Keira Gillett Author

Fierce Middle Grade Fantasy Reads

76 Books to Read if You Love the Hunger Games

By

If you haven’t read the Hunger Games you really should! They’re pretty awesome. Check them out:

If you’re already a fan of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins…

You should add these books to your to be read pile!

(The recommendations are in no particular order.)

Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie

In a world where Officials pick your perfect mate, what happens when you’ve two choices?

  1. Matched
  2. Crossed
  3. Reached

Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner

A boy wakes up in a Glade with other boys knowing only his name, not how he got there, or how to escape the enclosed walls.

  1. The Kill Order (novella)
  2. The Maze Runner
  3. The Scorch Trials
  4. The Death Cure

Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry

A young boy is given the job to retain the Community’s memories and to advise them using that knowledge, but he doesn’t like what he sees when he knows the past.

  1. The Giver
  2. Gathering Blue
  3. Messenger
  4. Son

Books of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

A city of light amidst the darkness begins to go black and survival means finding a way out by going through the unknown.

  1. The City of Ember
  2. The People of Sparks
  3. The Prophet of Yonwood
  4. The Diamond of Darkhold

Uglies Quartet by Scott Westerfeld

When you turn 16 you can get a license to become Pretty and live in paradise, but one girl’s license is in jeopardy when her friend runs away. If she doesn’t find her and bring her back both are doomed to be Ugly for life.

  1. Uglies
  2. Pretties
  3. Specials
  4. Extras

Selection Trilogy by Kiera Cass

One girl must compete against 34 other girls and get selected to marry a prince on live television, but what if she doesn’t want to marry him?

  1. The Selection
  2. The Prince (novella)
  3. The Elite
  4. The One
  5. The Prince (novella)
  6. The Guard (novella)

Birthmarked Trilogy by Caragh M. O’Brien

You either live in the Enclave or you don’t. A portion of the poor outside the walls are advanced into the Enclave as infants. It is considered a privilege for your child to be selected, but our heroine isn’t so sure that’s the truth when her parents are arrested.

  1. Birthmarked
  2. Tortured (novella)
  3. Prized
  4. Promised

Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

A girl’s results for the Affinity Exam show that she is Divergent, which means she can pick where she wants to go of the five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Erudite, and Dauntless. But can she define herself in only one way?

  1. Divergent
  2. Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story (novella)
  3. Insurgent
  4. Allegiant

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

A girl sees something nobody else can see and is pulled into a world of demons and demon hunters.

  1. City of Bones
  2. City of Ashes
  3. City of Glass
  4. City of Fallen Angels
  5. City of Lost Souls
  6. City of Heavenly Fire

Ender’s Saga by Orson Scott Card

A young boy is taught to battle aliens and climbs the ranks at his intergalactic boarding school.

(As a note, reading order and publishing order are different. I’ve included Ender’s Saga and Ender’s Shadow series in the list below. Author’s comments on reading order are here.)

  1. First Meetings in Ender’s Universe
  2. Ender’s Shadow
  3. A War of Gifts
  4. Ender’s Game – Movie coming to theaters in November 2013
  5. Ender in Exile
  6. Shadow of the Hegemon
  7. Shadow Puppets
  8. Shadow of the Giant
  9. Shadows in Flight
  10. Speaker for the Dead
  11. Xenocide
  12. Children of the Mind

Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson

She was surrounded at birth by light and marked as the Chosen One destined to fulfill a prophecy. But can a failure of a princess ever hope to meet such a daunting task?

  1. The Girl of Fire and Thorns
  2. The Crown of Embers
  3. The Bitter Kingdom

Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver

The government demands that everyone on their 18th birthday get the cure to eradicate love from their system, but 95 days before turning 18 Lena falls in love and that changes everything.

  1. Delirium
  2. Hana (novella)
  3. Pandemonium
  4. Requiem

Last Survivors Trilogy by Susan Beth Pfeffer

A meteor knocks the moon closer to Earth and drastic climate changes occur leaving few left to navigate their new world.

  1. Life As We Knew It
  2. The Dead and the Gone
  3. This World We Live In

Cold Awakening Trilogy by Robin Wasserman

A girl wakes up from a car crash and realizes she’s been downloaded into a new body made of wires, circuits, and synthetic skin. She doesn’t recognize herself anymore and apparently nobody else does either.

