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Home » Books » Library Finds » If You Liked The Hunger Games: 5 Other Dystopian Novels to Try
books for those who liked hunger games series
November 11, 2011

If You Liked The Hunger Games: 5 Other Dystopian Novels to Try

From the Kitchen of Katie Kick

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This year I’ve been hooked on Young Adult books. Particularly of the dystopian novels variety. Blame it on The Hunger Games. After devouring the trilogy in less than a week, and far too many very late nights I had one thing on my mind: Where can I get more? I want more books like The Hunger Games!

I scoured Goodreads for related titles so I could find a few new dystopian novels to get my hands on. I found a few (summarized below) that sounded promising and checked them out from the library. Here are some of my picks for fans of The Hunger Games. I read a few others, but these were my favorite recommendations of what I’ve read so far.

Luckily, all of these books are the first in a new series with multiple books queued up for publication in the next year or two, so you’ll have plenty to read. I have the sequel to Matched on hold at the library since it just came out this month. Can’t wait till it’s my turn!

If You Liked The Hunger Games: 5 Other Dystopian Novels to Try

DELIRIUM

Published 2011 by Lauren Oliver

Find Delirium on Amazon

delirium cover image

In Lena’s world love is a disease. There was a time, before the cure, that people thought love was a good thing. Now they know that a life without love is a life without pain. It is safe, predictably, and happy.

Now that scientists have eradicated love, Lena’s government requires all citizens to receive the cure to deliria before turning eighteen. Lena tries not to think about her mother’s last words to her (the forbidden “I love you”) or the rumors of a community of  uncured “invalids” beyond her Portland, Maine, border.

What’s the point? She believes that the government knows what’s best. That is until ninety-five days before receiving the cure, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love. Look for part two, entitled  Pandemonium, early spring 2012.

DIVERGENT

Published 2011 by Veronica Roth

Find Divergent on Amazon

divergent cover image

Society is split into five factions — Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) — each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue, in the attempt to form a “perfect society.”

Upon turning sixteen, individuals must choose the faction which they will devote their lives. Beatrice “Tris” Prior makes the difficult choice to leave her family’s group and pursue another faction, a choice that surprises even herself.

After surviving the brutal initiation of the Dauntless faction, Tris discovers the brewing unrest and conflict beneath what should be the “perfect society.”

Tris bands together with others in the  Dauntless faction. Their mission: to uncover the truths about their identities, their families, and the order of their society itself. Look for part two, entitled Insurgent, late spring 2012.

Enclave

published 2011 by Ann Aguirre

Find Enclave on Amazon

enclave cover image

Deuce lives in an apocalyptic world where people earn the right to bear a name only if they’ve survived the first fifteen years.  By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters.

The purpose of a huntress is clear–to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks.

Finally becoming a huntress as she’s dreamed of her whole life, Deuce is caught off guard by a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. Deuce’s troubles are just beginning when the mysterious Fade is assigned as her hunting partner.

Deuce quickly learns that Fade doesn’t like following orders and deviation from the society’s world results in harsh punishment. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their home, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth.

Book two, entitled Outpost, will release fall 2012.

MATCHED

published 2010 by Ally Condie

Find Matched on Amazon.

matched cover image

Cassia grows up in a world where nothing is left to chance. The Society calculates each choice for her – what she will eat, her future job, and her husband – thus removing “user error” from the equation.

Every choice is optimized for the best possible results and no one questions this method, until there’s a mistake in Cassia’s Match for husband. When she plugs in her microchip two faces are revealed rather than one: her lifelong best friend and another boy.

Does she follow The Society’s plan for her or rebel against their predetermined life to seek her own path? Book two, entitled Crossed, was released November 2, 2011.

WITHER

published 2011 by Lauren DeStefano

Find Wither on Amazon.

wither cover image

Rhine Ellery lives in a world destroyed by  genetic engineering. After scientists attempt at perfecting humanity by ridding the world of disease, cancer, and illness is proved a failure, the lives of future generations have literally becoming a ticking time bomb.

Men live to age 25 and women only to 20. In order to preserve the human population in their poverty-stricken world, girls are shipped off as young as 13 to marry and have children with eager husbands – some so eager they go to the extreme of kidnapping their future brides.

For Rhine life means being thrust into a posh life with Linden Ashby against her will. Though she lives in a gorgeous Florida mansion with her two sister wives and is treated like royalty, she longs to escape back to reality with her twin brother. Look for book two, entitled Fever, in February 2012.

What Young Adult Dystopian novels have you enjoyed?

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Meet Katie Kick

My lifelong interest in cooking has shown me that part of the goodness in life is enjoying delicious food with friends and family. I love trying new foods, discovering new places & things that help my family live the good life.

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Updated: January 23, 2020

Reader Interactions

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  1. Mandi @ Life...Your Way says

    November 11, 2011 at 7:01 PM

    I kind of wish I had never read this list! I devoured The Hunger Games in under a week too, and it killed my productivity. I want to read it again, but now I have to add all of these to my list too!

    Reply
    • Mandi @ Life...Your Way says

      November 11, 2011 at 7:06 PM

      P.S. The Divergent link goes to Delirium instead. 😉

      Reply
    • Katie says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:23 AM

      Thanks for letting me know, Mandi!

