Finding anything anywhere near as thrilling and engaging as Katniss Everdeen’s adventures can be difficult, many series billed as “books like the Hunger Games” just don't quite hit the mark in the same way as Collins' teen fiction series.
Whether you are looking for another young adult dystopian novel or something with the gripping plot and action of The Hunger Games, you’ll find your next great read here.
Read on for our ten suggestions for what to read after the Hunger Games.
And for more inspiration on the best books & series for teens check out our other book lists:
A group of boys find themselves in a strange setting, with no memory of their previous lives, surrounded by a deadly maze and any chance of escape seems impossible. However, a series of events means they must find an answer to the impossible- or else! The action and mystery are plentiful and after the first book, you will be begging to find out what happens next.
Society is split into five factions and children must take a test when they are sixteen to decide which faction they are best suited for. But some are found to be suited to more than one faction; they are divergent and must keep it secret at all costs. With the novels being widely acclaimed for their plots, action and pace you are truly missing out if you haven't read them yet, especially if you love the Hunger Games as the parallels between the two series are many.
In Perdido Beach, everyone over the age of fifteen has mysteriously disappeared without a trace and leaving those who remain trapped by a city-wide energy barrier with no chance of escape. Some have even developed eerie supernatural talents, but will they use their newly-found abilities for the greater good? The plot spirals from here twisting and turning when one expects it least making for an excellent series to rival even the Hunger Games.
Each successive wave cripples humanity further, whittling down the few survivors who remain after each attack. Cassie is among the lucky few who have survived the first four waves but as the fifth dawns will her luck hold up? It is a world where no one can be trusted and anyone can be the enemy in disguise. The series has received much critical acclaim over the years and many describing it as a modern sci-fi masterpiece, its success has been so vast as to warrant a blockbuster adapted from the first book.
In another futuristic world, six-year-old genius Ender Wiggin is training to lead Earth against an alien invasion on the largest scale. He is humanity's last hope. First published over 30 years ago, Ender’s Game has aged exquisitely and has without a doubt shaped young-adult science-fiction into what it is today. It shares a multitude of themes with the Hunger Games, namely the exploitation of children unethically for the government's benefit. In short, it is undoubtedly a classic of the genre.
In this society, ‘unwinding' is common, legal and encouraged. When parents no longer want their children they are terminated...But kept alive. It is a marathon to get to 18, where you are safe from the practice, but the finishing line is still a speck in the distance for Connor, Risa and Lev. Extremely intelligent conceptually, Unwind questions where the boundary between life and death lies and has been praised for its blend of action, suspense and original basis. Before the Hunger Games, there was Unwind.
In a supposedly perfect world, the government dictates everything about your life from what you eat to who you marry. After realising the many flaws her "utopia" has Cassia must fight the oppressive system and gain freedom. The series is a thrilling, action-packed, page-turning gem that I guarantee you will finish the first book in less than two days.
Alex Rider allows us to live out our dreams of super-spydom and foiling plots that endanger the entire world's stability. Alex is our extremely likeable protagonist with an extreme case of bad luck. When he finds himself in a world of terrorists he must fight to save every child in the country from being murdered in cold blood, but the clock is ticking. The whole series is reminiscent of classic James Bond action, stimulating to the highest degree and virtually impossible to set-down and Most importantly each book contains all the adrenal thrills of Collins' series.
If high-paced action is what you look for in books, then Young Bond is the perfect match for you. We are transported back in time to the 30s where we experience the adventures that are to shape James into the man he will later become. From James’ first day at Eton facing up to bullies, lies and cheats, to exposing international criminals in Italy, this first book in the series manages to entrance all with its action and thrilling escapades.
The first title in the number one bestselling CHERUB series! James hits rock bottom before he's offered a new start in an intriguing organisation ...
A terrorist doesn't let strangers in her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home and they run all over the place. The terrorist doesn't know that one of these kids has bugged every room in her house, made copies of all her computer files and stolen her address book. The kid works for CHERUB.
CHERUB agents are aged between ten and seventeen. They live in the real world, slipping under adult radar and getting information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail.
For official purposes, these children do not exist.
Praise for the CHERUB series: 'Punchy, exciting, glamorous and, what's more, you'll completely wish it was true' - Sunday Express 'Crackling tension and high-octane drama' - Daily Mail 'A really good book that you could re-read over and over again' - Guardian 'Pacy writing, punchy dialogue and a gripping plot, it's got it all' - Daily Express 'Fast-moving action ... and cool gadgets!' - The Times
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