Hunger Games reading order
Start here
The Hunger Games
2008
Hunger Games reading order: The Hunger Games first. Ballad and Sunrise on the Reaping are prequels — not book one.
Short answer · Start here
The Hunger Games
It is book one (2008). The two later prequels assume you already know what the Games became. Do not start with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes because the film is newer.
Collins wrote a complete trilogy, then returned with two novels set earlier. Publication order and chronological order disagree. For a first read they should disagree.
The original trilogy
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Hunger GamesStart here | 2008 | Start here. | |
| 2 |  Catching Fire | 2009 | ||
| 3 |  Mockingjay | 2010 | Ends Katniss’s run. |
There is no contested order inside these three. The films follow this spine.
The prequels — after, not before
| Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes | 2020 | Prequel. After the trilogy for a first read. | |
 Sunrise on the Reaping | 2025 | Later prequel. After the trilogy. After Ballad if you want publication order among the extras. |
Contested order, labeled: chronological charts put Ballad, then Sunrise on the Reaping, then The Hunger Games. That path hands you the Capitol’s earlier faces before Katniss earns them. It is a reread or a second visit.
House rule:
- The Hunger Games
- Catching Fire
- Mockingjay
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes if you want more
- Sunrise on the Reaping if you want more
You can read the two prequels in either order relative to each other after the trilogy. Publication order (Ballad then Sunrise) is the calmer path. Neither is a new book one.
Common mistakes
- Starting with Ballad because the movie poster is in the shop window.
- Starting with Sunrise on the Reaping because it is the newest hardcover.
- Treating the prequels as required homework before book one.
- Searching “Hunger Games” and picking up a coloring book or official companion as novel 4.
What to read next
- Red Rising (Pierce Brown) — If you want another climb out of a color-coded underclass, much longer and meaner.
- Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi) — If you want a YA dystopia run that keeps the same voice past three books. Start at Shatter Me, not Watch Me.
- The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer) — If you want another finished YA run whose prequel should stay after book three. Start at Cinder.
- Divergent (Veronica Roth) — If you want the other 2010s trilogy people still start in the extras.
- An Ember in the Ashes (Sabaa Tahir) — If you want another finished YA rebellion with a clear first book. Start at An Ember in the Ashes (2015). Mockingjay still closes the trilogy; the prequels are optional aftercare.
FAQ
Do I need the prequels?
No. The trilogy ends.
Should I read Ballad first because it is earlier?
Not for a first read.
Is Sunrise on the Reaping a sequel to Mockingjay?
No. It is a later-published prequel.
Movie order?
The original films follow the trilogy. The Ballad film is not an on-ramp to the novels.
Sources
- Suzanne Collins — author site for the Hunger Games titles. Opened 2026-09-13.
- Scholastic, The Hunger Games — publisher series hub. Opened 2026-09-13.
Same shelf
