The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins is one of the most popular YA book series of all time. The series was also adapted into four and soon-to-be five successful movies. With The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theaters on Nov. 17, we thought it would be fun to rank all four of The Hunger Games books.
We shared the list of The Hunger Games books below, along with the prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:
- The Hunger Games (2008)
- Catching Fire (2009)
- Mockingjay (2010)
- A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
Let’s get the list started with A Ball of Songbirds and Snakes, which is No. 4 in the ranking of the Hunger Games books.
4. A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
A Balld of Songbirds and Snakes was released in 2020, a decade after Mockingjay, the third book of Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy. The book is a prequel to The Hunger Games series, and it takes place 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is, for lack of a better phrase, the life story of Coriolanus Snow throughout his youth and young life. It explores Snow’s upbringing and paves the way into his role in the Hunger Games, his rise to power, and why he is, in some ways, the way he is when introduced in The Hunger Games.
Overall, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a good book, and it pains me a bit to rank it as the fourth of the four Hunger Games books, but I just can’t rank it higher than any of the original trilogy. I enjoyed the story and Snow’s relationship with Lucy Baird Gray and how that shaped his life. It’s also interesting to learn a lot more about the history of Panem, the games, and how it relates to the story when Katniss comes along more than 60 years later.
The one thing I’m not a huge fan of, and it’s probably one of the main reasons I ranked A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes last, is the exploration into a terrible character’s origin story. A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes does it better than most prequels, in my opinion, but it feels a little icky knowing what that character, despite the charm and charisma, grows up to be and do. It avoids the Star Wars prequel trap; that’s for sure. I will say that.
3. Mockingjay
Mockingjay is the third book of the Hunger Games trilogy, and it ranks third on the list of Hunger Games books. Overall, I enjoyed the book more than A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but there’s still something missing in Mockingjay that was present in the first two Hunger Games books. To me, it’s the lack of actual Hunger Games. There’s no 76th annual Hunger Games in Mockingjay.
The book begins after the events of Catching Fire, and it follows Katniss’s journey with District 13 and the fight to overthrow President Snow and the Capital. There are many twists and turns in this story, notably Peeta’s rescue, his murderous anti-Katniss energy, and the assault on the Capital.
Obviously, it wouldn’t have made sense in the story to send Katniss and Peeta back to the arena, but that suspense, intrigue, and consistency would have made Mockingjay even better to me. Unfortunately, Mockingjay becomes a war movie, essentially, and that part of the story isn’t that interesting.
I will say, though, that the end of Mockingjay is stellar. Katniss’s perfect arrow placement is exquisite, and that twist scores major points. Collins’ courage as a storyteller comes through in the last few chapters of Mockingjay. The story begins with Katniss trying to save her sister, and it ends with Katniss unable to do that. It’s a brutal reminder of the perils of war and the corruption of those in power. We’re all just tributes.
2. The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is the first book of the series, and it’s an excellent story. We’re introduced to Katniss Everdeen, District 12, and the rules of this world, of which there are many. The story begins when Katniss’s sister, Primrose, is selected as District 12’s tribute to the Hunger Games, an annual fight to the death competition featuring tributes from all 12 districts of Panem. Katniss, then, volunteers in her sister’s place, and tries to stay alive while other young people kill and are killed all around her.
The Hunger Games is a brutal story, but it’s also a story of hope. It’s such a good introduction to the world of Panem and Katniss Everdeen. Living in Katniss’s head for 384 pages is an interesting way to tell this story. Collins could have gone much more macro with this story, but it works so well only told from Katniss’s perspective. The reveals get bigger and bigger as the series goes on.
One of the reasons I love The Hunger Games compared to some of the other books is just how much heart this story has. It’s so grounded and raw, compared to, say, Mockingjay. We feel Katniss’s pain in every step of her journey. While that’s true in the later books, it feels much more heavy during Katniss’s first trip in the arena and her relationship with Rue, Peeta, Haymitch, and the rest of the District 12 team.
While Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss comes off a little rigid in the first of the Hunger Games movies as she tries to find confidence and belonging in a new experience, Katniss from the book is anything but rigid. There’s so much depth to the character.
The Hunger Games just misses out on the top spot in the ranking.
1. Catching Fire
Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games, and it’s our pick for the top Hunger Games book. Catching Fire combines all of the elements of the first book’s story and adds an entirely new layer of drama, suspense, and mystery. How I look at it: The Hunger Games is the spark, the more granular story, and Catching Fire is the explosion. This is where the story within the story comes together in such an epic way.
Catching Fire features a short time jump from the end of the first book after Katniss and Peeta are crowned Victors of the Hunger Games and fanned the flames of rebellion. During their tour through Panem, social unrest grows. For the 75th Annual Hunger Games and third Quarter Quell, Katniss and Peeta are forced back into the arena to compete against former Victors, but there’s a seditious plot involving the game makers, the Victors, and others to stop President Snow once and for all, with the help of District 13.
Catching Fire features Collins’ bread and butter, another Hunger Games with higher stakes than ever, but it also sends this story in a new direction. It also introduces so many incredible new characters, including Plutarch, Finnick, Joanna, and others.
Am I in love with where the story goes after Catching Fire? Honestly, not, but the execution of the plot twist and larger reveal is so satisfying. In the last few chapters of Catching Fire, all of those threads from the first part of the story are woven together. Readers leave this story desperate to find out what happens next.