  1. Skinned
  2. Crashed
  3. Wired

Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis

A girl wakes up from a cryopreservation (frozen sleep) onboard a spaceship 50 years before they reach their destination and must discover her would-be murderer before he succeeds and targets her parents.

  1. Across the Universe
  2. A Million Suns
  3. Shades of Earth

Bar Code Trilogy by Suzanne Weyn

Everyone over the age of 17 must get a bar code tattoo, according to a new conglomerate in America pushing this law through. The bar code holds everything about your identity, but it’s also a lot more sinister than the convenient Google Wallet.

  1. The Bar Code Tattoo
  2. The Bar Code Rebellion
  3. The Bar Code Prophecy

Stand Alones:

  1. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
  2. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
  3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  4. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
  5. Anthem by Ayn Rand
  6. Lord of the Flies by Willian Golding

What other books do you suggest?

Don’t leave without checking out: 12 Ways to Gear-up for a Catching Fire (Hunger Games) Party!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Also the Night Angel Trilogy by by Brent Weeks.

    The Way of the Shadows
    Shadow’s Edge
    Beyond the Shadows

    They are awesome!

    • Also really good books:

      °The Lying Game
      • The Lying Game
      •Never Have I Ever
      •Two Truths and A Lie
      •Cross My Heart, Hope To Die
      • Seven Minutes in Heaven
      My Rating: *** 3/5

      °Beautiful Creatures
      •Beautiful Creatures
      •Beautiful Darkness
      •{Dream Dark}
      •Beautiful Chaos
      •Beautiful Redemption
      My Rating: ***** 5/5

      °Lunar Chronicles
      • Cinder
      • Scarlet
      • Cress
      • Fairest
      Rating:*****5/5

      Anime: One Piece

  2. The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger by Lois Lowry. Shade’s Children by Garth Nix.

      • Koushun Takami is the author

        Its a very great read that im surprised didn’t make it to this list. Most likely because it is far more brutal than The Hunger Games.

        It shifts perspectives many times in the book to give you a complete picture as to what is going on with each of the students; something i was kind of hoping to see in The Hunger Games as well. It felt like i was missing half of the book’s events when i read The Hunger Games because you only had Kat’s perspective throughout the whole book. If you felt this way too then You’d enjoy Battle Royale far more

        • Surprised Battle Royale didn’t make the list? Really?

          If it were to be discovered that Suzanne Collins made a bad joke out of Japan’s legacies of honor suicides and imminent overpopulation, well, then kids in America would have no ‘summer lit’.

          Hunger Games is a traditionally western, watered-down, ‘G’-rated version of an already existing (and very popular) Eastern plot theme.

          only because MPAA couldn’t stand the thought of 13 y’os watching other 13 y’os get murdered. and that’s life.

    • Seconding this suggestion! Battle Royale was amazing and is one of my all time favorite books

  5. Cinda Williams Chima — The Heir Chronicles

    The Warrior Heir
    The Wizard Heir
    The Dragon Heir

    Magical Stones are embedded in some chosen people that give them magical powers. These powers come out when a person reaches puberty. Unfortunately there is a War of Roses in the magical world and magical people are forced to choose a side or be exterminated.

    • I always get this one confused with Midnight’s Children when I hear them. I have to go read their summaries to separate them. I blame the titles. lol 🙂

  7. Hi,

    I would add The Vindico by Wesley King. New author for YA but would fit in perfectly with your list.

    Cheers,
    Kirsten

  8. I would recommend the Wool series (5 books) by Hugh Howey. Available digitally at Amazon.

  9. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

    Blood Red Road by Moira Young
    Rebel Heart (releases in Fall 2012)

  10. I would suggest “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson; and
    the short story “The Long Walk” by Stephen King, as Richard Bachman.

    Speaking of King, also “The Running Man” story as opposed to the movie.

  11. i’ve literally been googling for the longest time, “books similar to hunger games to read” & nothing has ever come up. i’m so happy i just stumbled this page. you’re a life saver! <3 so excited to get started. thanks for all the outstanding recommendations!

  12. I’m really loving the “Book of Mortals” trilogy by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. The second book just came out, and I am just loving them! Dystopian fiction, about a future where emotions have been genetically engineered out of humanity.

    • I love Ted Dekker! I read the first book of the “Book of Mortals” and I can’t wait to read the second one!

  13. His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman

    Trilogy that The Golden Compass movie was based on…not a stellar movie…but a phenomenal series of books!!

