Sunrise on the Reaping

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Sunrise on the Reaping
Author	Suzanne Collins
Country	United States
Genre	Dystopian/Young adult
Publisher	Scholastic Press
Publication date	March 18, 2025
ISBN	ISBN 1546171460
Pages	382
Preceded by	The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Followed by	The Hunger Games

"They will not use my tears for their entertainment."

—Haymitch Abernathy

Sunrise on the Reaping is a YA prequel novel to the dystopian fictional world of The Hunger Games trilogy written by American author Suzanne Collins. It is set twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The book was announced on June 6, 2024 by Scholastic Press, and was released on March 18, 2025. A simultaneous audiobook release was also released, narrated by Jefferson White.

A film is currently in development and expected to be released on November 20, 2026.

Synopsis

"Sunrise on the Reaping" will revisit the world of Panem 24 years before the events of "The Hunger Games," starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

As the day dawns on the 50th 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.

Plot

Part I: "The Birthday"

It is the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games and tensions are running high in District 12. Always a tough time, things are more fraught than ever, with this being a Quarter Quell and it being announced that twice the normal number of tributes will be reaped - two boys and two girls from each district. Things are especially tense for Haymitch Abernathy for whom today, July 4, also happens to be his birthday. He is hoping to get through the reaping and enjoy the rest of the day with his love, Lenore Dove, a girl of the Covey who tells him that just because there has always been a reaping before does not mean there always will be.

During the reaping, the two boys called from District 12 are Wyatt Callow and Woodbine Chance. Woodbine, however, chooses to run and attempt escape, only for him to be almost immediately shot dead in the back of the head. In the aftermath, Lenore Dove attempts to keep the Peacekeepers away from Woodbine's body, resulting in Haymitch trying to intervene and thus being chosen as Woodbine's replacement for the reaping. He is nearly bundled directly onto the train to the Capitol, but at Plutarch Heavensbee's insistence is allowed goodbyes, as he is low on reaction shots for the footage aired in the Capitol.

On the train to the Capitol, Haymitch considers possible allies and learns that Plutarch has worked to edit the footage in the best possible light in order to make things more favorable for District 12. During the Capitol chariot ride, someone tosses a firework into the crowd, which lands in front of District 12's chariot, sending their horses out of control and resulting in the death of one of the female tributes, Louella McCoy. Upset with the capital, Haymitch scoops up Louella's body, trying to deny her from the Peacekeepers who come to collect her, only to end up running straight into President Coriolanus Snow.

The District 12 tributes are assigned Mags Flanagan and Wiress as their mentors. During the training, Haymitch is attacked by a Career Tribute named Panache Barker and is then approached by Plutarch Heavensbee, who questions why he allowed it and suggests that he and the others may want to think about why people have simply agreed to the arrangement that is the Hunger Games. He then meets Beetee Latier and learns that Beetee's son, Ampert, is being made to participate in the games as punishment for Beetee's having attempted to sabotage a Capitol communication system. Not long after, he is summoned by Plutarch Heavensbee, who takes him to his home where he meets President Snow. Snow threatens him with a scary death from how he behaves going forward and reveals that the Capitol is replacing Louella with a doppelganger, Lou Lou.

Part II: "The Rascal"

Haymitch returns to the others, who quickly recognize Lou Lou for what she is. They are troubled, but realize that they may be able to use Lou Lou like a jabberjay and feed the Capitol false information. In the evening, the power goes out and Haymitch is approached by Beetee, who pitches a plan to sabotage the arena for the Games by flooding it out. The plan appeals to Haymitch, even though he doubts he can pull it off. With Ampert's help, Haymitch and the others from Distrcict 12 succeed in putting together an alliance, the Newcomers, to counter the Career pack. The tributes are called in for their individual sessions with the Gamemakers and Haymitch ends up being given a training score of 1.

During his interview with Caesar Flickerman, Haymitch plays up his training score as a virtue, stating that anyone can get a 10 but that it takes a special kind of trouble to get a 1. He also emphasizes his partnership with the Newcomers, even though he is secretly planning to split from the group, knowing that his training score and other actions have made him a target. Before heading into the Games, he is allowed a call with Lenore Dove, courtesy of Plutarch Heavensbee, and learns that she has been arrested for disturbing the peace, but not harmed. Afterwards, Plutarch reveals himself to be in the plot to sabotage the arena, though Haymitch is weary of him, despite his aid.

