The Giver
Lois Lowry
In an orderly community where everything is controlled, a 12-year-old is handed an unusual job, in a quiet, thoughtful read.
All books-like lists
Books like The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games puts a young narrator inside a harsh society with high stakes from the first chapter. These six dystopian and science fiction novels share some of that pull, at different levels of intensity.
Books to read next
Divergent
Veronica Roth
In a future Chicago split into five factions, a 16-year-old must choose where she belongs, with fast action and a fair amount of violence for a young adult novel.
The Maze Runner
James Dashner
A teenager arrives with no memory in a walled glade ringed by a maze whose walls move every night.
Scythe
Neal Shusterman
In a world that has conquered death, two teens are chosen to apprentice as scythes, whose job is to end lives.
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card
A gifted child is taken to a military school in orbit to prepare for war with an alien species, with violence between children.
Red Rising
Pierce Brown
A teenage miner from the lowest caste on Mars takes on the ruling class, in a very violent story for mature readers.
How to choose
These books share the pull of The Hunger Games: a young protagonist, a harsh system and high stakes. They differ in intensity. The Giver is the quietest, a gentle first step for younger or hesitant readers. Divergent and The Maze Runner are fast, written for teens, and suit anyone who wants the same pace. Scythe leans toward big questions about a world without death. Ender's Game and Red Rising are the intense ones: both include violence, and Red Rising includes sexual violence too, so check before handing either to a younger reader. All six open a series, so you can stop after the first book or carry on.
Want something more personal?
Tell Bookworm what you liked and what you didn't, and get a short list chosen for you.
Get picks tailored to youMore books like this
- Books like Harry PotterHarry Potter pairs a lonely young hero with a hidden world and a school full of friends and rivals.
- Books like Project Hail MaryProject Hail Mary sends a lone scientist and a spaceship on a mission to save Earth, built on science and ingenuity.
- Books like Gone GirlGone Girl follows a husband under suspicion after his wife vanishes on their anniversary, told in two alternating voices.