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Books like The Hunger Games

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What to read when you have finished The Hunger Games trilogy

You devoured The Hunger Games. Now, what's next? You want more of the same - what books will you enjoy as much? I know how you feel because that is how I felt when I finished reading the series. So I did some research and started reading books others suggested. Here is my list of books similar to The Hunger Games trilogy. All the books fall into the genre of dystopian literature. The majority can be classified as science fiction and most of them are designated as teen books. However, if you don't usually like science fiction, or you aren't a teen - I still think you will find books in this list you will enjoy.

I have reviewed each book and tried to explain in which ways the book is similar, and also how much I liked it - and why. I hope this is useful to others as you try to select more books like The Hunger Games to read.

Image courtesy of http://librarypresentations.wikispaces.com/

Gone

Although this book is only similar to The Hunger Games in that teens are the protagonists, I was gripped by the characters and the storyline in the same way I was by The Hunger Games. In this book, everyone over 15 suddenly disappears, and the 'world' becomes a 20 mile circle or sphere around a nuclear power plant. Those left behind have to figure out how to live together and to look after each other - and how to survive against those who are power hungry.

The teens in this story are very representative of teens one would expect to find in the average school: there is the girl who suffers from bulimia, numerous bullies, a computer geek, the jocks, the immigrant, the nondescript and many others. It is not hard to 'see' them as real people - even though some have strange powers.

If you try just one book on this list - pick this one!
Gone

Gone

by: Michael Grant

Amazon Price: $5.49 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

Don't start this book unless you have plenty of time on your hands! I struggled to put it down once I had started it and read late into the night, and when I should have been doing other things till I finished it. Now I am dying to get the other books in the series!

Lord of the Flies

I must admit, I read this in high school and hated it. However, my son has just read it - also for school - and he LOVED it. It is similar to The Hunger Games in that children and teens are trying to survive. In this case they choose to see others as 'enemies' - it is not forced upon them as in The Hunger Games.
Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

by: William Golding

Amazon Price: $4.00 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

It is a classic, and it is thought-provoking. You are likely to either dislike it as I did - or love it like my son did. Maybe it appeals more to guys. I would love to hear your comments in the Guest book at the end of this page.

The Running Man

Like The Hunger Games this book centers on a game devised by the authorities. The contestants are pawns in the game, manipulated to produce exciting entertainment for the viewers. And like Katniss, Ben Richards, the 'running man' of the title, decides he will not play the role laid out for him.
The Running Man

The Running Man

by: Stephen King

Amazon Price: $3.90 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

This book is a gripping read and I would heartily recommend it but for the bad language. There is, unfortunately, a lot of it. So, please take that into account in deciding whether to read it or not.

Ender's Game

Ender Wiggins and other children are selected from a young age to be taken from their parents and specially trained to save their planet from an invasion but the alien 'buggers'. This book is similar to The Hunger Games in that children are once again the heroes and must play roles that the average child is not called on to bear.
Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1)

Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1)

by: Orson Scott Card

Amazon Price: $3.58 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $6.99

Even non sci-fi lovers will enjoy reading this book as the focus is not so much on the technology of the future, but rather on the emotions of Ender Wiggins. He has to make decisions that mature adults would find hard and he constantly struggles to know what is the right thing to do.
If you enjoy this - please note that there is an entire series of Ender's Game books to provide you with many happy reading hours.

The Maze Runner

This is a difficult book to describe as practically anything I share with you will give some of the story away. At the beginning you don't know what's going on and nor does the protagonist, Thomas. What I can tell you is the main characters are all children and teens - and they face a situation they don't understand must come to grips with and 'solve'. A giant maze is at the heart of the problem.
The Maze Runner (Maze Runner Trilogy, Book 1)

The Maze Runner (Maze Runner Trilogy, Book 1)

by: James Dashner

Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $9.99

I found myself contrasting this book to both Lord of the Flies and Ender's Game. I found it particularly interesting to see how a group of boys left to themselves operate differently in this world to those boys marooned on the island in Lord of the Flies.