As the 50th Hunger Games begin, Haymitch manages to avoid the initial bloodbath, claiming a spear, knife and a backpack. He then escapes the Cornucopia bloodbath and heads off into the woods. Examining the contents of his backpack, he discovers a hammock, binoculars, two jugs of water, a number of food supplies and charcoal tablets he believes to be used for treating indigestion. However, when he drinks from a stream, he finds himself to be poisoned and realizes that the tablets can counteract the poison. From this and the contents of the pack, he realizes that the only safe food and water are that which have come from the Cornucopia supplies.

Following his discovery, Haymitch realizes that it is possible to win without fighting, as long as he can outlast the other tributes using the food supplies at his disposal. He relocates to a large tree and sets up his hammock in the branches to lay low and burn as few calories as possible as night falls on the first day of the games. The next morning, Haymitch is informed that half the career pack has been killed, dramatically increasing his odds of victory. Remarkably, Lou Lou has managed to survive.

Lou Lou dies after inhaling the poisonous pollen from the flowers. As a form of rebellion, Haymitch carries her body into the woods to hide from the hovercraft. However, butterfly mutts sting him, forcing him to drop her body. Haymitch comes across Ampert and discusses their plans of bombing Sub-A, as instructed by Beetee. At midnight, they get to work and successfully do the bombing, causing a flood. In retaliation, the Gamemakers send squirrel mutts to only target Ampert, resulting in his death.

In grief, Haymitch hacks the arena, causing it to malfunction. However, the Gamemakers quickly get it patched up. The Gamemakers also decide to cause the volcano to erupt, and Haymitch survives.

Haymitch plans to stop the Hunger Games by heading north to break out of the arena. This leads him into a hedge maze, which he gets lost in. He is able to escape by following the path of rabbit. He is then ambushed by Panache Barker, Barba and Angler. Haymitch manages to kill Barba and Angler, but is disarmed by Panache. As Haymitch is about to be killed, Maysilee uses a poisonous blowdart on Panache, killing him. The two decide to be allies and try to survive together.

Part III: "The Poster"

Haymitch and Maysilee are ambushed by Silka Sharp and Mariette while searching for Wellie. All four tributes fall into an area where three Gamemakers are cleaning up an open berm. As the Gamemakers try to flee, Mariette and Maysilee kill two, while the third falls to their death. Maysilee and Haymitch part ways upon finding out that only 5 tributes remain. Haymitch discovers the forcefield's rebounding mechanism. He then hears Maysilee began to scream, getting attacked by water birds in the distance. Haymitch flees to Maysilee's body and sees her draw her last breath. Haymitch spends the day with Wellie up in the tree. The next day when Haymitch attempts to bomb the Cornucopia, he finds Wellie decapitated by Silka. Both engage in a fight, and Silka throws her axe off the arena, causing it to rebound and kill her.

With Silka's death, Haymitch is the winner of the 50th Hunger Games, but he is still determined to make an impact. He pulls out a blasting cap and hears a voice ordering him to stop all activity immediately. He feels a spray of bullets around him and someone tells him to freeze, to not throw it, that he doesn't know what he's doing. Ignoring the voice, he tosses the blasting cap. In the force of the explosion, he believes himself to be dying, but happy.

Haymitch wakes up, confused to find himself still alive. It soon becomes clear to him that he is being kept alive, held by President Snow for the Capitol's entertainment. Days pass, Haymitch subjected to solitary confinement and an increasingly dwindling supply of food. One day, on television, he sees a recording of Lucy Gray Baird singing at the 10th Hunger Games. He smashes up his room, only for Peacekeepers to appear, along with Effie Trinket, who asks if he is ready for his Victor's Ceremony. He is brought to Caesar Flickerman and is presented as the hero of the 50th Hunger Games, however, the audience is given a highly edited version of events which shifts timelines and carefully edits out all of Haymitch's attempts to sabotage the arena. The only clip shown from his interview is him saying that the games will be 100% stupider than usual. As his interview ends, President Snow appears and places a golden crown upon his head. He comments to Snow that "I guess Snow lands on top," to which Snow simply smiles and tells him "Enjoy your homecoming."

Haymitch is sent back to District 12 with the bodies of Louie, Maysilee and Wyatt. As he prepares to head back home, he thinks of another song that Lenore Dove sometimes sings, "The Hanging Tree." Upon arriving back home, he finds his family home to be on fire and learns that his mother and brother are both inside. Shocked, he runs forward, hoping to save them, only to be restrained by Burdock Everdeen, who knows that it is too late and that Haymitch would only get himself killed. Asterid March then gives him sleep syrup.

