The Maze Runner
James Dashner
Like the arena in The Hunger Games, a lethal maze traps teenagers who must cooperate, scheme and survive while unseen controllers watch. It is fast, cliffhanger-driven and full of mystery.
12 books to read next
Books Like The Hunger Games
If you loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Readers love The Hunger Games for Katniss Everdeen, a fiercely practical heroine forced into a televised fight to the death, and for its relentless pace. The story mixes survival tension with sharp questions about media spectacle, inequality and state power, all told in a tight first-person voice. Underneath the action are loyalty, grief and an uneasy alliance with Peeta. Fans usually want more young adult dystopia, deadly competitions, rebellion against unjust systems and heroines who survive on wits and nerve.
Deadly games and competitions
The Scorch Trials
James Dashner
If the arena's survival tests gripped you, this sequel throws its characters into a brutal desert trial with shifting loyalties, giving the same breathless danger as Katniss's fight for life.
Battle royale
Kōshun Takami, Masayuki Taguchi
An older, darker classic where students are forced by an authoritarian state to kill each other. Best for mature readers who want the raw premise of The Hunger Games pushed further.
Rebellion against a cruel regime
Divergent
Veronica Roth
A divided society, a heroine who doesn't fit and a growing threat from those in power echo Panem's districts. Tris's tough training and quiet defiance will appeal to Katniss fans.
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard
Mare, a poor girl thrust into a glittering, ruthless court, becomes a symbol of uprising much as Katniss does. Expect televised-style trials, betrayals and class rage.
Legend
Marie Lu
Told by a street rebel and a military prodigy, this dystopian thriller shares the Capitol-style oppression, quick action and wary partnership that make The Hunger Games so tense.
Thoughtful dystopian classics
The Giver
Lois Lowry
A calmer, deeply affecting look at a controlled society that hides painful truths. It shares The Hunger Games' questions about freedom and conformity in a shorter, quieter story.
Uglies
Scott Westerfeld
A society that makes everyone 'pretty' at sixteen hides darker control. Like Collins, Westerfeld critiques appearance and spectacle while delivering adventure and a heroine who questions everything.
Unwind
Neal Shusterman
Three teens run from a system that harvests unwanted young people. Its gripping chase and hard moral questions match the unsettling power of Panem's reaping.
Survival and grit
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Brian survives alone in the wilderness after a plane crash. Fans of Katniss hunting, foraging and enduring hunger will love its close focus on practical survival.
Scythe
Neal Shusterman
Two teens are apprenticed to the people who decide who dies in a perfect world. Its moral weight, rivalry and deadly stakes recall Katniss and Peeta's impossible position.
The 5th Wave
Rick Yancey
After an alien invasion, Cassie trusts no one as she fights to save her brother. Her protective, wary toughness feels very close to Katniss caring for Prim.
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