  16. I would recommend the Tomorrow Series by John Marsden.

    They are set in Australia where a group of friends go camping for a few days and when they return a their town had been invaded and a has broken out.

    There are many similar themes to the Hunger Games and also teenage love triangles. As they are Australian books they may be hard to find but they are such a good read and leave you wanting more!

    1. Tomorrow, When the War Began
    2. The Dead of Night
    3. The Third Day, the Frost (in US A Killing Frost)
    4. Darkness by my Friend
    5. Burning for Revenge
    6. The Night is for Hunting
    7. The Other Side of Dawn

    • There are more books! Never knew that, I love Tomorrow, When the War Began!

      I gotta see if I can find those others as well here in the Netherlands.

    • These are absolutely brilliant books. Could not recommend highly enough. Just an amazing series.

    • Seconded, though probably start with the Alanna quartet so you fully understand why George is the best.

  19. I have found the best reading order for the Enders series is as follows:
    Enders Game
    Enders Shadow
    Shadow of the Hegemon
    Shadow Puppets
    Shadow of the Giant
    Shadows in Flight
    Speaker for the Dead
    Xenocide
    Children of the Mind
    Ender in Exile
    First Meetings
    A War of Gifts

    If you don’t want to tackle the entire series, Enders Game and Enders Shadow are must reads and the Shadow series(Hegemon,Puppets, Giant) is far better than the rest of the Enders Series( Speaker, Xenocide, Children)

      • I will believe it when I see it, there have been attempts to make Enders Game into a movie for decades. I just don’t see how they can correctly cast the film and expect to find young actors who can show the range of emotions needed to tell the story properly, however I will keep my fingers crossed that they do make the film and that it does not disappoint.

        • They’ve already finished filming it, actually. Asa Butterfield plays Ender. I believe they are shortening the time frame of the story significantly in order to make a film version possible.

    • I’d disagree on the reading order. The core Ender books — that is, the books actually about Ender — are Ender’s Game and the Speaker series (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind) and are the ones I’d say should be read first. Not coincidentally those are also the first published.

      While I enjoy Ender’s Shadow, the rest of the “Shadow” series (at least the ones I read) had a completely different tone than the Ender series. I haven’t read any of the last three on the list, unless “A War of Gifts” is the little “Christmas” Ender book that came out a few years ago.

      Personally, I didn’t enjoy the Shadow series and did enjoy the Ender series. The Shadow series was too much about politics for me, and I didn’t finish it.

    • Pshaw, sir. Pshaw. Speaker for the Dead is one of my all time favorite books. I do understand where you are coming from, as Speaker, Xenocide, and Children are all a drastic departure from the narrative style of Ender’s Game and the Ender’s Shadow line, but few books out there are as good at making you think.

  20. ALso a great series the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, there are well over 12 books in the entire series but the first 3 are fantastic( though the movie John Carter didn’t follow the stories and was in fact terrible, the books are great fun)
    A Princess of Mars
    The Gods of Mars
    The Warlord of Mars

    You can pick this series up in 3 volumes from Barns and Noble, I just purchased the 2nd and 3rd volumes and will let you know if the other 10 books are any good.

    • I haven’t read the books, so I didn’t think the movie was bad. My dad (who doesn’t read much anymore) liked it too and he’s a tough sci-fi guy to please. What didn’t you like?

      • They basically made up the entire story, only using Mars as the setting and some of the characters names, I accept that the book is usually always better than the movie, but in this case they ruined such a great story. If you do ever read the books you will understand. I would suggest blocking out the movie if you do read the series, as it is so far from the story it will probably annoy the heck out of you.

  21. Skullduggery is the best!!!

    Skulduggery Pleasant
    Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire
    Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones
    Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days
    Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil
    Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer

  22. I read the first two books of the Maze Runner Trilogy. I’m about to start the third, and they are just so amazing. I def recommend them if you like the Hunger Games. Also, the I am Number Four books. Two of them are out, the third comes out in August and they are awesome!

  23. Another amazing book that Hunger Games fans will enjoy is the Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa. It’s amazing and you’ll love it as much as I did/do.

  25. i would highly recommend the Truancy trilogy by Isamu Fukui.

    in a futuristic world where education has become a militant hell overseen by the Educators, young Tack rebels against the system and joins the rebel army, The Truancy.

