Summary
Author Suzanne Collins has announced her new book,Sunrise on the Reaping, which will finally dive into the most brutal tournament of theHunger Gamesfranchise. This is undoubtedly saying something since the Hunger Games featured in Collins’s books see children between the ages of 12 and 17 brutally kill each other until only one is left standing. However, the teased setting ofSunrise on the Reapingindicates thatthe upcoming book will follow the events of the 50th Hunger Games,which Collins' previous novels revealed to have changed all the rules.
Sunrise on the Reapingis Collins' second prequelto herThe Hunger Gamestrilogy, withThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesreleased in 2020. The author has stated that the new novel will pick up 40 years after the end of Coriolanus Snow’s prequel and begin on the morning of District 12’s reaping. She went on to explain (viaVariety) that the tale was inspired by the work of Scottish philosopher David Hume and the idea of"implicit submission." This is certainly intriguing, especially since it seemsSunrise on the Reapingwill explore this through more bloodshed.
Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date, Story, Updates & Everything We Know
Suzanne Collins has announced details about the upcoming novel in the Hunger Games series, which will be titled Sunrise on the Reaping.
Sunrise On The Reaping Will Cover Haymitch’s Hunger Games
Haymitch Was the Victor Of The 50th Hunger Games
Though Collins' bigHunger Gamesnovel announcement didn’t mention Haymitch by name, the fact that the story is set 40 years afterThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesis enough to confirm that the titular reaping will be for the 50th Hunger Games, whichHaymitch Abernathy participated. This is highly exciting sinceHunger Games fanshave been requesting a Haymitch prequel sinceCatching Firegave a sneak peek into his games.
Katniss' mentor was an alcoholic with symptoms of trauma, and there has never been any question that this came as the result of his games. Haymitch rarely talked about his experience in the arena, but while preparing for the third Quarter Quell,Katniss and Peeta watched recordings of his reaping and tournament, hoping it would help them understand their own Quell. What they saw revealed a great deal about Haymitch’s character, as well as the cruelty of the Capitol.
TheSunrise on the Reapingbook will be released on August 10, 2025, and a movie adaptation has already been confirmed with a release date of Jun 05, 2025.
Why The Second Quarter Quell Was The Bloodiest In Panem’s History
The 50th Hunger Games Changed All The Rules
Just asKatniss and Peeta’s Quarter Quellchanged the rules by requiring the tributes to be selected from the existing pool of victors, Snow also made some adjustments to the second Quarter Quell.The 50th Hunger Games demanded twice as many tributes as usual—two boys and two girls from each District. Therefore, rather than 23 dead tributes at the end, the victor of the second Quarter Quell would have the corpses of 47 children on their conscience, including three from their own District.
Rather than 23 dead tributes at the end, the victor of the second Quarter Quell would have the corpses of 47 children on their conscience.
Since the 50th Hunger Games contained twice as much bloodshed, it was easily the most brutal game in Panem’s history, and this will make the upcomingSunrise on the Reapingeven more devastating to read. What’s more, the Gamemakers of the second Quarter Quell raised the bar withthe arena, whichappeared to be a colorful, tropical paradise but was instead a poisonous and deadly hellscape. Haymitch’s time in the arena should be much longer and full of even more twists, turns, and devastating murders than previousHunger Gamesnovels.
Sunrise On The Reaping May Be The Hunger Games' Grand Finale
Haymitch Is The Last District 12 Victor To Get Their Own Story
A prequel featuring Haymitch’s games was heavily requested, but this wasn’t the only prominent idea from fans. Books following Finnick, Mags, or Joanna have also been begged for in recent years. However, Collins' choices in prequels so far indicate that this might not happen. All of the author’sexistingHunger Gamesbooksfeature games won by District 12 tributes.The Hunger Gamessaw Katniss and Peeta claim victory,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesexplored Lucy Gray’s games, and now,Sunrise on the Reapingwill cover the last of them, Haymitch.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesrevealed that District 12carries some painful significance with President Snow, which puts into perspective the rage he would have felt when Katniss Everdeen forced the Gamemakers' hands with those berries.Sunrise on the Reapingwill see Haymitch, the first District 12 victor since Lucy Gray, win his games in just as controversial away. As a whole,Collins' fiveHunger Gamesbooks would outline Snow’s personal war with District 12. Any other prequels (or sequels) would disrupt this rather effective formula.
The second Quarter Quell would have been Snow’s pride and joy—the greatest and most spectacular Hunger Games in Panem’s history.
Moreover, the extreme nature of Haymitch’s games makes them the perfect capper for the book franchise. The second Quarter Quell would have been Snow’s pride and joy—the greatest and most spectacular Hunger Games in Panem’s history. The fact that it was sabotaged by a District 12 tribute would have been enough to break something within the president. LikeBalad of Songbirds and Snakes, the new book will provide further context for why Snow saw Katniss as such a threat. For this reason,Sunrise on the Reapingwould make for a perfect full-circle ending.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Cast
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores the dystopian world of Panem 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s story. This prequel focuses on the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, unveiling the origins of crucial events and traditions in the series.
