Sunrise on the Reaping (the Hunger Games)

Description: "As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena."--

Brief description: Suzanne Collins is the inter-nationally bestselling author of the Hunger Games series, which also includes the novels The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Together, the books have sold over 100 million copies and were the basis for five popular films. Her other books include the acclaimed Underland Chronicles series, which begins with Gregor the Overlander, and the picture book Year of the Jungle, illustrated by James Proimos. To date, her books have been published in fifty-three languages around the world.

Review Quotes:

Praise for SUNRISE ON THE REAPING:

A New York Times Editors' Choice

An Amazon Best Book of 2025 So Far

"A propulsive, brutal Hunger Games prequel is here. And it's great." The New York Times

"Yes, the new Hunger Games prequel is really that good. Everything Hunger Games fans could want and more." USA Today

"Collins is awfully good at what she does. It's a life-giving book." PEOPLE

"Like Margaret Atwood and George Orwell before her, Collins' novels have become part of the lexicon, an adjective -- this is very Hunger Games -- used to illustrate government overreach and authoritarianism. The Hunger Games series, including Sunrise on the Reaping, is a central part in the American dystopian literary canon." MSNBC

"[I]t's as if Collins is asking us to reflect on how much we really know of our history, and how much power we have in ensuring that our current truths have a place in the future." NPR

"Sunrise on the Reaping...succeeds in the near-impossible task of making a well-trod story feel as intimate and visceral as its predecessors." ELLE

"Genuinely outstanding." Paste

"Equal parts touching and deeply sad." Teen Vogue

★ "[A] brutal tale of compassion and rage, and a frank examination of propaganda and tragedy, that will satisfy longtime series fans and newcomers alike." Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

★ "Raw, shocking, and deeply bittersweet, Haymitch's backstory pulls the pieces of the Hunger Games universe together with ease....Collins has mentioned in past interviews that she would not return to this series unless she had something to say--and she has a lot to say." Booklist, Starred Review

★ "Required reading for fans of the original trilogy. A must-have." School Library Journal, Starred Review