    The 2 books that are out (Truancy and Origins) are completely fantastic. they’re made all the better by the fact that Fukui was only 15 years old when he wrote it. i would definitely suggest this series to anyone. book 3 of the trilogy is due out in fall of this year.

  26. Margaret Atwood! Anything by her. Best known for The Handmaid’s Tale. But I love Oryx and Crake so much more.

    • If you loved Oryx and Crake, check out The Year of the Flood – a bit of a simultaneous storyline but with different characters. Super good!

  27. I recommend John Twelve Hawks’ Fourth Realm Trilogy: The Traveler
    The Dark River
    The Golden City

    It goes along the same lines of the dystopian future society, similar to the Hunger Games. I was really hooked.

  28. You are all wonderful and I am soooo grateful for the suggestions! This has been an all-time favorite stumble!

  29. The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy is great!
    1. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
    2. The Dead-Tossed Waves
    3. The Dark and Hollow Places

    And the Dust Lands series are compared to Hunger Games all the time!
    1. Blood Red Road
    2. TBA

  30. Nice list! I really did enjoy the hunger games (the books more than the movie), so this list sounds like it was made for me. Thanks for pointing them out.

  31. The Shamer’s Quadrant, by Lene Kaaberbol. These are difficult to come by, but I found them on Amazon (in the UK) and they’re a great read. They’re really aimed at children/young adults, but I’m 21 and I still enjoy them.
    1) The Shamer’s Daughter
    2) The Shamer’s Signet
    3) The Serpent’s Gift
    4) The Shamer’s War

    Also, Trudi Canavan’s debut novels; the Dark Magician Trilogy. I haven’t read the prequels and sequels around this set, but the original three books are fantastic.

  32. The Noughts & Crosses seriesby Malorie Blackman is awesome, too, if you liked the Hunger Games.

  33. Anything by Ellen Hopkins:

    Impulse
    Perfect

    Crank
    Glass
    Fallout

    Burned
    Smoke

    Identical

    Tricks

    Triangles
    Tilt

    They’re all great!

  34. One of the best young adult series that I have ever read is The Books of Pellinor series they include:
    The Naming
    The Riddle
    The Crow
    and
    The Singing
    They are by Alison Croggon

  35. Dont Forget the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare! It’s just as good as the Mortal instruments series if not better!

    • I love this series, I couldn’t wait for the other books since i read clockwork angel! now i have all three of them, i actually squealed when i saw clockwork princess on the bookstores shelves and this guy who was standing next to me was looking at me like i was crazy.

  36. If you like the hunger games you must read REMNANTS by K. A. Applegate. Its a bit of a space -survival-horror series for young adults, way ahead of its time. There are 14 books in total but they are rather short and all available in paperback. I good summer read

  37. *Just another note about The Remnants, a better synopsis is that after it is known that a meteor is headed towards the moon setting it on a crash course with Earth, a very small, randomly chosen few of Earth’s population is chosen to be sent on ‘The Mayflower’- the government’s experimental attempt at a cryo-stasis-noah’s-ark-type spaceship. Jobs learns that his family is among the chosen. They know not where the ship is meant to take them, only that is suppose to freeze them until the ship finds a suitable planet on which to land…But how long will that take?… And what will await the survivors at their destination?

    I hope that made you interested! The first book is titled:

    THE MAYFLOWER PROJECT

  39. The GONE series by Michael Grant!! its wonderful. all the people in town that are 14 and older disappear and the kids have to figure out how to survive! some of them start developing weird powers! its an amazing series!!!

  40. i am really enjoying the wonderful Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan also the witches of eilanan series by kate forsyth had me mesmerised, i highly recommend.

  41. by the way thank you so much for this really interesting list of recommended books. i am a great reader and they will all be going down on my to read list.

      • I read most of the books I liked the companion seires. Its about Beans life before and after battle school accepted him, from the streats of Rotterdam to, the worldwar that came after the third invasion to, Peters world domination as hegemon.

