Ahead of Sunrise on the Reaping hitting bookshelves on March 18, an excerpt of the prequel novel has been released via People, and it introduces a young Haymitch just ahead of being chosen to be part of the 50th Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping provides heartbreaking new details in an excerpt about Haymitch Abernathy and his family.

The new Hunger Games book, Sunrise on the Reaping, is all about grumpy mentor Haymitch Abernathy’s Hunger Games. Haymitch had a particularly awful Hunger Games; in his Quarter Quell, there were double the amount of Tributes in the arena.

So how did Haymitch Abernathy survive the deadly Second Quarter Quell? Well, we’re one step closer to finding out Haymitch Abernathy is quite the legend in the “Hunger Games”

The hotly anticipated fifth book comes out March 18 and a movie will follow in November 2026 A fifth Hunger Games book is on the horizon — with a movie hot on its heels. Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping (out March 18 from Scholastic),

Suzanne Collin will release a second Hunger Games prequel book series in March, with a movie adaptation in 2026, and there exist a myriad of possible similar projects to come after. Sunrise on the Reaping will follow a teenage Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games.

Scholastic shares an excerpt from the first chapter of Suzanne Collins' new Hunger Games book, which is already being adapted for the big screen.