Haymitch attends the funeral of his mother and brother and then attempts to go home, only to realize he has no home. Burdock then points out that he does have a home, in the Victors' Village. Haymitch then goes there, given more sleep syrup, and eventually wakes and goes to find Lenore Dove, who had been placed under house arrest, but is determined to see Haymitch. The two have a happy reunion and Haymitch gives her her favorite gumpdrops, only for Haymitch to be shocked when he discovers that Lenore has gotten hold a bag of gumdrops that are deep blood-red. Having swallowed one, she comes over weak and begins to foam at the lips. This is Snow's punishment, and Lenore falls over dead. Before dying, she tells Haymitch that he must not let the sun rise on the reaping.

Haunted by nightmares, Snow pushes away everyone, holes up in the home in the Victor's Village and takes to drinking himself into oblivion. One day, he discovers Lenore's grave, situated on Covey land, near that of Lucy Gray Baird. Sliding further into oblivion, he takes to sleeping with a knife and is discovered this way by Effie Trinket, who along with Plutarch Heavensbee, have come to take him for his Victory Tour. Effie apologizes for his family's "accident," having swallowed the Capitol's lies. He learns that Beetee has been spared and receives a pitch from Plutarch to continue fighting for the rebellion, but finds Plutarch offensive and hypocritical. The Victory Tour over, he returns to the home in the Victor's Village, shutting himself in and his only outside contact being the playing of the Capitol News, knowing that he does not have no future, for each year he will receive a new pair of tributes that he must send to their deaths as a mentor. He remembers the voice of his brother: "Happy birthday, Haymitch!"

Epilogue

Haymitch reflects on seeing Katniss Everdeen grow up. He recalls being reluctant to help her and Peeta Mellark with their memory book, but he eventually tells them his story, and they help him raise some geese. Lenore Dove's ghost speaks to Haymitch, their love having never faded. He thinks to himself that the Capitol can never take her from him, that they never truly did.

Characters

• Haymitch Abernathy - One of four tributes called to represent District 12 in the 50th Hunger Games.
• Maysilee Donner - One of District 12's female tributes.
• Louella McCoy - One of District 12's female tributes.
• Wyatt Callow - One of District 12's male tributes.
• Willamae Abernathy - Haymitch Abernathy's mother.
• Sid Abernathy - Haymitch's ten-year-old brother.
• Lenore Dove - Haymitch's girlfriend.
• Clerk Carmine Clade - One of Lenore Dove's adoptive uncles.
• Burdock Everdeen - Haymitch's friend and Katniss Everdeen's father.
• Asterid March - Burdock's girlfriend and later wife and Katniss Everdeen's mother.
• Drusilla Sickle - The escort for the District 12 tributes.
• Woodbine Chance - A boy who was killed for attempting to run after being reaped.
• Coriolanus Snow - President of Panem.
• Plutarch Heavensbee - The cameraman assigned to District 12.
• Magno Stift - The District 12 stylist.
• Proserpina Trinket - A member of Haymitch's prep team.
• Vitus - The second member of Haymitch's prep team.
• Effie Trinket - Proserpina's sister, who arrives with clothes for the interviews in Magno's absence.
• Lou Lou - Louella's replacement after her death.
• Ampert - One of District 3's male tributes, who starts an alliance to counter the Careers.
• Beetee Latier - Ampert's father, who comes up with a plan to break the arena.
• Mags - One of the mentors for the District 12 tributes.
• Wiress - The other mentor for the District 12 tributes.

Film adaptation

Main article: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

A film adaptation was also announced on June 6, 2024. It is set to be released on November 20, 2026. Production commenced on February 28, 2025. It was originally set to begin on January 31, 2025.

Development

On March 18, we return to the Hunger Games with Sunrise on the Reaping.

"The question ‘Real or not real?’ seems more pressing to me every day."

—Suzanne Collins

In a statement published by the Associated Press, Suzanne Collins stated that the book was inspired by the writings of philosopher David Hume, particularly his idea of implicit submission and "in his words, ‘the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.'" It will also include "a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative."

The book's cover and synopsis were revealed on NBC's The Today Show on October 16, 2024.

Collins chose the title "Sunrise on the Reaping" to expressed Hume's philosophy of the distinction between inductive and deductive reasoning. As conveyed through Haymitch and Lenore's disagreement in the first chapter, Haymitch believed with certainty that the reaping will always be around and resigned himself to that fact, showing implicit submission. Lenore Dove argued there's can be a future without them as the Hunger Games has only been around for 50 years.

An extract from Chapter 1 was released in an article from People Magazine on January 15th, 2025. It reveals details such as the names of Haymitch's brother and girlfriend, and that his birthday is reaping day.

Extract from Chapter 1 of SOTR:

“Happy birthday, Haymitch!”

The upside of being born on reaping day is that you can sleep late on your birthday. It’s pretty much downhill from there. A day off school hardly compensates for the terror of the name drawing. Even if you survive that, nobody feels like having cake after watching two kids being hauled off to the Capitol for slaughter. I roll over and pull the sheet over my head.

