4 books total: 3 main novels by Suzanne Collins + 1 prequel. The original trilogy is complete. Start with The Hunger Games — do not start with the prequel.
| # | Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hunger Games START HERE | 2008 | Katniss enters the 74th Games. The one that started everything. |
| 2 | Catching Fire | 2009 | The Quarter Quell. Most readers' favourite book in the trilogy. |
| 3 | Mockingjay | 2010 | The revolution. Darker and more brutal than Books 1–2. |
| 0 | The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes PREQUEL | 2020 | Young Coriolanus Snow. Read after the trilogy. |
The Hunger Games (2008) — Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the annual Hunger Games: a televised fight to the death where one boy and one girl from each of Panem's twelve districts compete until only one survives. It's a dystopian survival story that doubles as a sharp critique of reality television, class inequality, and state violence.
Catching Fire (2009) — After winning the 74th Games, Katniss and Peeta are forced back into the arena for the special Quarter Quell. The Capitol's grip on Panem is tightening and rebellion is stirring. Most readers consider this the strongest book in the series — it expands the world significantly while maintaining the first book's pace.
Mockingjay (2010) — The revolution comes. Katniss becomes the reluctant symbol of the rebellion. Darker and more psychologically complex than the first two books — some readers find it too bleak, others consider it the most honest conclusion the story could have.
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2020) — A prequel following 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow as a young mentor in the 10th Hunger Games. Morally complex — you watch a villain become who he is. Made into a film in 2023.
The original trilogy is complete. Collins has not announced any further sequels or prequels beyond the four published books, though she has not ruled out returning to Panem. As of 2026, no fifth book has been announced.
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