‘The Hunger Games’ Lives On: Fans Gather for Harvard Book Stores’s Release Party for ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’

Just past its typical closing hour on a late Monday evening, the Harvard Book Store bustled with unusual energy. It was the night of the highly-anticipated Midnight Release Party for Suzanne Collins’ fifth book of “The Hunger Games” series, “Sunrise on the Reaping.” Celebrating the eagerly-awaited book release, the event brought together readers from all walks of life, united by their love for Collins’ dystopian world.

For 90 minutes from doors opening at 10:30 PM on March 17, attendees had the opportunity to partake in festive activities — a trivia game full of niche knowledge across all four released “Hunger Games” novels, a spirited costume contest featuring a couple Effies and many Katnisses, and an origami workshop on how to fold a President Snow rose — before cheering and lining up to snag a fresh copy of the new book itself when the clock struck midnight.

“I have been a huge ‘Hunger Games’ fan for as long as I can remember, and for years and years, I have been praying that Suzanne Collins would write Haymitch’s story because we kind of got a glimpse of it in ‘Catching Fire,’ and I’ve always wanted to see the whole picture,” said Jacklyn Roussin, styled in Capitol flair with a pastel wig and extravagantly red dress.

For many, the event was about more than just the book — it was a chance to gather with like-minded fans. Some had grown up with “The Hunger Games,” while others had discovered the series more recently. Regardless of when they first stepped into the world of Panem, everyone in the room shared a deep connection to Collins’ realm and reacted excitedly to the new book’s announcement.

“I immediately texted all my friends whom I knew liked ‘The Hunger Games,’” Daniel Iannuzzo said. “I was like, ‘Guys, we’re getting the book that we’ve been asking for. It’s all paid off. Suzanne Collins is blessing us with Haymitch’s Games – cancel everything for this week, I am reading.’”

Anticipating such exuberance, the event organizers worked hard to create a space where fans could fully immerse themselves in the “Hunger Games” universe. Pulling it together in just six weeks, they paid careful attention to detail — such as hiding pictures of Peeta around the bookstore for the scavenger hunt and building curated gift baskets to match each Panem district’s personality — to make the night truly memorable.

“We had a couple meetings, we kind of decided what crafts we wanted to do, brainstormed activities — like we thought of the scavenger hunt [and] looking for the disguised Peeta — and other than that, we kind of just broke up, and I did the raffle baskets,” Harvard Bookstore warehouse manager Alexandra Reid said. “We all kind of got our different jobs and things that we wanted to do and planned the crafts and the decorations we wanted to do.”

Special thought also went into why it would be a good idea to throw a release party for this book in particular.

“We try to think about the longevity of the fan bases and how enthusiastic we think that people are going to be the night of,” Reid said.

Reid added that hosting such events helps them keep track of new releases and target exciting ones to feature.

“[The event] lets us sort of branch out into more diverse books and find different things that we want to share with people or things that our customers are just really excited about,” she said.

One of the evening’s most engaging moments for event-goers was the theorizing. As attendees waited for the book’s official release, they debated what “Sunrise on the Reaping” would add to the series, conversing heatedly over their folded paper roses or writing down their hypotheses on the massive display poster that questioned “What will happen?”

“I’m hoping that we get Katniss’ parents’ names revealed because we don’t know their names yet,” Lyndsey Jeunelot said. “I’m hoping that [the book will] be more than just [Haymitch’s] Games, [that] it’ll get his first mentorship or maybe some more lore on Effie or even a young Caesar Flickerman. I would love to see more of them.”

Her partner, Jack Hopkins, had purchased the event tickets as an early birthday present for Jeunelot, and in true “Hunger Games” fashion, they were dressed as Katniss and Peeta: Jeunelot sported the iconic all-black Mockingjay outfit and Hopkins donned a baker’s apron while holding a fake burnt bread loaf.

Whether dressed for the occasion or not, the sense of camaraderie among the fans was palpable. Strangers struck up conversations about their favorite characters, snapped pictures in front of the purple “Sunrise Reaping” banner, and found common ground in their excitement. The joy of being surrounded by fellow series lovers further heightened the experience.

“I’m loving the atmosphere and I’m loving the people here, and everyone dressed up in their costumes are so cute,” Kenny Gastamiza said. “I love it, it’s so adorable.”

With the night drawing to a close, the attendees fell into line to finally get their hands on “Sunrise on the Reaping.” Some flipped open to the first page immediately while others clutched the book tightly to savor the moment.

“I just want to be fully surprised and, like, take it all in as it is,” Roussin said.

As the crowd slowly filtered out of the bookstore, there was an undeniable buzz in the air. The release party had brought together people who might not have crossed paths otherwise, uniting “Hunger Games” fans in their shared thrill of a story continuing. And, that unity would persist into the night for the many attendees anxious to dive into the pages.

“I’m just excited to leave with the book,” Jeunelot said. “I’m probably going to be up for another hour after we leave, reading it.”