“Happy birthday!” My 10-year-old brother, Sid, gives my shoulder a shake. “You said be your rooster. You said you wanted to get to the woods at daylight.”

It’s true. I’m hoping to finish my work before the ceremony so I can devote the afternoon to the two things I love best — wasting time and being with my girl, Lenore Dove. My ma makes indulging in either of these a challenge, since she regularly announces that no job is too hard or dirty or tricky for me, and even the poorest people can scrape up a few pennies to dump their misery on somebody else. But given the dual occasions of the day, I think she’ll allow for a bit of freedom as long as my work is done. It’s the Gamemakers who might ruin my plans.

“Haymitch!” wails Sid. “The sun’s coming up!”

“All right, all right. I’m up, too.” I roll straight off the mattress onto the floor and pull on a pair of shorts made from a government-issued flour sack. The words "courtesy of the Capitol" end up stamped across my butt. My ma wastes nothing. Widowed young when my pa died in a coal mine fire, she’s raised Sid and me by taking in laundry and making every bit of anything count. The hardwood ashes in the fire pit are saved for lye soap. Eggshells get ground up to fertilize the garden. Someday these shorts will be torn into strips and woven into a rug.

I finish dressing and toss Sid back in his bed, where he burrows right down in the patchwork quilt. In the kitchen, I grab a piece of corn bread, an upgrade for my birthday instead of the gritty, dark stuff made from the Capitol flour. Out back, my ma’s already stirring a steaming kettle of clothes with a stick, her muscles straining as she flips a pair of miner’s overalls. She’s only 35, but life’s sorrows have already cut lines into her face, like they do.

Ma catches sight of me in the doorway and wipes her brow. “Happy 16th. Sauce on the stove.”

“Thanks, Ma.” I find a saucepan of stewed plums and scoop some on my bread before I head out. I found these in the woods the other day, but it’s a nice surprise to have them all hot and sugared. “Need you to fill the cistern today,” Ma says as I pass.

We’ve got cold running water, only it comes out in a thin stream that would take an age to fill a bucket. There’s a special barrel of pure rainwater she charges extra for because the clothes come out softer, but she uses our well water for most of the laundry. What with pumping and hauling, filling the cistern’s a two-hour job even with Sid’s help.

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” I ask.

“I’m running low and I’ve got a mountain of wash to do,” she answers.

"This afternoon, then,” I say, trying to hide my frustration. If the reaping’s done by one, and assuming we’re not part of this year’s sacrifice, I can finish the water by three and still see Lenore Dove.

A blanket of mist wraps protectively around the worn, gray houses of the Seam. It would be soothing if it wasn’t for the scattered cries of children being chased in their dreams. In the last few weeks, as the Fiftieth Hunger Games has drawn closer, these sounds have become more frequent, much like the anxious thoughts I work hard to keep at bay. The second Quarter Quell. Twice as many kids. No point in worrying, I tell myself, there’s nothing you can do about it. Like two Hunger Games in one. No way to control the outcome of the reaping or what follows it. So don’t feed the nightmares. Don’t let yourself panic. Don’t give the Capitol that. They’ve taken enough already.

SNEAK PEEK- Suzanne Collins Reads from Sunrise on the Reaping - Coming March 18th

On March 13, 2025, a clip of Suzanne Collins reading from Sunrise on the Reaping was posted. The scene depicted focuses on the character of Haymitch's girlfriend, Lenore Dove.

Cover art

The cover art for Sunrise on the Reaping was designed by Tim O'Brien. Regarding the cover art, VP publisher and editorial director for Scholastic David Levithan stated that “The spiky sun rises on a symbol that will come to mean a lot to Haymitch Abernathy, as well as countless readers. Artist Tim O’Brien has created yet another iconic Hunger Games cover – this one symbolically exploring one of the central themes of the series: how conflicting forces can be connected by their common nature, the songbird and the snake springing from the same source.”

Reception

"After nearly a year of anticipation, sales for Sunrise on the Reaping have exceeded all expectations, as has the overwhelmingly positive critical and fan response to the book across the world."

—Ellie Berger, President of Scholastic Trade Publishing

Scholastic reported that Sunrise on the Reaping sold over 1.2 million copies in the United States during its first week, twice as many as The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and three times as many as Mockingjay. Worldwide, it sold over 1.5 million English copies.

Gallery

Teaser cover

British edition cover artwork

British hardcover beneath dust jacket

Dutch edition

French edition

German edition

Spanish edition

Taiwanese edition

Audiobook

Main article: Sunrise on the Reaping audiobook

The audiobook is narrated by Jefferson White.