The Hunger Games Books in Order
In the nation of Panem, the Capitol forces each district to send two young people to the Hunger Games each year, a televised fight to the death. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister’s place. Two prequels tell the stories of the young Coriolanus Snow and Haymitch Abernathy.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 2008 to 2025
- First book
- The Hunger Games
- Latest
- Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
- Setting
- Set in Panem
- Order
- Story order differs from publication order
The reading order
Every The Hunger Games book in publication order, with the story order a switch away. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1The Hunger Games2008With Katniss EverdeenWhen her little sister is chosen for the Hunger Games, sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her place in the televised fight to the death.Buy on Amazon
- 2Catching Fire2009With Katniss EverdeenKatniss and Peeta set out on the Victory Tour, as rebellion stirs in the districts.Buy on Amazon
- 3Mockingjay2010With Katniss EverdeenKatniss becomes the symbol of a rebellion against the Capitol.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes2020With Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray BairdSixty-four years before Katniss, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, a girl from District 12, in the tenth Hunger Games.Buy on Amazon
- 5Sunrise on the Reaping2025With Haymitch AbernathyTwenty-four years before Katniss, young Haymitch Abernathy is chosen for the fiftieth Hunger Games.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay in order. The prequels, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping, are best read afterwards.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Katniss Everdeen | Coriolanus Snow | Haymitch Abernathy | Lucy Gray Baird | Effie Trinket | Peeta Mellark | Gale Hawthorne | Finnick Odair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Hunger Games | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 2 Catching Fire | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 3 Mockingjay | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 4 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes | LLead | LLead | ||||||
| 5 Sunrise on the Reaping | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor |
Characters in the The Hunger Games books
8 characters from Suzanne Collins’s chart, with the number of The Hunger Games books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Katniss EverdeenArcher from District 12 | 3 | The Hunger Games 2008 |
| Coriolanus SnowPresident of Panem | 5 | The Hunger Games 2008 |
| Haymitch AbernathyDrunken former victor | 4 | The Hunger Games 2008 |
| Lucy Gray BairdDistrict 12 tribute who sings | 1 | The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 2020 |
| Effie TrinketDistrict 12 escort | 4 | The Hunger Games 2008 |
| Peeta MellarkBaker's son and fellow tribute | 3 | The Hunger Games 2008 |
| Gale HawthorneKatniss's hunting partner | 3 | The Hunger Games 2008 |
| Finnick OdairVictor from District 4 | 2 | Catching Fire 2009 |