is what Katniss and Peeta, the heroes of the original trilogy, see when they watch his games as a preparation for their Third Quarter Quell.

“Sunrise on the Reaping” shows us just how easy it is to manipulate what people remember.   

The book not only gives us an insight into Haymitch, but also ties together the sequel trilogy and the prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” answering questions about the universe the readers didn’t even know they had.

From the appearance of familiar characters, like the previous victors Beetee, Mags and Wiress, through the callbacks to Lucy Gray Baird and her connection to Haymitch’s love Lenore Dove, to the naming of Katniss’ father and the reveal that Haymitch could’ve been an uncle to her if the world was just a little less cruel — this book was everything a fan of the franchise could want.

But it also tears your heart open and stomps on it, or in a recently popular social media phrase, it does not kiss the brick before throwing it at your head.

All of Collins’ previous books made it clear that the Capitol creates heavy propaganda to keep the Districts in check and keep the citizens of Capitol happy. And yet I don’t think it was ever as striking as when they reaped Haymitch illegally after the previous tribute Woodbine Chance was shot during his attempt to escape, and the subsequent sequence of Plutarch (another familiar character) filming fake reactions of Haymitch’s mother and brother just to let them say goodbye before leaving.

And it doesn’t stop. When the chariot scene goes haywire and Haymitch presents Louella’s — his fellow tribute’s — dead body to Snow to take responsibility for, the public never sees it. The brainwashed Lou Lou, who replaces Louella in the Games as a body double because they cannot admit the Capitol lost control of the situation for even a second. The alliance that most of the poorer districts joined against the stronger Careers, is erased from history. Haymitch’s failed attempt to blow up the arena (a plot by the previous victors to spark a rebellion) that results in the brutal death of Beetee’s son Ampert is never revealed and cut in production to the point where it seems as if they never interacted.

When the time comes for Haymitch to watch the movie made out of his Games, he and us as the readers, learn just how easy it is to rewrite the narrative.

The book delivers pain on top of more pain, when Haymitch’s homecoming turns into him losing his family and his love, all as a punishment from President Snow due to his actions in the Games.

So the first attempt at a rebellion resulted in a grieving father, broken victor turned alcoholic and the reveal of the torture that Mags and Wiress endured because of their involvement, which explains why one was nonverbal and the other mentally broken once we meet them in the second book of the original trilogy.

Haymitch was nothing more than an experiment. And yet, there is no way Katniss could’ve been successful in becoming the symbol of the rebellion 25 years later, if it wasn’t for him sparking the flame.

She was the luckier version of him in every regard. And that is what makes his story that much more tragic.

“Sunrise on the reaping” is a beautiful tragedy, but it carries a heavy symbolism that is easy to overlook when you want to stay blind.

Haymitch was a complex, brave, compassionate character who learned that he was complacent in the Games by accepting his fate and did everything he could to change that, who tried unsuccessfully to save everyone close to him, only to be reduced into nothing more than a trouble making rascal, just by a simple edit in the footage, a different angle of the story.

Because it was just that easy for Capitol and Snow to rewrite his story. Show the masses one thing, and they never have a reason to doubt the lie. Because why would they believe a runt from the poorest District over their leader? Who cares about the truth, when the lie makes for better entertainment?

Collins only writes when she has something to say. I think it’s time we all start listening.