Summary
Lucy Gray Baird probably won’t appear inThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be important to the story. This very first District 12 victor was introduced in Snow’s prequel story,The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and her ultimate fate being left ambiguous has ignited hope that she will again reappear. However, this seems unlikely, given the timeframe and the way her character was left. Still,Lucy Gray’s story has massive implications for the remainder ofThe Hunger Gamestimeline, and her importance to the overarching story can’t be overstated.
Theannouncement that anotherHunger Gamesbook and movieis on the way has created a lot of buzz, especially since the story will cover the highly requested 50th Hunger Games. Set 40 years afterThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, this new prequel should follow Haymitch Abernathy through his own games, filling in the details of this portion of the timeline for the first time. Of course, Lucy Gray’s death or escape from District 12 meansshe likely won’t have a place inSunrise on the Reaping, but her story is still tightly linked with that of Haymitch.
Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping Release Date, Story, Updates & Everything We Know
Suzanne Collins has announced details about the upcoming novel in the Hunger Games series, which will be titled Sunrise on the Reaping.
President Snow’s Experience With Lucy Gray Makes All The Difference To Haymitch’s Story
ThoughThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakeswas set 64 years before the events ofThe Hunger Games, Snow and Lucy Gray’s stories provided valuable context to Katniss' time in the arena. Everything from Katniss' Mockingjay pin to the songs she sang would have reminded President Snow of the girl he believed betrayed him. This also means that Katniss' rebellious victory would have felt personal, which explains why Snow became so fixated on Katniss and didn’t notice District 13 closing in on him.
While the victor of the 10th Hunger Games is unlikely to appear in Sunrise on the Reaping, her legacy is pivotal to the story.
Similarly, Lucy Gray’s impact on President Snow explains why the dictator was so angry when Haymitch Abernathy won the 50th Hunger Games. Snow was so enraged that he murdered all of Haymitch’s loved ones before the boy could even return home, which is strange since the president often used family and friends as leverage against his victors. Though he had no idea of Snow’s history,Haymitch being the first District 12 tribute to win since Lucy Gray put him in astounding danger. So, while the victor of the 10th Hunger Games is unlikely to appear inSunrise on the Reaping, her legacy is pivotal to the story.
A Different Tribute In the 50th Hunger Games Is Sure To Remind Snow Of Lucy Gray As Well
Maysilee Donner Is Another District 12 Tribute With A Connection To Lucy Gray
There’s another character that took part in the 50th Hunger Games that may be even more important than Haymitch in some regard. According toCatching Fire,one of the girls reaped from District 12 (there were two boys and two girls from each District in the 50th Hunger Games) was named Maysilee Donner, and she had been best friends with Katniss' mother. She and Haymitch teamed up in the arena, and Maysilee was a surprisingly capable survivalist. She held her own in the arena, using the poison from various plants to create deadly darts to use against the other tributes.
Perhapsthe most intriguing thing about Maysilee is that she was the original owner of thegold Mockingjay pin, which Katniss eventually inherited and used as a token within her own games.Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesestablished that Snow despised Mockingjays, and the fact that Lucy Gray used them to disorient and taunt her murderous lover is highly significant. A District 12 girl being so successful in the arena and bearing a Mockingjay pin might have reminded Snow of Lucy Gray, causing him to put a target on Maysilee’s back. This would also make Katniss bringing the Mockingjay pin back into the arena all the more personal to Snow.
In theHunger Gamesbooks, Maysilee’s niece, Madge, gave Katniss the Mockingjay pin before the 74th Hunger Games.
Could Sunrise On The Reaping Reveal What Happened To Lucy Gray?
Hunger Gamesauthor Suzanne Collins has proven that nothing in her books is random.The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakeswasn’t the kind of prequel that existed simply for the sake of expanding Snow’s story. There are cleverly subtle bits of connective tissue that bind the prequel with Katniss' tale, and the same can likely be expected fromSunrise on the Reaping. It should be the final piece of the puzzle, adding context that retroactively changes bothBallad of Songbirds and SnakesandThe Hunger Gamesin mind-rattling ways. This is sure to connect to Lucy Gray somehow.
TheSunrise on the Reapingbook will be released on June 08, 2025, with the movie adaptation following on August 15, 2025.
Lucy Gray’s ending was left ambiguous for a reason, since it reflected her namesake song in which a girl named Lucy Gray disappears without a trace, becoming a ghost. Because of this,Sunrise on the Reapingis unlikely to give definitive answers regarding what happened to the10th Hunger Games victor. However, some subtle hints may be spread throughout Haymitch’s story. Perhaps there will be clues that Lucy Gray returned to District 12. Or maybe some mysterious pearly white bones will be found in the forest. Only time will tell, but we can be assured thatSunrise on the Reapingwon’t have forgotten Lucy Gray.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Cast
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores the dystopian world of Panem 24 years prior to Katniss Everdeen’s story. This prequel focuses on the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, unveiling the origins of crucial events and traditions in the series.
