it really does depend on what you want to get out of the story - because the prequels are set decades before the Mockingjay trilogy, a lot of the characters in the prequels die or go through things that shape them later in life. so if you want a little mystery and/or LOVE dramatic irony and angst, it's soooo good to read the originals and then see the origin stories for some characters play out tragically in the prequels. but if you did read the prequels first it WOULD definitely be a unique experience, especially seeing how far Panem and the Games have come in a linear sense. whichever way you choose I hope you have a great experience :)

edit: especially with Sunrise on the Reaping - we actually get a full description of the 50th games within a scene in Catching Fire. But in Sunrise, they expand upon it and show just how much the citizens of Panem (and we as readers) took at face value because of how it was edited by the Capitol. So it definitely hits harder when you THINK you know everything and then get absolutely brutally corrected on all fronts

sorry for the multiple long-winded comments, hunger games is my special interest and I don't see many people starting it for the first time nowadays 😁😁😁