Emily has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, MS, and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from GCSU in Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies and musicals, cuddling cats, Instagramming pictures of cats, and blogging/podcasting about books with the ladies over at #BookSquadGoals (www.booksquadgoals.com). She can be reached at emily.ecm@gmail.com.
Sunrise on the Reaping is finally coming out on March 18. Suzanne Collins’s last Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, was so widely loved and hyped. But if you can believe it, there’s even more excitement surrounding the latest in the Hunger Games series, most likely because it centers around one of the series’ most beloved characters, Haymitch Abernathy. But what can we expect from this highly-anticipated entry into the world of the Hunger Games? Here’s everything you need to know!
Sunrise on the Reaping is a dystopian YA novel that takes place 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games. It’s time for the 50th annual games in Panem, and Haymitch Abernathy is a tribute from District 12. From the beginning, Haymitch knows the odds are not in his favor. But his will to fight might be enough to defy all the odds. If you’re looking for more of a peak into Haymitch’s story before the novel releases on March 18, check out an excerpt from the novel here.
Collins’s latest Hunger Games novel will be available in bookstores everywhere, and of course, it will also be available in audiobook and ebook editions. The audiobook version of Sunrise on the Reaping will be narrated by acclaimed actor Jefferson White, who you might recognize as Jimmy Hurdstrom from the television series Yellowstone.
White told People, “It’s an honor to be a small part of a world I’ve loved for so long — Suzanne Collins is a genius and it’s equal parts exhilarating and terrifying to be back in Panem.”
Lori Benton, president of Scholastic Audio, said, “With his ability to capture the subtle complexities of characters, Jefferson delivers a dynamic and nuanced performance that will draw listeners deeper into the raw emotion and intensity of the world Suzanne Collins has built. It’s an auditory adventure that you won’t want to miss!”
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Sunrise on the Reaping will also be released as part of a 5-part hardcover Hunger Games box set. Additionally, multiple booksellers will carry a special edition of the hardcover novel. Barnes & Noble’s edition includes an in-depth conversation between Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins and YA author David Levithan. And if you preorder from B&N, you also have an opportunity to win a Barnes & Noble gift card, the Hunger Games deluxe edition boxed set, and Hunger Games merch. Wal-Mart’s special edition includes a two-sided collectible poster featuring a Hunger Games timeline. Wal-Mart is also offering a special edition of the book, but it’s unclear what the additional features will be. Meanwhile, indie bookstores are offering exclusive temporary tattoos with your book purchase.
But there’s even more Hunger Games news! Sunrise on the Reaping will be adapted into a film. We can expect it to hit theaters on November 20, 2026. Stay tuned for more information on that.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
English (US) · 