How do you find a book like The Hunger Games series? Suzanne Collins' beloved YA franchise spawned a blockbuster movie franchise and bestselling book series as fans were desperate to learn the fate of Katniss and her fellow survivors who made it through the titular nightmarish dystopian challenge. Now that the new book and its film adaptation, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, have brought the franchise back to the forefront of pop culture, you might be wondering what to read next while you wait for Sunrise on the Reaping to release next year. Of course we're here to recommend you seven of the best books to read that'll capture the same brutal and brilliant feeling as the series.
These titles represent all kinds of things that we love about the Hunger Games franchise. Whether a tale about a fight to the death, a terrifying tournament, or a dystopian fantasy in an unbelievable world, there's something on this list that'll satisfy your book loving bloodlust!
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
It's impossible to talk about The Hunger Games and not bring up this groundbreaking Japanese novel by Koushun Takami that predated Suzanne Collins' bestselling series by almost a decade. While it's most well known because of the legendary film adaptation by Kinji Fukasaku, the book is just as powerful and shocking, and it will absolutely sate your Hunger Games appetite. In a dystopian near-future version of Japan, teenage delinquencies are on the rise so the government comes up with a plan: randomly select a class of teenagers each year who must fight to the death on an isolated island in a televised tournament. Brutal, violent, and haunting, this is a fantastic read that will grip you instantly and leave you thinking after the last page.
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
When it comes to books that have come out in recent years which scratch that Hunger Games itch, the best of the bunch is undoubtedly this stunning YA novel that pits the children of ancient gods against each other in a deadly series of adventurous games. Every decade the community of gods and their children come together to replenish the sun with the Sunbearer Trials. Jade never expects to be chosen as he's far from the athletic celebrity kids he's up against. But when he ends up in the trials he'll have to fight for his life and his friends in ways he never thought possible. Filled with memorable characters, fantastic worldbuilding, and page-turning action, this is the kind of book that will inspire those memories of tearing through Katniss' journey.
Hide by Kiersten White
This bleak and brutal tale reimagines some classic mythology while also acting as an incredible allegory for real life gun violence. When a group of young adults are enlisted to play the ultimate game of hide and seek in an abandoned theme park for a massive cash prize it seems almost too good to be true. Soon, the players realize that not only is it just that, but they're also unlikely to survive the game as something horrible hides at the center of the park and it's hungry. White has become a stalwart in the genre space but this is easily her most powerful and poignant book, plus it's legitimately terrifying and puts a gruesome horror twist on the classic setup that we're all looking for when we search for books like The Hunger Games.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
While The Gilded Ones doesn't follow the Dangerous Game style plotline of The Hunger Games, this stunning and violent fantasy is definitely a great followup for those looking for another series set in a vibrantly built world led by a brilliant and fearless woman. In this New York Times Bestselling fantasy series, a young woman named Deka discovers that she's unlike the rest of her village during a brutal ceremony that reveals she's more than human. Shunned by her community and bled for her valuable blood, she chooses to leave and join an army of young women just like her. Their only goal? To kill the monsters which threaten their nation. But as Deka joins the legion of fighters, she learns the violent truth her nation and life has been built on.
Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Avery Grambs is your average highschooler just trying to survive, but her life is upended when she is left a fortune in the will of a complete stranger. The only problem with this unexpected blessing is that she has to move into a sprawling and strange house filled with puzzles, locked room mysteries, and dangerous riddles. That's not all the house contains, though, as it's also still home to the grandsons whose inheritance Avery just lucked into. Will she be able to survive the house and its inhabitants? There's love, intrigue, and intricate puzzles to solve, so if you love those aspects of The Hunger Games then you'll be right at home in this adventurous and unique take on contemporary mysteries like Knives Out, Ready or Not, and more!
Legend by Marie Lu
Similar to The Hunger Games, Legend takes place in a dystopian version of the United States called the Republic that's divided into districts that separate the poor from the rich. As war ravages the world, the elite young people of the wealthier districts are trained to become a part of the Republic's military while the poverty stricken districts struggle to survive. When a young woman called June loses her brother to apparent killing by a lower class murderer named Day, she vows to get her revenge. But as the cat and mouse games begin, she and Day realize that there might be a darker truth that the Republic is hiding, one that if unraveled could destroy the foundations of the country that they call home and cause an uprising among its people.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
This epic fantasy story became an instant bestseller and garnered its author one of the biggest debut book deals of all time. While we wait for the upcoming movie adaptation it's the perfect time to discover or revisit the fantasy-actioner that started it all. Zélie Adebola is a Diviner. But under a ruthless king, magic has disappeared and her people are treated as a lower class. When she makes an unexpected friendship with a princess in hiding who knows the secret that could bring magic back, she's set on a new path that could change her life and kingdom forever. If what you loved about The Hunger Games was vibrant worldbuilding, strong female characters, and a fantastical new setting, then move this to the top of your reading list.
Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is a published comics author who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the weekly Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision. When she's not writing, you can find her playing Dragon Ball FighterZ or rewatching weird old horror and martial movies in her free time. She loves making comics and zines as well as collecting VHS and reading as much manga as humanly possible. You can find her on social at @rosiemarx.