      Reply
  2. Brianne says

    November 11, 2011 at 6:44 PM

    I love the hunger games. Other good reads include uglies series and glow. I also couldn’t put down matched.

    Reply
  3. Danae (The Busty Baker) says

    November 11, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    I loved Divergent! I work at a bookstore, and I currently have it as my staff recommendation! Delirium was really good too and reminded me a lot of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld (another good dystopian series). I’ve heard really good things about Matched and had Wither on my list, but I’m definitely checking out Enclave now! Thanks for the suggestions!

    Reply
  4. Rebecca S. says

    November 11, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    The Giver is always a classic dystopia.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      November 11, 2011 at 3:14 PM

      For sure! I’ve read it at least 5 times, plus the companion books: Gathering Blue and Messenger.

      Reply
  5. Jimi says

    November 11, 2011 at 1:23 PM

    I am excited to add these to my list. I loved Divergent and The HungerGames, and have Matched on my night stand right now. Have you tried the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      November 11, 2011 at 1:39 PM

      Not yet but I have that one my list!

      Reply
  6. Erin @ Cooking on Whim says

    November 11, 2011 at 1:15 PM

    I am a teacher and devoured those books quicker than my students did. I can’t wait to check out your suggestions– THANK YOU!

    Reply
  7. Tracy says

    November 11, 2011 at 12:26 PM

    Great suggestions Katie! I’ll have to check these out!

    Reply
  8. Kim says

    November 11, 2011 at 11:31 AM

    YA books are great, 90% of the books I read end up being YA! However there is an adult series called Poison Study, by Maria V. Snyder. This series was recommended to me by multiple people who said if you like Hunger Games you will like this, very true, I love them.

    Reply
    • sara says

      November 11, 2011 at 12:47 PM

      Ooooh, thanks for the recommendation – I haven’t heard of that one but the review on Amazon sounds great – will have to give a try! 🙂

      Reply
  9. mrsblocko says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    I have a good many of these books already on my to read list!

    It’s good to know I’m not the only grown up who enjoys the young adult books. Sometimes I feel a bit silly checking them out at the library!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      November 11, 2011 at 11:01 AM

      Almost all of the books I’ve read this year have been YA books. I love that usually they are faced paced and exciting, plus easy reads. Sometimes I want to read a book that doesn’t require much work on my part.

      Reply
  10. Deborah says

    November 11, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    I also loved Incarceron. I’ve read the first 2, not sure if the third is out yet. It’s so confusing and you don’t really understand much when you first start reading, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down!

    Reply
  11. sara says

    November 11, 2011 at 9:46 AM

    Thanks for the reccs! I loved the Hunger Games, and also really enjoyed Matched and Wither, so I’ll have to check out these other ones on your list! Another one you might enjoy (not really dystopian, but it has a somewhat similar feel to many of the books on this list with more of a fantasy feel than a sci fi feel) is Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      November 11, 2011 at 11:03 AM

      Thanks, I will have to check that one out. I love sci-fi and fantasy.

      Reply
  12. Jen says

    November 11, 2011 at 9:26 AM

    The Gone series is also excellent!

    Reply
  13. Laura says

    November 11, 2011 at 7:57 AM

    I loved the Hunger Games and have yet to find a book that compares to it. I have read the Maze Runner series which was good on its own standing and Divergent still waiting for that sequel. Thanks for the suggestions…I am going to try my hand at a couple. I recently came across a few more titles such as The Line by Teri Hall.

    Reply
  14. Christina @ This Woman Cooks! says

    November 11, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    I still haven’t read The Hunger Games but I’m going to get my hands on it soon. Thanks for all these recommendations, I added them to my goodreads. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Shandi Alegre says

    November 11, 2011 at 7:12 AM

    Also another one I heard that compares to The Hunger Games (which I’m a huge fan of and I’ve all 3 books read twice already ) is The Maze Runner I just bought the first two and there is a third that came out recently and I heard another good one is The City of Bones but I can’t wait to start The Maze Runner it sounds really good!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      November 11, 2011 at 7:17 AM

      I liked The Maze Runner too. I just got the second one from the library but haven’t read much of it yet.

      Reply
    • Anna says

      June 6, 2012 at 3:38 PM

      City of bones is amazing:)

      Reply
  16. Shaina says

    November 11, 2011 at 7:12 AM

    I bought Matched at the school book fair a few weeks ago but haven’t read it yet. Kiera loves The Hunger Games, so I thought she’d like it. Now I’m excited there’s a sequel. In fact, I just told her she has to ready it next (she’s currently reading Power of Six) so I can get the sequel, too.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      November 11, 2011 at 11:02 AM

      I read I am Number Four but I haven’t read the others in that series yet. We actually watched the movie first and I didn’t like the book quite as much as the movie. That surprised me because it’s usually the other way around. How is she liking Power of Six?

      Reply
    • Shaina says

      November 11, 2011 at 4:05 PM

      She has been enjoying it. I asked her to list her favorite books, though, and The Hunger Games came first. 😉

      Reply
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Meet Katie Kick

Hi, I’m Katie! Thank you so much for visiting my corner of the internet. I am passionate about cooking delicious and beautiful, yet accessible, food for my family and friends. I love tasting new foods, discovering new places and things that help my family live that good life.

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