Divergent

At the age of 16, each person must choose to either remain in the faction they were born in - or choose one of the other 4 factions. This choice will define the rest of your life. Beatrice Prior makes the hardest choice of her life - and finds herself undergoing a gruelling initiation. Soon she starts questioning the world she has always taken for granted - and this puts her life in danger.
Divergent

Divergent

by: Veronica Roth

Amazon Price: $10.75 (as of 05/29/2012)Buy Now

This is fast-paced and action-packed similar to The Hunger Games. There is also a love story woven throughout. I felt that sometimes there was too much emphasis on the love story and especially on its physical aspects. But it does make another gripping read and you will want to continue through the whole series.

Birthmarked

Gaia Stone lives in a world where the privileged live inside the walls of the Enclave - while she lives in poverty outside. At 16 she becomes a midwife like her mother and has to handover a quota of the babies she delivers to be brought up inside the Enclave. Gaia accepts her world - until her parents are suddenly arrested and she has no idea why. Gaia is determined to find her way into the Enclave after them and rescue them.
Birthmarked (Birthmarked Trilogy)

Birthmarked (Birthmarked Trilogy)

by: Caragh M. O'Brien

Amazon Price: $5.75 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

Gaia is another strong feminine protagonist who refuses to accept the rules of her society. She follows her conscience and is prepared to put herself in danger to do what is right. This will probably appeal more to girls than boys, though there are boys who play a prominent role in the story. Another great read. I will be reading the rest of the series.

Matched

Cassia is excited to turn 16 and attend her Matching Banquet when she will discover who The Society has picked out as her perfect mate. But she is thrown into confusion, when a second face momentarily appears on her screen. This is the beginning of her questioning all the choices The Society makes for her - as it does for everyone. And soon Cassia realizes she can't carry on living as they want her to.
Matched

Matched

by: Ally Condie

Amazon Price: $5.61 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

I read well into the night to finish this and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. This book gets the reader to think about the concept of free-will. The Society has created a peaceful place for people to live, where they live needing nothing - but is it worth giving up ones freedom for that?

The Uglies

Like in The Hunger Games, the main characters are teens, though they do live in a world where adults are also present. Children are born 'ugly' and then at a certain age undergo an operation that transforms them into "pretties" and allows them to move into Pretty Town. Like Katniss, Tally Youngblood does not toe the line and comply with what the authorities have planned for her.
Uglies (The Uglies)

Uglies (The Uglies)

by: Scott Westerfeld

Amazon Price: $5.27 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

I read all 4 books in this series in quick succession. I didn't find them as gripping as The Hunger Games but they were still a good read and raised some thought-provoking questions.

I am Number Four

The premise of this novel is that 9children have been saved from another world (Lorien) and are now living on earth in an effort to preserve their nation so that one day their planet which was destroyed by the evil Mogadorians can be repopulated. The children have been split up and the Mogadorians - who are hunting them - can only kill them in numerical order. Number 4 is next.
I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies)

I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies)

by: Pittacus Lore

Amazon Price: $5.59 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

Somehow this book just didn't grab me. I did not find myself transported into another time and place - I always felt like I was reading a book. It seemed contrived - and the love story which was introduced really could have been left out. It did not add to the storyline as Katniss's romantic involvement with Peeta and Gale does.
I know there is a movie of this book, but one of the librarian's at our local library assured me it was not worth watching.

Any more ideas of books similar to The Hunger Games?

  • ErinMac May 22, 2012 @ 10:57 pm | delete
    Loved hunger games, divergent is my favorite (the sequal Insurgent is amazing too), and am going to start Maze Runner soon. Another book like Hunger Games that I am reading now is "Pure" by Baggott which is a little weird but good, and also "Legend" by Wu which is good. I am finding young adult books are better then most adult books now :-
  • PaulRyan Apr 23, 2012 @ 9:54 pm | delete
    I liked The Hunger Games, despite not being a teenager any more. Well, The Tripods was one of my favourite series of books when I was younger. Post-apocalyptic and survival, humans are made to wear a "cap" from their teens (14) and it's about some teenagers who flee and fight back. Great read and might be a movie one day (the TV series never finished it off, sadly).
  • kerilovesadeal Apr 18, 2012 @ 7:19 pm | delete
    Gone looks good. I want! :) Thanks for the list. I found three books want. Ok four. Gone, Divergent, Matched and Birth Marked are on my to read list. :)
  • sd Apr 12, 2012 @ 9:34 pm | delete
    enclave
  • bames24 Apr 12, 2012 @ 5:04 am | delete
    I loved the Hunger Games and I was on the lookout for similar books... will check out the books on your list here... thanks for sharing :))
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