The Top Books to Satisfy Your Hunger Games Cravings After “Sunrise on the Reaping”

Author Marie Lu is a young adult author with a self-professed love of dystopian stories. Her debut novel, “Legend,” was nominated as Readers’ Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction novel in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and maintains an impressive 4.1 stars with more than half a million reader ratings. It seems Lu was always meant to write about Day, one of the main protagonists. “Day has been in my head since I was a teenager,” she told Literary Rambles. “I’d always wanted to write about a teen criminal — I just couldn’t find the perfect story for him to be in.”

Set in what was once the western United States, the Republic is a war-torn nation ruled by a privileged and powerful elite. Sound familiar? June, born into wealth, is a skilled teenager being trained for a top position in the nation’s military. Day, who is from the slums and struggling to survive most days, is wanted for the murder of June’s brother. 

When their worlds unwittingly and violently collide, the two will uncover some shockingly dark truths about their nation and the lies they’ve been telling their people. Now, the duo will have to decide whether they’ll remain compliant citizens knowing what they know or fight to expose the truth. If you’ve ever wanted one of Panem’s elite to take a stand, this is the book for you. 

Sabaa Tahir’s debut novel, “An Ember in the Ashes,” was written while she worked night shifts as a newspaper editor. She got the idea for the book after working on a Washington Post story about Indian men being taken by state police. The book was so successful that Paramount Pictures made a seven-figure deal for the film rights in 2015, the year it was published. While there haven’t been any recent updates about a potential film, it’s a BookTok favorite many want to see adapted into a movie.

In the story, Laia and her family live quietly and in poverty within the walls of the Martial Empire. No matter how bad things may seem, they dare not resist or question the Empire, fearing death. Then one day, Laia’s older brother is accused of treason and thrown into prison, and her only hope to save him is by helping a rebel group. 

Much like in “The Hunger Games,” the main character puts her life and liberty on the line to save a beloved sibling. After going undercover at the Empire’s elite military academy, Laia meets a top soldier named Elias, and the two discover they actually have something in common — they both despise the system and tyrannic rule they’re living under and want nothing more than freedom. How far will they be willing to go for it?

Ally Condie’s “Matched” is one of those titles that readers either absolutely love or straight-up hate. Despite mixed reviews, however, it’s one of the books that is constantly brought up when talking about young adult dystopian fiction. Condie told Inscape Journal that the idea for the book came from a tradition at the high school she used to teach at, in which “a few weeks before prom they would circulate a list of all the junior girls who didn’t have a date to the dance among a group of senior boys, and they would make sure all the girls got asked.” In “Matched,” Condie puts a twisted spin on the concept.

In a world where every major decision of your life is made for you, Cassia has never once thought of questioning the system. In fact, it comforted her knowing her life ahead wasn’t full of unknowns. When her best friend Xander is selected as her match, it comforts her even more. But a brief glitch in the system shows the face of another boy, Ky. The resulting love triangle, like the one between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta in “The Hunger Games,” is at the heart of “Matched.”

Confused and flustered by the system she used to find comfort in, Cassia sets out on a journey of self-discovery and begins to challenge the rules of the society that once shaped her life. Now, she’s torn between loyalty and curiosity, and she’ll have to choose which path she will follow.

Victoria Aveyard, author of “Red Queen,” was chosen as Readers’ Favorite Debut Author of 2015 in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and it’s pretty clear why. The creativity of this story — in which a dystopian world is completely divided by bloodlines and the color of your blood dictates the power you hold — is unmatched. It’s often described as the perfect book for those who are a fan of George R.R. Martin’s work.

On TikTok, Aveyard revealed that when she was first offered a deal to write and publish the book, her dad thought it was a scam and flew to New York with her to watch her sign the deal. Not only did “Red Queen” launch her career, but it went on to become a bestseller and is now set to become a Peacock series.

Born into poverty, Mare Barrow is just trying to survive, until one day she discovers despite being born of red blood, she has a deadly superpower, a powerful gift typically only seen in those of silver blood. Forced into the life of a royal, Mare will become a powerful ally to a rebel group planning to shatter the system once and for all. Will Mare be able to balance these two lives without getting caught in a world built on lies and power?

This may be an unfamiliar title for many, but Koushun Takami’s “Battle Royale” was revolutionary when it was first released in 1999 in Japan, and the movie adaptation released in 2000 was just as sensational. Controversial because of its gruesome content, the film was deemed so violent that many scenes were edited out in order to be broadcast on television and released in other countries.

The novel follows Shuya Nanahara, one of 42 students who end up on an island in a dystopian Japan. The students come to realize they’ve been kidnapped by the government and are forced to participate in a program designed to keep the population in check. The one rule is simple yet horrifying: only one student will leave the island alive. 

Reminiscent of the first “Hunger Games” novel, the students are forced to participate in a brutal fight against one another and kill for a chance at survival. Classmates and friends are pitted against each other, and Shuya is forced to navigate a chaotic environment in which trust is hard to come by. What will be enough for him to survive?

For this list, we searched far and wide. We truly wanted to deliver books that scratched the particular itch of “The Hunger Games” series, suggesting the next best thriller that will give you eerily similar vibes to the deadly games of Panem. Whether it’s the dystopian drama, the protagonist’s tough fight for survival, or the high-stakes tension between social classes, these picks will surely give you the same adrenaline rush Katniss Everdeen’s journey to the Capitol did.

We started by looking at the titles that were mentioned most often when readers asked for books with similar themes or narratives to “The Hunger Games” series. Once we gathered a list of 10 or so titles that were consistently showing up on book-related subreddits, publishing company blogs, and Goodreads, we were ready to take a closer look.

We thoroughly read and reviewed the synopses of each book, if we hadn’t read the book already, narrowing down our list to books that reminded us strongly of Collins’ bestselling series. Finally, we vetted Goodreads and Amazon reviews to get an idea of how readers felt about each book, and how well they were rated overall. We hope you enjoy these titles as much as we enjoyed putting this list together.