  46. i have read several of these and lotsw more on my To Read shelf at Goodreads. I would suggest my all-time-favorite series. its about 2099 and the ice caps melted and what people have to do to survive, and who are left to die

    1) Exodus
    2) Zenith
    3) Aurora

  47. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
    The Chemical Garden Trilogy (Wither, Fever, Sever) by Lauren DeStefano
    Legend by Marie Lu (Prodigy comes out this winter)
    Unwind (Neal Shusterman)
    Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi)
    the Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern)
    Earthseed (Pamela Sargent)
    Girl in the Steel Corset, Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Kady Cross)

  48. Pierre Bordage wrote the Wang serie in 1996, the first was translate in english : The Gates of The Occident

  49. Some of the best books I’d read that dealt with a Dystopian world were the “Shadow Children” series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. To aid in the fight against famine due to overpopulation, families are allowed only two children; any subsequent children are imprisoned or killed. The series follows Luke Garner as he finds out about other shadow children, and many of the themes involve hypocriticism, very likely future problems, coming to terms with who you are, and finding your place in society. There’s seven books, and the reading order is as follows:

    Among The Hidden
    Among The Imposters
    Among The Betrayed
    Among The Barons
    Among The Brave
    Among The Enemy
    Among The Free

    Very good books. Definitely recommend them to anyone of any age.

    • I never reply on these sites but I had to when I saw this b/c I was going through the comments to see if anyone mentioned this series. I’ve read the first couple books and I COMPLETELY 100% agree and recommend that any book lover read atleast the first book in this series, it’s absolutely amazing!

  50. Wonderful list and great suggestions in the comments! Thank you! I would also add STARTERS by Lissa Price. And I think the second book ENDERS is coming out early in 2013.

  51. The Fire-Us Trilogy were great. Maybe more kiddish but very interesting. Not many people have heard of them but I found them in a library once and really liked them. It’s based in America after a disease killed everyone who was at the age of reaching puberty or older and as such, only children are left alive. The book follows a group of children surviving together who have forgotten their names but forged a new family. The book titles are The Kindling, The Keepers of the Flame, and The Kiln.

    • Its by Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher. Glad someone else has read them as well. I too happened upon them in my local library.

  52. The Abhorsen trio by Garth Nix – Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen. Absolutely the best books I have ever read.

  53. Anything by Ann McCaffry is excellent. I particularly loved the Ship Who Sang (and subsequent books) as well as the Dragon Riders of Pern series. Also Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler is fantastic, tho perhaps a tid bit adult for young teens. Sharon Shin does great stories as well- the Archangel series is great, as well as Summers at castle Aubern.

  56. Nonstop by Brain Aldiss

    The Greene tribe is no longer the center of the universe. The crucial “watchwords” have lost their power, and now, self-esteem is draining away. But Roy Complain refuses to sink into apathy. To escape extinction, he joins Marapper the Priest and begins a perilous journey of discovery.

  58. Having read many of these books I can say that they are a brilliant representation of the genre. For the books I haven’t heard of…TO THE USED BOOK STORE!!!!!

  59. I’d suggest:
    The Monster Republic Series By Ben Horton
    1)Monster Republic
    2)The Judas Code
    3)The Phoenix Programme

    The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

    The Forsaken By Lisa M Stasse

    • Yeah you definitely don’t have to be a Twilight Fan to enjoy this book, it is nothing like that series. It is a standalone- though I want more! It’s just awesome and I have re-read it many times and enjoyed it each time.

  66. I would like to recommend The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. It is one of the greatest stories I have ever read, many of his universes tie in with these novels. Also would like to recommend The Talisman and Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Both books I just mentioned tie in heavily with The Dark Tower series.

  67. If you want a different look at the possible future read “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy. Incredibly gripping and harrowing.

  69. The Host by Stephanie Meyer has none of the gore, but lives along the ‘people forced to deal with a government they don’t agree with’ and ‘how far does love go’ themes. I enjoyed it and constantly compared it to the Uglies series when I read it when it came out, but mostly because of the characters, and less so because of the storyline.

    • I second this!
      Gone is a great series
      (and a 6th book called Light is about to be released)

      Is Tunnels on this list yet? Again, 5 books, a 6th one on the way. The writer is Roderick Gordon

  73. The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead is good.
    So is the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson
    And the Silver series by Cliff McNish

  74. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was absolutely incredible. Best book I’ve ever read. There is a second book and a third one still being written (last I checked) in the series. I have not read the second book because my friends that have read it said it was very, very crude. Anyway, The Name of the Wind will certainly be a favorite among anyone who enjoys fantasy, suspense, and creatures of all kinds. =)

    • I love, love, love this book! One of my favorites. I haven’t read the rest of the sieres because I heard they just didn’t live up to Ender’s Game. I did just pick up Ender’s Shadow though because I loved Bean and am hoping since it’s not about Ender I won’t feel disappointed.

