How to Read The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins in Order of Events
With Sunrise on the Reaping out at last, here’s a refresher on the rest of the series.
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Before Jennifer Lawrence volunteered as tribute on our screens, the story of Katniss Everdeen—and the world of Panem—first unfolded on the page. Suzanne Collins’s novel The Hunger Games quickly captivated readers everywhere in 2008, with its dystopian tale of a deadly competition among teenagers and the heroine who rose among them to defy the Capitol. The bestseller promptly evolved into a book trilogy and then film series, and has since expanded into prequel novels and associated films.
Whether you are new to the series or looking to dive back in, you can find all five Hunger Games books below, listed chronologically by the events in Panem’s history rather than the year they were published.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (2020)
Average Goodreads rating: 3.98
The first prequel in the series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place during the tenth iteration of the Hunger Games. It follows 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (the future President Snow) as he becomes a mentor for the games in an attempt to save his family from ruin. But the undertaking proves an unexpected challenge: He’s assigned a headstrong tribute from the lowly District 12, Lucy Gray Baird, and even though things get off to a rough start, they start developing feelings for each other. A film adaptation starring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth came out in 2023.
The newest novel in the series—also the second prequel—is set during the 50th Hunger Games, also known as a Quarter Quell year. This time, there are twice as many tributes in the area as in a normal year. One of them is District 12 tribute Haymitch Abernathy—a beloved figure from The Hunger Games trilogy—who fears being taken away from his loved ones, including his sweetheart, Lenore Dove. Even with an understanding that he could fail, Haymitch is determined to fight and see the games through. A Sunrise on the Reaping film is already in the works, set to release in 2026.
Average Goodreads rating: 4.34
The Hunger Games is the book that started it all. Technically the first entry in Collins’s series, the novel introduced readers to Panem, a dystopian nation with 12 distinct districts and a Capitol, located where North America once stood. To keep the districts in order, the Capitol hosts the annual Hunger Games, a televised competition in which teenage boys and girls from each district fight to the death. One of those players—a.k.a. tributes—is 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who takes the place of her younger sister and must do everything she can to survive.
Average Goodreads rating: 4.34
Fresh off her Hunger Games win, Katniss Everdeen faces an upheaval in her relationship with Peeta Mellark, her fellow District 12 tribute—and confronts the growing ire of the Capitol. Displeased by the last-minute move that allowed both Katniss and Peeta to win the games, President Snow has informed Katniss she must do everything she can to staunch the growing rebellion amongst the districts. But with another Quarter Quell looming, Katniss understands the games have only just begun.
Average Goodreads rating: 4.10
Katniss is still standing, but at what cost? Her home is gone; the Capitol has captured Peeta; and a rebellion is underway in the districts. With the mysterious District 13 rising up to lead the revolution, Katniss must decide with whom her loyalties ultimately lie.
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