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God, do I love a Read It In Order guide — something about the organisation process of creating these posts is so satisfying. We’re back with another instalment, this time focusing on reading the Hunger Games books in order, because in recent years this world has expanded beyond the original trilogy of the late 2000s.
The original books did create quite a bit of backstory that was left unexplored, so it makes sense Suzanne Collins eventually came back to elaborate. There was, however, a pretty significant period of time where no Hunger Games books were published, leading many of us to think the series was done and dusted — a whole decade! Perhaps the current political climate spurred Collins into action? After all, it does seem like a lot of us have forgotten the original message Katniss Everdeen taught us . . . Anyways!
read the Hunger Games books
Right then. The original trilogy is 100% where you should start, even though timeline-wise the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping happen before Katniss and Peeta appear. As you would expect, pick up The Hunger Games first, followed by the sequels of Catching Fire and Mockingjay. (What a time we lived in when not all the titles in a series followed a pattern!)
The Original Hunger Games Trilogy
The Hunger Games (2008)
Catching Fire (2009)
Mockingjay (2010)
the Hunger Games prequels
Now, the extras. These are both technically standalones — though of course, both are far more meaningful and enjoyable if you have read the original trilogy. But if you do for some reason pick up one without any history of the Hunger Games world, you will have a fully self-contained story.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the first dip back into the Hunger Games world in an entire decade. This book is a prequel that goes back in time to show the Hunger Games competition in its infancy. While the original trilogy begins with the 74th annual Hunger Games, the competition depicted in this book is the tenth.
Sunrise on the Reaping, however, scratches that itch perfectly. This story is set between The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Hunger Games during the 50th iteration of the games. This time the protagonist is another character from the original series, Haymitch Abernathy, who readers will be a bit more familiar with. Personally, I found this story a lot more enjoyable than The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — though I must say, I really dislike the pining nature of Collins’s male protagonists. Sunrise on the Reaping has a much smaller focus on the romantic aspect, which is maybe why I liked it so much better than the other prequel. (Oops.)
Because Sunrise on the Reaping is closer to the original series on the timeline, there are a lot more overlapping characters. Again, you don’t have to have read the first trilogy to understand Sunrise, but there are a lot of wonderful little Easter eggs and connections to make if you have.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
If you intend to read both prequels, I would recommend starting with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes because Sunrise on the Reaping does contain quite a few nods to the events of the previous book that are fun to see.
Read the hunger games books In Order
Okay, so let’s sum it up without all the chat! As per usual, I recommend going in order of publication, not chronologically. So:
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games Book One)
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Book Two)
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Book Three)
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games novel)
Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games novel)
The hunger games books in chronological order
While the list above is the recommended order of reading, the events are not chronological. Here’s the order of the books in the Hunger Games timeline just for good measure.
Hunger games prequels
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games novel)
Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games novel)
The original Hunger Games trilogy
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games Book One)
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Book Two)
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Book Three)
Other Common Questions About the hunger games books
Are there going to be more Hunger Games books?
As of now, nothing has been announced. We’ve heard bits and pieces but for now, it seems there are no more books planned. But we never know. After all, Collins took a decade off between Mockingjay and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — maybe in another ten years she’ll find a new story to tell within the Hunger Games world.
are the hunger games books worth reading?
Oh, I’d say it’s a must. The Hunger Games is masterfully built — perhaps the perfect example of a dystopian YA. I could wax lyrical about how gorgeously written this thing is. Honestly, it’s a modern-day classic — and unfortunately, very topical in the current political climate.
Is The Hunger Games a movie?
If you were a teen in the 2010s, you 100% saw at least one of the Hunger Games films. The first instalment, The Hunger Games, came out in 2012 and starred a young Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. Like many of the YA adaptations of the day, the final book was split into two movies, meaning there is Mockingjay: Part One and a Mockingjay: Part Two.
More recently, there was an adaptation of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, which released in 2023.
Sunrise on the Reaping was also snapped up immediately, and as of late 2025, most of the cast has already been announced. The movie is expected out in late 2026.
are the Hunger Games books inappropriate?
I would say they are on the milder side of things — as far as I recall, there was nothing terribly explicit romance-wise. The themes, however, are definitely distressing and the violence is rife. The Hunger Games books are firmly Young Adult though.
What age are the Hunger Games books meant for?
This is a Young Adult book, so is aimed at teenagers — though as I always say, YA books can be enjoyed by those well beyond their teenage years. I’d even say more mature younger kids at higher levels of reading would enjoy the series.
Ta da! There’s your quick one-pager of the most beloved dystopian YA series out there. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Personally, I think a reread is in order.
Love always,
