Hunger Games Books in Order: Publication Order, Story Order and Where to Start Before Sunrise on the Reaping

Read the Hunger Games books in publication order: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, then Sunrise on the Reaping. If you prefer story order, start with Ballad, move to Sunrise, and then read the original trilogy.

There are five novels, all by Suzanne Collins and published by Scholastic. The three-book trilogy follows Katniss Everdeen. The two prequels go back to earlier Games and earlier characters. Sunrise on the Reaping is also the novel behind the film that Lionsgate lists for November 20, 2026, which makes this a good moment to pick the right starting point.

Hunger Games books in order of publication

Dates come from Wikipedia’s pages for each novel. Mockingjay’s August 24 date is the US and Canada release; Wikipedia notes the UK, New Zealand and Australia followed a day later.

Hunger Games books in story order

Wikipedia places Sunrise after Ballad and before the trilogy, so the in-story sequence is Ballad, Sunrise, then books one to three.

Which order should you pick?

Choose publication order if you are new to the series. The prequels are written for readers who may already know the Capitol, the districts and the arena. The Hunger Games is also the book that introduces the premise: Katniss, from District 12 in the nation of Panem, takes her younger sister’s place in a televised fight to the death between teenagers from the twelve districts. It is told in the first person and present tense, as Katniss tells it.

Choose story order if you already know the trilogy or the films. Starting with Ballad lets you watch the Capitol’s youngest leading figure develop before you meet him as the president of the first book. Moving straight to Sunrise gives you Haymitch’s origin before the film, though you can enjoy it without having read Ballad.

Do you have to read all five before the film? No. Sunrise on the Reaping is a self-contained prequel. You can read it on its own, but it features characters who also appear in the trilogy, so familiarity with the first three books makes those appearances land harder.

What each book covers (spoiler-free)

The Hunger Games (2008)

The trilogy’s starting point and the novel the 2012 film adapts. It introduces Katniss, District 12, the Capitol and the Games. Wikipedia lists it among the 2008 Publishers Weekly “Best Books of the Year” and notes it won the 2009 Golden Duck Award for young adult fiction.

Catching Fire (2009)

The second book picks up six months after Katniss’s win in the 74th Games, with the main characters back in District 12. It is the middle of a three-part story, so it works best read straight after book one.

Mockingjay (2010)

The final trilogy novel covers the rebellion and the end of the Games. Wikipedia describes its structure as 27 chapters in three parts of nine, mirroring the three-act form Collins knew from her playwriting background. That is also why Lionsgate later split the book into two films.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)

The first prequel follows Coriolanus Snow at 18, a struggling Capitol student assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12 in the 10th Games. If you want the film version, our Hunger Games movies in order guide places The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (released November 17, 2023) in both release and story order.

Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)

The newest novel is set during the 50th Hunger Games and centres on Haymitch Abernathy, the District 12 victor of that Games. Wikipedia’s character list also includes Lenore Dove Baird, Maysilee Donner, Beetee, Wiress, Mags, Plutarch Heavensbee and President Snow. The film adaptation is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Billy Ray, and stars Joseph Zada as Haymitch.

Buy the Hunger Games novels

Frequently confused points

• Are the prequels part of the trilogy? No. The original trilogy is The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Ballad and Sunrise are separate prequel novels that happen earlier in the timeline.
• Does the film order match the book order? Roughly, but not exactly. Lionsgate split Mockingjay into two films, so the original trilogy became four movies. Our Sunrise on the Reaping trailer breakdown and the London premiere first reactions cover what has been shown of the new film so far.
• Is anything else announced? The only announced follow-on work in the sources we checked is the Sunrise on the Reaping film. We found no further announced novels.

If you enjoy reading-order guides, we have similar ones for Dune, Narnia and Silo. Everything we publish on this series lives on the Hunger Games franchise page.

FAQ

What order should I read the Hunger Games books in?

Publication order is the simplest: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, then Sunrise on the Reaping. Story order starts with Ballad, continues with Sunrise, and then runs through the three original novels.

How many Hunger Games books are there?

There are five novels: three in the original trilogy and two prequels, all by Suzanne Collins.

Do I need to read Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before Sunrise on the Reaping?

No. Wikipedia lists Ballad as the earlier prequel, published in 2020, but treats Sunrise as its own story set during the 50th Games. You can read Sunrise first.

When is Sunrise on the Reaping set?

It is set 24 years before The Hunger Games, during the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell.

Which Hunger Games book is the movie Sunrise on the Reaping based on?

The film adapts Collins’s novel Sunrise on the Reaping, published by Scholastic on March 18, 2025. Lionsgate lists the film for November 20, 2026 in the United States.

Should I read the books before watching the movies?

You can do either; neither order is required. If you want the fullest picture of the newest film, reading Sunrise on the Reaping first is the most direct route.