5 Surprising Revelations From The Newest ‘Hunger Games’ Book

The fifth Hunger Games book, Sunrise on the Reaping, was released in March 2025. The prequel tells the story of young Haymitch Abernathy, who is selected to compete in the 50th annual Hunger Games. This article discusses details from Sunrise on the Reaping, so stop reading if you don’t want to be spoiled!

First, a general plot summary for Sunrise on the Reaping:

In the 50th quarter quell, twice as many tributes are reaped from each district. Haymitch Abernathy is selected as one of District 12’s four tributes when one of the original male tributes runs and is killed by peacemakers. Haymitch becomes allies with the other tributes from his district as well as several other districts to combat the powerful careers and their alliance. He is also recruited as part of a rebel plot to destroy the arena from inside the games.

The arena for the 50th games appears to be a candy-colored paradise full of lush vegetation — but almost everything is secretly poisonous. Haymitch goes through with the plot to break the arena, but it doesn’t succeed in ending the games. However, in the process Haymitch discovers the force field at the edge of the arena and uses it to become the game’s victor.

As punishment for rebelling against the capitol, Haymitch’s mother, younger brother and girlfriend are all killed by President Snow. This results in Haymitch forcing himself into the isolation and drunken stupor we see him in when he becomes Katniss and Peeta’s mentor in the 74th annual Hunger Games.

What new information does Sunrise on the Reaping reveal about the Hunger Games universe?

1. Haymitch was close friends with Katniss’ father, Burdoch. He notes that Burdoch hunted with a bow and arrow, that he loved singing and that he loved the woman who became Katniss’ mother (Astrid March, who worked in the Apothecary). After the games, Haymitch had to throw rocks at the loyal Burdoch to finally end their friendship so that Burdoch and Astrid would be safe from President Snow.
2. Beetee’s backstory is way more tragic than expected. Beetee is a genius electronics inventor for the Capitol and the victor of the 34th Hunger Games. After Beetee began rebelling, the Capitol punished him by reaping his son Ampert. Beetee was forced to mentor and watch as Ampert competed with Haymitch and was brutally killed by Capitol mutts. Ampert’s mother was pregnant at the time of the games and we do not know the fate of Beetee’s second child.
3. Katniss’ relation to Lucy Gray Baird. Lucy Gray was the victor of the 10th annual Hunger Games and the main character of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. She was part of the Covey from District 12, a one-time nomadic band of traveling performers. In Sunrise on the Reaping it is confirmed by Lenore Dove that Katniss’ father, Burdoch, is her cousin. This means that Katniss is a distant relative of the Covey.
4. Effie Trinket’s origin story. Effie is the older sister of a Capitol Academy student assigned to help Haymitch. She is presented as a knowledgable and popular young woman who can fix any fashion or event related emergency. When the District 12 stylist turns out to be a lazy drug addict, Effie saves the day.
5. Plutarch Heavensbee was a rebel long before Catching Fire. Eventual Head Gamemaker Heavensbee is shown in the prequel making Capitol propos for the District 12 tributes and secretly helping Haymitch with the rebel plot to break the arena. It would be wonderful to see more of Plutarch in the upcoming Sunrise on the Reaping film adaptation, but they’ll have to recast the character as Philip Seymour Hoffman (who portrayed the character in both Mockingjay films) has passed (RIP).