Sunrise on the Reaping

Collins goes back to Panem and gives Haymitch the backstory his gruff mentor act always hinted at. The arena is as tense and clever as the original trilogy's, and the book is sharper than ever about propaganda and who gets to tell the story of a tragedy. It works best for readers who already know the trilogy, since so much of its weight comes from knowing where Haymitch ends up. Content note: violence and the deaths of young people. Five worms — the best Panem book since the first.