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10 similar dystopian books to read

VaselineOctober 20, 2024

3 4 minutes read

“The Hunger Games.” “Deviant.” “The Maze Runner.”

The dystopian craze of the 2010s led to a wave of on-screen adaptations and the release of new books. Suddenly, teenagers were all over the page and screen fighting for their lives in an apocalyptic environment.

“Hunger Games” mania may make a comeback decades later with the release of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” a film adaptation of the prequel. Author Suzanne Collins is also releasing a fifth book in the series, accompanied by a feature film, set 24 years before the plot of ‘The Hunger Games’.

Books like ‘The Hunger Games’

Once you finish ‘The Hunger Games’, you have three more books in the series: ‘Catching Fire’, ‘Mockingjay’ and the prequel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. Collins also released a new illustrated version of the original novel earlier this month.

But if you’ve already devoured the entire series and can’t wait for Haymitch’s story in ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ in March 2025, try one of these equally dystopian novels.

‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

In this chilling, satirical, dystopian work, two captured female gladiators and their peers must fight to the death for their freedom. Thurwar and Staxx, the show’s top fighters, are both lovers and teammates in a system that considers killing black prisoners “hard action sports.” With interwoven viewpoints, near-future technology and gripping prose, ‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ is a haunting look at a broken justice system.

‘The Year of Grace’ by Kim Liggett

In this dystopian novel for young adults, girls are banished to the woods for a year when they turn 16. All their lives they have been told that they are dangerous to men and that their bodies naturally arouse lust and jealousy. Just a year in the forest will purify them for adulthood and marriage. What lies beneath the surface is even more brutal: poachers in the forests, men waiting to sell women on the black market. Not all of them will survive.

‘Battle Royale’ by Koushun Takami

“Battle Royale” is like a more graphic “Hunger Games” combined with “Lord of the Flies.” This 1999 Japanese dystopian cult classic follows a class of high school students who are dropped off on a desert island, given weapons and told to kill each other until only one student remains. Director Quentin Tarantino once suggested that “The Hunger Games” “ripped it off.”

‘I Who Never Knew Men’ by Jacqueline Harper

“I Who Have Never Known Men” has the dystopian and mysterious elements of both “The Hunger Games” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” In this mysterious world, 39 women and a young girl are held in an underground chamber, guarded by armed men. The young girl cannot remember her name or past. The older women have equally foggy memories of how and why they ended up in this place, where intimacy is forbidden and time has no purpose. But one day, when everything changes, the women must reinvent themselves as they confront the unknown.

‘The Blood Trials’ by NE Davenport

In this young adult fantasy sci-fi novel, a young black woman must survive the deadly, racist, and misogynistic Praetorian trials to become an elite warrior. After her grandfather is murdered, young Ikenna realizes that the only way to find out which Praetorian Guard killed him is to go behind enemy lines and fight to become a Praetorian herself. But only a quarter of those who participate in the trial will survive.

Books like ‘Harry Potter’: More magical stories for both children and adults

‘Trial of the Sun Queen’ by Nisha J. Tuli

“Trial of the Sun Queen” follows protagonist Lor, who must compete against nine other women to become the Sun King’s queen. After being freed from twelve brutal years of torment under the rival Aurora King, becoming the wife of the Sun King will bring her freedom and revenge. But unlike her competitors, she is not a citizen of the Sun King’s court, which puts a target on her. If Lor does not win the Sun Queen Trials, she risks death or a return to the evil Aurora King.

‘The New Wilderness’ by Diane Cook

‘The New Wilderness’ is set in a world plagued by climate change and overpopulation, where all of humanity has been concentrated in cities. The story follows Bea and her five-year-old daughter Agnes, whose lungs suffer from pollution. Desperate to save her daughter, Bea volunteers to study life as a hunter-gatherer in the Wilderness State. The mother-daughter duo must start over in this dangerous and wild area ruled by strict Rangers.

‘Hell Followed With Us’ by Andrew Joseph White

In this young adult dystopian fantasy, Benji, a trans teen, has escaped a fundamentalist cult that raised him and decimated the world’s population. He is rescued by a group of teenagers from a local LGBTQ+ center that offers him both shelter and community. But he’s hiding a dark secret from his new family: he’s slowly mutating into a bioweapon designed to wipe humanity from Earth for good.

‘The Atlas Six’ by Olivie Blake

Six talented magicians must fight to survive a deadly initiation process for the prestigious Alexandrian Society. This secret society houses custodians of lost knowledge and brings wealth, power and fame. But not all of them are powerful enough to get in. Only five of the six candidates ultimately qualify.

‘Red Rising’ by Pierce Brown

This young adult dystopian fantasy, the first of a saga, focuses on a color-coded caste society. Darrow and the other members of the lowest caste, the Reds, work all day to make the surface of Mars livable for generations to come. But when a shocking discovery reveals that humanity reached the surface generations ago, the Reds realize their work has been in vain. They only work to stay under the thumb of the ruling class. Determined to seek justice for his peers, Darrow will sacrifice everything to infiltrate the Golden Caste, fighting for his life to take down his enemies.

Still looking for the right book?

Taste is subjective and we can recommend a number of other genres. If dragons are your thing, check out the books we recommend reading after ‘Fourth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros. If you like domestic mysteries, try these titles similar to Colleen Hoover’s “Verity.” Or if you want something with lower stakes and likable characters, see if a “cozy mystery” or “cozy fantasy” book is for you.