  77. The Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn

    Across the Nightingale Floor
    Grass for his Pillow
    Brilliance of the Moon
    Heaven’s Net is Wide (Prequel)
    The Harsh Cry of the Heron (Extended Epilogue)

    Incredible series of books set in fictional feudal Japan.

  80. The under land chronicles by Suzanne Collins. Same author as the Hunger games. Amazing book

  81. Gone Series By Michael Grant

    The series is centered around the fictional Californian town of Perdido Beach. Every human 15 and older vanishes, and the town and surrounding areas (later named the FAYZ) are encased within an impenetrable bubble. Many of the people and wildlife develop supernatural powers. The books follow the exploits of various characters, mainly the protagonist Sam Temple and the antagonist, Sam’s fraternal twin Caine Soren.

  82. For the love of… PLEASE change your summary of the Ender saga so that it isn’t a massive spoiler of the whole plot of Ender’s Game!!

  84. Defiance by C.J. Redwine! Amazing! I was looking through this list for new books to read and I was amazed how many of these series I’ve read! All I can say right now is WOW!!!!

  85. I love anhything by Tamora Peirce. They are almost all quartets, so the smaller teen fiction size isn’t too bad, and they are almost all strong female leads. The stories are always captivating, and there’s lots of fantasy in them…. they may not deal with stand out concepts and themes to get your mind ticking, but I like books like others like movies, for the entertainment it brings me.

  89. You toootally need to read Enclave. best book! Also try books by Philip Dick a dystopian scifi/ futuristic author. SO good!

  90. Always love a good reading list! Thanks for posting this, I’ve heard of many of the books in the list, and they are on my todo list in the future, now even more so.

  91. Another one along the lines of these would be
    The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld.
    -Uglies
    -Pretties
    -Specials
    -Extras

    I highly recommend them, great books and food for though.

  94. His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman-
    The Golden Compass
    The Subtle Knife
    The Amber Spyglass

  95. Oh, and a few more random amazing books and series’- The Devouring Series
    Malice, Havoc
    Poison
    Infernal Devices Series
    Daughter of Smoke and Bone
    The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray

    And MANY MORE

    • That’s arguable. I can’t claim to have read every single one of the series or books mentioned above, but I’ve read many of the series, and I’ve read many more first books of other series. For me, very, very few of them have the narrative power of The Hunger Games.

      I’ve read the Golden Compass series. Once. Never been able to get through it a second time. I’ve read the Ender series (first three books) multiple times, but I can’t say I think it’s better. The Uglies series is very good, but I don’t think it tells quite as powerful a story. Shadow Children is very good, but not as complex — okay, because it’s meant for a younger audience. Same for The Giver series. The “Tomorrow When the War Began” series is good, again, not as good, I don’t believe, but good. (Though I don’t care or the ones that take place after the war ends.) Ember series, good, but not as complex. City of Bones — got through the first three (four?) books. At best, okay. The Host? Just okay. The Maze Runner — okay books, but the end of the series is extremely weak.

      I could go on, but you get the idea. I won’t disagree about your particular feeling about the series, but it’s hard to argue with its success. Maybe it’ll be like “The World According to Garp” and be loved for a few years then forgotten, but I kinda doubt it.

  98. Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord are a great a action series that you should totally check out!

  101. I also loved (what is so far) a trilogy by kristin Cashore. I’m not sure what they are called but the three books are Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue. They don’t really follow the same story but have many “links” between them. I suggest reading them in that order 🙂 I Loved them!!! and by the way Bitterblue ended I’m guessing there will be more books to come… yay!!

  102. Slated
    Fractured (Summer 2013)
    Monster Republic (Trilogy)
    The Forsaken
    The Hunt
    The Prey (January 2013)
    Conspiracy 365
    I Am Number Four (Lorein Legacies series)

    • Right?? The authour of Unwind came to our school once when I was in middle school. He was an amazing person.

  104. This Time of Darkness by H. M. Hoover and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury are both dystopian novels as well.

  107. A bit younger than the hunger games probably, but still good, is the Wind Singer trilogy by William Nicholson. Set in an alternate world, follows an unorthodox family who live in a strictly enforced meritocracy.

  110. The Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore is also awesome! it consists of 3 books: Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue. Katsa is amazing!

