Finally, the moment Hunger Games fans have been anticipating for years: a novel about Haymitch Abernathy’s story. Haymitch is a mentor to Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist in the original Hunger Games trilogy. ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ captivates readers with the gripping story of the 50th Hunger Games.
More than 1.2 million copies of ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ have been sold in the US alone and have been on Amazon’s “Best Sellers in Books” list for numerous weeks.
This prequel was released on March 18, 2025 and is set 24 years before the original trilogy, which follows Katniss Everdeen and her victory in the 74th Hunger Games. ‘The Hunger Games,’ ‘Catching Fire’ and ‘Mockingjay’ were released in 2008 through 2010. ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ is the fifth novel in ‘The Hunger Games’ series and was written by Suzanne Collins.
“It’s so good,” said Lincoln East junior, Asher Green. “Her writing is so good, I feel like I can imagine it.”
It’s been 17 years since Collins came out with the first novel in ‘The Hunger Games’ series, and she continues to impress. ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ fills in lots of the missing puzzle pieces left over from the other novels. It’s absolutely heartbreaking while also being inspiringly hopeful.
“I think that since it’s about a character that we already know, it gives a lot more of the background story which makes me want to go back and read the other books,” said Green.
The first prequel written by Collins, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ came out in 2020 and followed the early years of the original novel’s antagonist, President Coriolanus Snow and his path to facism during the 10th hunger games. The movie adaptation was released in the fall of 2023, starring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth. The film was a great success, winning The Action Movie of the Year at the People’s Choice Awards.
“Sunrise on the Reaping was definitely better than the other prequel and some of the other books,” said Lincoln East sophomore Andrea Hu.
The novel takes place in the dystopian world of Panem, more specifically district 12. We get a vivid picture of young Haymitch, who, despite his rough circumstances, has a sharp wit and rebellious spirit. His life is forever changed when he is selected to be a tribute for the Quarter Quell, which is a special edition of the games that this time demands double the number of tributes. So he is shipped off to the capitol with one of his childhood friends, the snobby mayor’s daughter and a sketchy oddsmaker.
“It was actually really good,” said Hu. “I thought the plot line in general was pretty solid. There were a lot of metaphors in it but it really worked.”
The novel explores themes such as propaganda, societal control, the power of narrative manipulation, corruption of youth, and rebellion. Collins does a phenomenal job of offering much deeper insights into the origins of familiar elements from the original trilogy, adding to the reader’s understanding of Panem’s history.
“Without spoiling it, my favorite part was the ending,” said Hu. “That was definitely the emotional climax and it was really good.”
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ is already scheduled for a movie adaptation for November of 2026. As of now, filming will begin this upcoming summer, but the cast list has yet to be revealed. Many Hunger Games fans are very excited for the upcoming movie and are hoping for a brilliant cast, as well as a plot that stays true to the book.
“I’m really excited for the movie and I hope they keep a lot of things from the book,” said Green. “I think it’ll be really good and I’ll definitely go see it in theaters.”
Hopefully ‘The Hunger Games’ world will continue to expand, but in the meantime I highly suggest ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ and the rest of the series if you want an astonishing reading experience!
