The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Like The Darkest Minds, it follows a teenage girl forced into a brutal state-controlled system and fighting to survive on her own terms. Its relentless pacing will feel familiar.
12 books to read next
Books Like The Darkest Minds
If you loved The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Readers who love The Darkest Minds usually come for Ruby, a teenager who has learned to hide what she can do. The book pairs a fast escape plot with a bleak, post-apocalyptic America and a close look at fear, control and loyalty. Chapters move quickly and end on hooks, and the emotional core is a small band of outsiders learning to trust one another. The romance stays restrained, and the story asks what children owe the adults who fear them.
Same escape and rebellion
The Maze Runner
James Dashner
A group of teens wakes up in a sealed, controlled world with no memory of how they got there. Fans of Ruby's escape from the camp will appreciate the mystery and the tight, urgent plotting.
Divergent
Veronica Roth
Beatrice lives under a rigid society that sorts people by category, much like the camps sort children by ability. Its rebellious heroine and sense of a system closing in will suit fans of the source.
Teens with dangerous gifts
Akata witch
Nnedi Okorafor
Sunny discovers hidden abilities and a secret community that is wary of her. Its focus on young people learning to control unusual power and belonging somewhere new echoes the source book.
The Rithmatist
Brandon Sanderson
Joel is an outsider who studies a rare, dangerous talent that the authorities want to control. Fans of Ruby's struggle with her abilities will enjoy its clever rules and sympathetic young protagonist.
Unwind
Neal Shusterman
Teens are sent away for a grim process because society has decided they are a problem. Its bleak premise of young people deemed expendable by adults will resonate with readers of The Darkest Minds.
Found family on the run
Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo
A crew of damaged misfits takes on a dangerous mission and slowly becomes a family. Readers who loved the bond between Ruby and her companions will find the same warmth and sharp banter here.
Legend
Marie Lu
Two teenagers from opposite sides of a divided, authoritarian society cross paths with dramatic consequences. Its dual viewpoints and fast-moving dystopian intrigue suit fans of the source.
Caraval
Stephanie Garber
Scarlett and her sister are drawn into a dangerous game where nothing is quite what it seems. Its atmosphere of secrecy and uneasy alliances will appeal to fans of the book's tense, character-driven adventure.
Go deeper into dystopia
The Giver
Lois Lowry
A boy discovers that his controlled community hides painful truths behind its calm surface. Its questions about obedience, memory and what a society sacrifices will suit readers who valued the source's moral weight.
Feed
M. T. Anderson
Teens are constantly connected to a corporate network that shapes their desires and thoughts. Its sharp satire of a manipulative system will appeal to readers who enjoyed the critique of control in The Darkest Minds.
Uglies
Scott Westerfeld
In a society that enforces conformity through surgery, a teen begins to question everything she has been taught. Its fast, page-turning structure and rebellious heroine suit fans of the source book.
We earn a commission if you buy through these links. Learn more