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The Hunger Games Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start with The Hunger Games (2008) and read in publication order.

A dystopian adventure series centered on the nation of Panem and the brutal annual televised competition known as the Hunger Games.

Where to start

Start with The Hunger Games (2008) and read in publication order.

  • •The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (the 10th Games) and Sunrise on the Reaping (the 50th Games) are prequels; read them after the trilogy. The Chronological view shows story order.

Community Consensus

Medium Debate

"The recommended starting point is the core 'Chronicles' trilogy (1-3), immediately followed by the 'Legends' trilogy. This forms the essential foundation before proceeding to later works like 'Dragons of Summer Flame.' Note: These comments are about the Dragonlance series, not The Hunger Games."

Key Reddit Advice

Start with 'Chronicles 1-3,' then jump to 'Legends,' and then proceed to 'Dragons of Summer Flame.'

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order5 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

The Hunger Games

Pub: 2008

The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the perspective of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the future, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games is an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle royale to the death. The book received critical acclaim from major reviewers and authors. It was praised for its plot and character development. In writing The Hunger Games, Collins drew upon Greek mythology, Roman gladiatorial games, and contemporary reality television for thematic content. The novel won many awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, and was named one of Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year" in 2008. The Hunger Games was first published in hardcover on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic, featuring a cover designed by Tim O'Brien.

2

Catching Fire

Pub: 2009

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Hunger Games".

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.

3

Mockingjay

Pub: 2010

Plot details hidden until you finish "Catching Fire".

The last book in the Hunger Games Series. This book is filled with excitement and action regarding the ongoing war with the capital.

4

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Pub: 2020

Plot details hidden until you finish "Mockingjay".

Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price. It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

5

Sunrise on the Reaping

Pub: 2025

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes".

When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for? As the day dawns on the fiftieth 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What order should I read The Hunger Games in?

Start with The Hunger Games (2008) and read in publication order.

How many books are in The Hunger Games?

3 main books, published 2008–2010, plus 2 side stories.

Can I read The Hunger Games out of order?

It's best not to. The books build on each other, so reading out of order spoils earlier twists.

Which books in The Hunger Games are prequels, novellas or side stories?

"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" (prequel), "Sunrise on the Reaping" (prequel). Each is placed in the reading order below.

Is there a chronological order for The Hunger Games?

Yes. In story order the series begins with "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" rather than "The Hunger Games". Switch the list below to Chronological to see the full timeline.

Has The Hunger Games been adapted for TV or film?

The films adapt the trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; a Sunrise on the Reaping film is due in 2026.