Top 18 Books Like Hunger Games Updated 04 /2024

Suzanne Collins' trilogy for young adults was an instant hit, and has been adapted into a series of Hollywood movies starring Jennifer Lawrence as the reluctant heroine and huntress Katniss Everdeen. If you are looking to immerse yourself in another gripping dystopian world, look no further. Here are five more books like The Hunger Games.

In Suzanne Collins’s vividly imagined Panem, teenagers are forced to take part in an annual ‘Hunger Games’, in which contestants are forced to fight to the death on live television. When 16-year-old Katniss volunteers to take the place of her younger sister in the games, she sets in motion a brutal chain of events that ultimately destabilise the entire totalitarian regime. Exploring themes of government corruption, class discrimination, the ethics of entertainment and the psychological impact of war, Suzanne Collins draws parallels between the barbarous Panem and our own society—as does all the very best dystopian fiction. If you’ve read the books, watched the films, and still want more, then here are our reading recommendations: five books akin to The Hunger Games we think you’ll like just as much.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

With Veronica Roth's blockbuster Divergent series set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, the film franchise starring Shailene Woodley is also a big phenomenon. The protagonist of the series, a sixteen-year-old boy, is once again forced to make an agonizing decision: conform or be exiled. Roth paints a picture of a society in which everyone is divided into factions and must adapt to fit in. With its emphasis on the necessity for a responsive and flexible government in a dynamic and ever-growing society, Divergent has won the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is a reimagining of the classic Cinderella story set in the near future in New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series. This YA science fiction story is set in the city of 'New Beijing,' which is overrun with both humans and androids. In addition to a devastating virus that has decimated the population, the vicious Lunars, a race that lives on the Earth's moon, pose a cosmic danger to New Beijing. In Cinder's case, she's a second-class citizen because of her mechanical parts. With her stepmother ostracizing her, Cinder finds herself thrust into the middle of an interstellar conflict.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

A dystopian science fiction novel written by Dashner in 2009, The Maze Runner, was adapted for the big screen in 2014, and the movie starring Dylan O'Brien was a huge success. After mysteriously arriving at the weird and ominous 'Glade,' our protagonist Thomas and his new friends find themselves bewildered. Nobody has any idea how they got here or what's happened to the rest of the globe since they were last here. Their only goal is to get out of this unsettling maze, but they'll have to overcome a variety of hazards and perils in order to accomplish it.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

A worldwide gang known as The Reestablishment control over what remains of Earth's livable territory in Mafi's dystopian thriller, which was published in 2011. The world of the Shatter Me books, like that of The Hunger Games, is one in which an authoritarian government is in power and where disease, food shortages, and climate catastrophes are commonplace. Her name is Juliette, and she's a 17-year-old with a fatal touch that has caused her to be held captive and accused of murder. To use Juliette as a weapon, the tyrannical Reestablishment forces her to make a choice: either a tool or a fighter.

Legend by Marie Lu

A dystopian tale about poverty, patriotism, and death, this New York Times bestseller is a fascinating YA dystopian novel. There are two main characters in the Legend trilogy: Day and June. Both have given up a lot for the Republic's citizens, who now live in a post-apocalyptic LA. There is widespread dread and even threats of violence in the borderlands as the country prepares to embark on its next phase of history due to the outbreak of a pandemic. In order to save her country from this lethal peril, June will have to pay a high price. Readers who like The Hunger Games will enjoy Lu's Legend series, which is a tale of love and sacrifice.

And I Darken Series by Kiersten White

Kiersten White's series, set in the Ottoman Empire, is a nice respite for Game of Thrones fans who are still waiting for GRRM's final conclusion. Lada Dragwlya is determined to recover the throne of Wallachia, the land of her origin. Lada, on the other hand, is falling for the heir to the Ottoman dynasty that she has pledged to destroy. As is customary, love and ruthlessness get entwined.

Rebel of the Sands  Series by Alwyn Hamilton

Amani Al Hiza realizes that her future in Miraji is bleak. As a young lady without a family or financial resources, she is forced to face the harsh realities of this realm, which is filled with mythological animals and mystical djinn. A glimmer of hope is given to her when she meets a foreigner named Jin; yet, the gripping story arc has her fighting for the liberation of the entire country.

Blood Rose Rebellion Series by Rosalyn Eves

Rosalyn Eves' historical fantasy about a teenage girl who is rejected for her incapacity to do magic—and her seemingly uncontrollable power to disrupt magic—is a truly original work of fiction. Anna's barrenness is viewed as a genetic flaw and a source of shame by her wealthy and influential family. She is sent to Hungary where revolutionaries hope she will break the bond that binds the world's evil social system when her full skills are revealed.

An Ember in the Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir

In the eyes of the Empire, Laia and Elias are both slaves and prized soldiers. When Laia promises to spy on the most powerful military academy of the Empire in exchange for her brother's rescue, their paths cross. A mash-up of The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones is what fans have dubbed this series. We don't need to say anything else.
 

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