This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Hunger Games hive, rise up. Suzanne Collins’s blockbuster dystopian series is set to return with an all-new audiobook, Sunrise on the Reaping, on March 18. The timing couldn’t be better for fans who have been feverishly speculating about how Sunrise might continue the story ever since the release of the last installment, the 2020 prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which was adapted into a hit film. With pub day just a little more than a month away, the suspense is almost unbearable! So, we’ve marshaled our inner jabberjays and gathered some crucial intel to bring you up to date on everything we know so far about Sunrise on the Reaping.
What is Sunrise on the Reaping about?
The fifth book in The Hunger Games series, Sunrise on the Reaping is another prequel to the main trilogy, bringing us back 24 years before Book 1 to the 50th annual Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell in which twice as many tributes will be taken than usual. Needless to say, the districts of Panem are beset with fear and anxiety about who will be chosen, though perhaps District 12 resident Haymitch Abernathy should be a little more concerned, given that we know he’s about to get picked! Indeed, despite a promising relationship with the girl he loves, close ties to his family, AND a birthday on reaping day, 16-year-old Haymitch soon finds himself called for the Games and shuttling toward the Capitol with three other tributes from District 12. One of them is Maysilee Donner, Madge Undersee’s aunt and the original owner of Katniss’s mockingjay pin; the other two are “a young friend who’s nearly a sister” to Haymitch and a boy described as “a compulsive oddsmaker.”
Fans have been clamoring for Haymitch’s backstory since he served as mentor to Katniss and Peeta in the 74th Hunger Games all the way back in Book 1, so the focus on his character from a first-person perspective is thrilling. While we know some details about Haymitch already—that he emerges victorious in the 50th Games, suffers great personal tragedy when President Snow kills his family, and becomes an alcoholic—there is so much more to learn about his journey and how it connects to past and future events in the series. Who is Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove, and could she connect him to the Covey and Lucy Gray? What about Haymitch’s father, who died in a coal mine fire, leaving his mother to raise Haymitch and his younger brother Sid alone?
Eagle-eyed fans noted that an excerpt of Sunrise’s first chapter contains references to Haymitch foraging in the woods for plums. Could that connect him to Katniss’s father, who taught her how to hunt and gather, or to her mother, a healer and apothecary’s daughter who would surely be interested in natural ingredients? We also know that Haymitch’s mother is 35 at the outset of the story, making her about 19 when he was born—another clue for fans to latch onto before the book comes out and answers our burning questions.
Who is narrating Sunrise on the Reaping?
Acclaimed actor Jefferson White, best known for his role in TV’s Yellowstone, is the narrator for the audiobook of Sunrise on the Reaping, and we can’t think of a splashier way for White to make his Audible debut! His casting, announced on February 3, was the best kind of reveal: a surprising choice that also makes a lot of sense. White’s signature role as Yellowstone’s Jimmy Hurdstram, an inexperienced ranch hand who grew into a complex character and beloved fan favorite, has parallels with the tenacious Haymitch, played by the similarly tough-yet-endearing Woody Harrelson on screen. Could we see Jefferson as Haymitch on the big screen when Sunrise on the Reaping releases as a feature film on November 20, 2026? The cast has yet to be announced, and White has nearly two decades on Haymitch’s age in the book—but we’re not NOT seeing a resemblance between Jefferson and young Woody either, so if this is your dream, maybe don’t rule it out?
Hear an audio clip
Jefferson White reads from the “Sunrise on the Reaping” audiobook.
Who are the main characters of Sunrise on the Reaping?
Haymitch Abernathy was first introduced in The Hunger Games as the District 12 mentor to Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark (he has also appeared in Catching Fire and Mockingjay). Taking us back 24 years prior to the events of the first book, we join the teenage Haymitch at home with his single mother and 10-year-old brother, decades before becoming the stubborn, surly alcoholic whose family was killed as punishment by President Snow. Starting on reaping day—Haymitch’s 16th birthday—Sunrise promises to cover Haymitch’s selection for the Games, trip to the Capitol, and preparation for and participation in the 50th annual Hunger Games. The first teaser quote released for Sunrise, “They will not use my tears for their entertainment,” hints at Haymitch’s defiance, courage, and resilience. We already have chills!
