How to Read the Hunger Games Books in Order

It was this melodramatic YA deed that launched the epic Hunger Games franchise. After writer Suzanne Collins recovered herself flicking betwixt sum of the ongoing warfare successful Iraq and world TV precocious astatine night, she was inspired to make her bestselling caller astir a satellite wherever kids indispensable combat each different to the decease for the amusement of their chap countrymen. It's a brutal introduction into the dystopian YA canon that launched 1,000 imitators and a smash-hit container bureau franchise that's inactive going beardown today.

The communicative of this archetypal caller follows Katniss, a young pistillate successful the impoverished District 12, who scavenges to assistance her household past acold from the watchful oculus of the Capitol. But erstwhile the yearly reaping ceremonial sees Katniss's young sister picked arsenic a Tribute for that year's Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers, sending herself connected a nightmarish travel of survival. Fighting against different children from Panem and alongside her chap District 12 tribute, the sweet-hearted baker Peeta, she indispensable outsmart not lone her competitors but besides the maniacal authorities that sent them there.

2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Following their shocking endurance successful the Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss should beryllium surviving a peaceful beingness arsenic champions. But aft tricking the Capitol into letting them some survive, the brace are successful much information than ever. Their extremist endurance has inspired cells of absorption crossed Panem, and President Snow blames Katniss, threatening decease to her loved ones if she doesn't play on with the Capitol narrative. But Katniss can't assistance but beryllium inspired by the bravery of the Districts that she and Peeta sojourn connected their "Victory Tour," and soon the brace finds themselves successful the arena of the Hunger Games erstwhile again. Taking her bestselling look and expanding the satellite and lore portion introducing caller fan-fave characters similar Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason, the 2nd introduction successful the bid sets up the shocking finale brilliantly with a world-shifting twist that changes everything we cognize astir Panem.

3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

In the action-packed finale of the archetypal Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss and her rebellion friends are flung into a nightmarish warfare against the Capitol. As they purpose to instrumentality down President Snow and instal their ain leader, Alma Coin, Katniss finds herself the reluctant look of a conflict that puts her loved ones successful the crosshairs. Instead of a instrumentality to the Hunger Games arena, Snow brings the Hunger Games to the streets of the Capitol, wherever Katniss and her unit indispensable conflict done nightmarish traps and horrific unit successful bid to execute their extremity of bringing state to Panem. But, arsenic she learns, thing is what it seems, and immoderate radical don't privation to alteration the strategy truthful overmuch arsenic instrumentality power of it. This trilogy-ender stands retired arsenic a amazingly depressing and realistic extremity to a blockbuster series.

Note: The theatrical mentation of this last publication was divided into 2 films, Mockingjay - Part 1 and Part 2.

4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

As noted above, this prequel is acceptable 64 years earlier the archetypal book, though Collins wrote it with audiences who were acquainted with her bid successful mind. That's wherefore the prequel ends up astatine the extremity of our list, truthful you tin afloat bask the discourse and worldbuilding of the archetypal trilogy earlier having your bosom breached by the root communicative of the villainous President Snow.

Chronicling the origins of the Hunger Games arsenic we cognize them, this communicative centers connected the readying of the 10th variation of the Games and the impoverished 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, who is chosen arsenic a mentor for District 12. It's determination helium meets their pistillate tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, who becomes an influential portion successful the past of the Games, acknowledgment to the mode she utilizes her skills arsenic a instrumentalist to prosecute the audience. As Snow and Lucy turn closer, some their lives alteration everlastingly arsenic they hole for the Hunger Games and autumn for each different successful the process. This is an intriguing look astatine the aboriginal days of the Games and however some Lucy and Snow shaped them. If you're already a fan, it's an enlargement filled with Easter eggs. And if you're a newcomer, it's an absorbing jumping-on constituent that'll alteration however you work the series.

5. Sunrise connected the Reaping

Four years aft the archetypal publication merchandise of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins announced her plans for a caller installment successful the Hunger Games series. "Sunrise connected the Reaping," different prequel to the archetypal trilogy, was published connected March 18, 2025. The caller publication takes spot 40 years aft the communicative of Lucy Gray and 24 years earlier the archetypal Hunger Games novel, erstwhile instrumentality favourite Haymitch Abernathy is picked arsenic 1 of District 12's tributes successful the Second Quarter Quell.

Like The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the caller Hunger Games books is technically a prequel to the archetypal trilogy. That said, Collins apt wrote the publication with the existing trilogy successful mind, assuming readers are already acquainted with the infamous Second Quarter Quell, which features 48 tributes alternatively of 24, and Haymitch's relation aboriginal successful beingness arsenic Katniss's mentor.

The Hunger Games Books successful Timeline Order

1. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

2. Sunrise connected the Reaping

3. The Hunger Games

4. Catching Fire

5. Mockingjay

Will There Be More Hunger Games Books?

After completing the archetypal Hunger Games trilogy, some The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise connected the Reaping were astonishment announcements from Suzanne Collins. It's hard to foretell whether we'll spot much books successful the series, arsenic it'll beryllium connected whether Collins has much stories from the Twelve Districts she wants to tell. One happening we bash cognize is that Mockingjay is the "finale" of The Hunger Games, truthful a sequel is unlikely, and aboriginal projects would apt proceed to absorption connected the satellite of Panem earlier Katniss.

Otherwise, Sunrise connected the Reaping was confirmed to beryllium getting a movie adaptation astatine the aforesaid clip the publication was announced. The movie is acceptable to merchandise successful theaters connected November 20, 2026.

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Rosie Knight is simply a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to fearfulness flicks. You tin find her connected societal astatine @rosiemarx.

Originally posted:

Mar 18, 2025 4:37 pm