  111. I would also recommend “The Worthing Saga” by Orson Scott Card. It’s a collection of short stories that follow a similar dystopian vein. The Ender series, both the originals and Shadow collection, are absolutely worthwhile. My current favorite read is the Dark Tower series from Stephen King. I can’t stop re-reading it.

  112. Also, Terry Brooks’ “Word and Void” trilogy is an excellent introduction to his Shannara series, more post-apocalyptic and pre-fantasy.

  113. Brilliant List .. Thankyou so much everyone for your recommendations .. Now I have the difficult task of deciding which of these series to read first.

  114. The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan.
    There’s 11 books at the moment, with a 12th (and final) book on the way. Seems like a lot, but they are a very easy read (like a day or two each) while still being original and exciting!

  117. The relentless series by Lauren Oliver. I finished them all in less then a week. I would wait until the last book is out though (this October) because the wait is killing me!!!
    1.relentless
    2.refuge
    3.requiem
    4.rougue

  119. I would suggest the testing series I just finished the last one and I thought it was brilliant

    The Testing
    The Independent Study
    Graduation Day

  120. I am number four
    Power of six
    Rise of nine
    Revenge of seven
    Fall of five
    Fate of ten
    All great books

  123. i would add The Razorland trilogy by Ann Aguirre. starts with Enclave, then Outpost, then Horde. amazing books! loved them more than Divergent and The Hunger Games.

  124. Justin Cronin The Passage and The Twelve are amaze balls and third instalment due next year!!!

  125. Just finished the Trylle trilogy by Amanda Hocking. It was very Hunger Games meets Twilight. A little predictable but I still couldn’t put it down.

  126. Red queen by victoria aveyard is amazing

    Legend by mary lu. This was actually better than the hunger games for me

  127. Throne of glass by sarah j maas is also incredible
    Throne of glass
    Crown of midnight
    Heir of fire
    Queen of shadows
    There is another one releasing in september!

  128. Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld is an amazing series. It’s set in a future where children are called “uglies” until their 16th birthday, when they get a surgical procedure to make them “pretties”. Tally, a rule breaking teen befriends a girl named Shay. Shay is unsure about the surgery and runs away. When Tally’s 16th birthday comes Tally must decide whether she wishes to either betray Shay or never turn pretty and be “ugly” forever.

    Uglies
    Pretties
    Specials
    Extras

  129. All the books on here I’ve either read or must read, so great job to everyone who posted!!!! My recommendations for books I think are awesome are: Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull (a must-read!) , Eon & Eona by Alison Goodman, Princess Academy trilogy by Shannon Hale, the Eragon quartet by Christopher Paolini, Gallagher Series by Ally Carter, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children trilogy by Ransom Riggs, the Kanin Chronicles by Amanda Hocking, Tracked by Jenny Martin, Riley Bloom series by Alyson Noel, An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase, Heroes of Olympus, Kane Chronicles, and Trails of Apollo by Rick Riordan, Angelfire trilogy by Courtney Allison Moulton, the Sweet quartet by Wendy Higgins, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman, Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Lost Voices trilogy by Sarah Porter, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Elemental trilogy by Sherry Thomas, In The Time of the Dragon Moon by Janet Lee Carey, The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell, Seven Realms quartet by Cinda Williams Chima, The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler, and Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay. Definitely read the other recommended books of Marie Lu, Kiera Cass, Alison Croggon, Stephenie Meyer, Veronica Roth, Kristin Cashore, Tamora Pierce, Rae Carson, Sarah J. Maas, Amanda Hocking, Margaret Haddix, John Flanagan, James Dashner, and Lois Lowry! I’ll post more book recommendations if I think (or read) of any more!

  130. I LOVED THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES!!!! IT IS SOOOO GOOD!!! I read TMI series before I read the Hunger Games, but I LOVED both of them!!!! ➰

  131. I would like to add my book. It has received 13 honors. Novus (The Cresecren Chronicles, Book 1) Fans of Hunger Games, Divergent, and Cinder have enjoyed this book. It has just gotten a new cover! I am working on book 2.

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  4. […] for some of the best dystopian, young adult, action, fantasy(ish) reads? Well this link will open up a tab to a wonderful dystopian-themed reading list. It has 74 books in total, 16 series, and 6 standalones. Right now, I am familiar with 31 books, BUT […]