It’s almost time to take another trip to the devastating world of Panem, this time to explore one of the darkest years in the history of the Hunger Games. The 50th edition of the Games, also known as the second Quarter Quell, is going to be explored in the next book from author and franchise creator Suzanne Collins. Sunrise on the Reaping, which will be released in March, not only digs into the events of the second Quarter Quell, but is written from the perspective of the young man who we already know won the game: Haymitch Abernathy.
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An older, jaded Haymitch was a fixture of the original Hunger Games trilogy, having served as mentor for every pair of District 12 tributes for 24 years (seeing as he was the District’s only victor). While the book doesn’t hit shelves for two more months, we now have our first peek into Haymitch’s story.
On Thursday, Scholastic partnered up with People to reveal the very first excerpt from Sunrise on the Reaping, pulling from the book’s first chapter to help introduce this version of Haymitch to readers.
In the excerpt (which you can read in its entirety here), Haymitch wakes up on his birthday, which unfortunately also happens to be Reaping Day in Panem. Haymitch wrestles with his hopes for his big day and the fears that come with every teenager in the country when the annual Reaping comes.
Everyone in Panem is already aware that the second Quarter Quell is going to be a difficult one, as the Capitol announced that the 50th Hunger Games would feature double the number of tributes as usual. Instead of one boy and girl from each district, there would be two of each taken, resulting in 48 total tributes across the 12 districts.
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“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,” reads a portion of the Sunrise on the Reaping excerpt. “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.”
Sunrise on the Reaping is set to hit bookstore shelves on March 18th. There is already a feature film adaptation in the works from Lionsgate, with longtime franchise director Francis Lawrence once again attached to bring the project to life. The movie is going to hit theaters in 2026.
