‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ - The latest Hunger Games saga hits shelves

The highly anticipated newest installment of the Hunger Games series, Sunrise on the Reaping, was released at midnight, drawing enthusiastic fans to bookstores worldwide. The novel, penned by Suzanne Collins, is the fifth in her dystopian series and has already captured significant attention.

Excited readers gathered at major bookstores in New York, London, and other cities, many dressed as beloved characters such as Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket. Launch events included scavenger hunts, Hunger Games-themed puzzles, and a trivia game so challenging that even Collins’ longtime editor, David Levithan, admitted he couldn’t answer all the questions.

Fans continue their Hunger Games obsession

Many attendees were women in their 20s and 30s, who first read the Hunger Games books in middle school and rekindled their love for the series when Collins unexpectedly resumed writing five years ago.

“I've been reading the books since I was 12," says 23-year-old actor Ella Dolynchuk. “It's a big part of my life, my childhood, and I love reading them as an adult when I can really understand them."

Preorders

Sunrise on the Reaping became Amazon’s No. 1 bestseller even before its official release and is expected to be one of the biggest fiction sellers of the year.

A return to Panem’s history

The novel begins at sunrise with the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, a setting that takes place 24 years before the original Hunger Games novel and 40 years after The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Collins continues her tradition of drawing from historical and philosophical influences, this time citing Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume as an inspiration.

“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,’” Collins said in a statement when announcing the book. “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.”

Movie adaptation already in the works

Following the success of the previous Hunger Games films, a screen adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping is already in development. The movie is scheduled for release in November 2026, with Francis Lawrence returning as director.

Collins originally planned to conclude the series with Mockingjay in 2010 but surprised fans a decade later with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Levithan, her editor, admitted he had not expected another return to Panem.

With its strong early sales, devoted fanbase, and an upcoming film adaptation, Sunrise on the Reaping promises to be another major success in the Hunger Games saga.

(With AP inputs)