Maysilee Donner, like Haymitch, is a District 12 tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, and we know she places fifth out of 48 in the Games. Though she’s described as “the most stuck-up girl in town” from Haymitch’s point of view at the outset, we also know she goes on to be Haymitch’s close ally, so we’re eager to learn how Maysilee uses her resourcefulness and popularity to her advantage—at least until (spoiler alert) she’s killed by a flock of pink birds in the Games, Haymitch by her side. We also know that Maysilee is the best friend of Katniss’s mother, so it’s highly likely Mrs. Everdeen will appear in Sunrise on the Reaping in some degree.
Coriolanus Snow, authoritarian president of Panem, is a central antagonist in the Hunger Games. Though he’s easy to hate, as we learned in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, there’s more to Snow than meets the eye, so we’re looking forward to getting to know him during this period. Portrayed by the late Donald Sutherland in the first Hunger Games film at age 82, and by Tom Blyth as a younger man in the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes film, Snow will be about 58 in Sunrise on the Reaping, so he will be played by a new actor in the upcoming film.
Caesar Flickerman, memorably portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the films, is the colorful host of the 50th annual Hunger Games. For the second Quarter Quell, he interviews twice the number of tributes, and we know he wears his usual sparkling midnight blue suit, paired this time with dark green hair and lashes. The 50th Games represent his first known hosting gig, so we’re curious to see how this early appearance further develops Caesar’s backstory and gives us a peek behind the curtain of Capitol propaganda and this mercurial, eccentric character.
Other characters: There are still a lot of unknowns about who exactly we’ll encounter in Sunrise on the Reaping. Who will be the District 12 mentor? Former District 12 victor Lucy Gray and the record of the 10th Hunger Games were erased by Dr. Gaul, so could Haymitch’s mentor come from another district? We know that Chaff is close to Haymitch and was mentioned as the winner of the 45th Hunger Games in Catching Fire, so that’s one possibility. Then there are the other two District 12 tributes, whose identities have yet to be revealed, and all the other tributes in the 50th Games, who are sure to have varying roles.
What are the themes of Sunrise on the Reaping?
On returning to the world of The Hunger Games, author Suzanne Collins said, “With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume’s idea of implicit submission and, in his words, ‘the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.’ The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question ‘Real or not real?’ seems more pressing to me every day.”
Us too, Suzanne. In fact, sales of dystopian titles are on the rise again as classic novels such as 1984, Parable of the Sower, Fahrenheit 451, and The Handmaid’s Tale have all recently returned to bestseller lists. And with the acceleration of misinformation and disinformation as political polarization and AI advancements fan the flames of distrust, books that tackle truth, information, and attention-hijacking narratives are also in the zeitgeist. We can’t wait to see what Sunrise on the Reaping adds to the conversation while diving deeper into Hunger Games lore; “real or not real” is also the name of a game played by Katniss and Peeta in Catching Fire.
Jefferson White reads “Sunrise on the Reaping” in audio.
The “real or not real?” theme will also extend to the arena, whose Cornucopia sits in a breathtakingly beautiful meadow complete with blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and snow-capped mountains—but everything, from the plants and flowers to the water in the stream, is poisonous. Expect to see exciting action from the known muttations of the 50th Hunger Games, including golden carnivorous squirrels, poisonous stinging butterflies, and candy-pink birds with long, thin beaks.
Finally, there’s that cover: A spiky sun rises over the reaping symbol of a songbird and snake who are facing off and yet, ouroboros-style, springing from the same body. It’s a powerful image that seems to refer to the battle between the Capitol and its districts, as well as the dualism inherent in propaganda and even Haymitch’s own nature. Let the 50th Hunger Games begin!
Jefferson White photos by Coty Tarr.
