Books Like The Hunger Games:
16 More Enthralling Young Adult Series
by Iva-Marie Palmer
Thanks to the movie adaptations, teens have gobbled up, and through their sheer enthusiasm (and fandom), helped make The Hunger Games book series a worldwide phenomenon. And with the upcoming movie adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping — a prequel to the trilogy that reveals Haymitch Abernathy’s backstory — came a renewed spark for the series that has us flying through the pages of this thrilling series again.
But after you’ve devoured those, what comes next? Fortunately, page-turning teen series abound, and one or more of these series should capture the imagination of your favorite young reader (and possibly strike your fancy as well).
Please note: Retail buttons will direct you to the first book in a series. Click on the title of the series to see more books.
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An Ember in the Ashes Series
Buy from:Laia and Elias are both subjects of the Empire: The former a slave, the latter a prized soldier. Their paths cross when Laia agrees to spy on the Empire’s most powerful military academy in return for her brother’s rescue. Fans call this series a mash-up of The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones. Need we say more?
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Young World
Buy from:When an online video goes viral, it leads to a teenager named Benton being elected President of the United States. Other countries soon follow suit, until teens assume leadership roles in many of the world’s most powerful countries. When someone is murdered at the new leaders’ first summit, all fingers point to Benton. To clear his name, he must sort out corruption, lies, and deceit to find the real killer. This political fantasy novel is perfect for teens who loved The Hunger Games!
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The Gemma Doyle Trilogy
Buy from:This series’ launch actually predates the first book in the Twilight series and though it should have gotten equal, if not better, reception, it was overshadowed by those glittery vampires. At the center of the trilogy is Gemma Doyle, a headstrong Victorian era 16-year-old who is plagued by visions, including one that predicts her mother’s death. At her new London boarding school, she gains a trio of followers who want to explore the secrets of Gemma’s travels to other realms. What’s best about the book series is Bray’s devotion to examining the position of Victorian era society women.
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Sky's End
Buy from:A dystopian fantasy world and a kill-or-be-killed competition make this series a must-read for The Hunger Games fans. To save himself and his sister from his uncle, Conrad joins the lowest and most deadly of the Trades, where he trains to fight against the sky serpents threatening their island. Rebellion, cut-throat challenges, and nail-biting suspense will keep YA readers glued to the page!
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The 5th Wave Series
Buy from:Another YA thriller that hit movie theaters, The 5th Wave trilogy is an epic tale about not just survival, but keeping one’s humanity. To rid the Earth of its seven billion inhabitants, the Others are wreaking chaos in waves, and Cassie’s determined to keep her brother safe. She doesn’t trust anyone — including the enigmatic Evan Walker, who may be her best hope.
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Snowglobe
Buy from:The people who live inside Snowglobe get to enjoy the only warm weather on earth, but it comes with a cost. Their lives are broadcast as television shows for everyone outside Snowglobe. When one of the main actors dies, Chobahm is given the chance to take her place. But soon, Chobahm realizes that something dark and sinister is happening inside the glamorous city. Young adult readers will be hooked on this dystopian series from the first page.
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Flame in the Mist Series
Buy from:Set during Japan’s feudal period, Flame in the Mist spirals around Mariko, the daughter of a prominent samurai. On her way to the imperial city to meet her betrothed, Mariko survives an attack by a gang called the Black Clan. In disguise, she infiltrates the group to learn who planned her assassination — and unexpectedly falls in love with one of its members. Nothing is as it seems in this story that builds to a dizzying conclusion.
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Skyward
Buy from:As the daughter of a traitor, Spensa has little hope of achieving her dream of becoming a pilot in the fight against the creatures attacking her planet. But when the opportunity to attend flight school arises unexpectedly, she jumps at the chance. This action-packed series opener will keep teens and adults who love YA on the edge of their seats. It’s impossible to set this book down!
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Legend Series
Buy from:Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy has everything you loved in The Hunger Games: A secretive nation divided into districts, a revolution simmering beneath the surface, and a fierce and unlikely couple that’s clearly ill-fated from the start. June and Day are thrown together when Day is accused of killing June’s brother. But the hunt to avenge her brother’s death leads to the nation’s secrets cracking open.
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Nubia: The Awakening
Buy from:Three teens with magical abilities live in a climate-ravaged New York City, where the rich live in a high-tech part of the city, far from the discomforts of everyone else. When wealthy people learn of the teens’ power, they will stop at nothing to use it to their own advantage. Now, the teens must decide whether to join the wealthy in comfort or use their abilities to improve everyone else's lives.
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And I Darken Series
Buy from:For fans reeling from the finale of HBO’s Game of Thrones (and still holding out for GRRM’s conclusion), Kiersten White’s series is a welcome distraction — this time set in the Ottoman Empire. Lada Dragwlya is hellbent on reclaiming her birthright: the throne of her homeland, Wallachia. But her brother is starting to think of the Ottoman court as home, and Lada is falling for the heir to the empire she’s vowed to fight. Love and ruthlessness intertwine, as they’re wont to do.
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The Escape Game
Buy from:This engrossing young adult read takes place in an escape-room themed game show where contestants put their skills to the test to solve the trickiest escape rooms. But when one of the contestants is found murdered, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t just high in this competition — they’re deadly. Can these teens work together to uncover secrets, conspiracy, and cold-blooded murder, or will they die trying?
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Rebel of the Sands Series
Buy from:In the desert nation of Miraji, Amani Al’Hiza knows her prospects are grim. She may be a prodigious gunslinger, but as a young woman with no family or financial means, this world — full of mythical beasts and magical djinn — is a harsh reality. When she meets a foreigner named Jin, she feels her first hope for freedom, but the thrilling series arc finds her fighting to liberate her entire nation.
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Red Rising
Buy from:Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. He and his people toil endlessly, as they are told that their work is helping to make the surface of Mars hospitable for future generations. But Darrow soon discovers that he and his fellow Reds are being lied to and exploited, they are nothing but slaves. Darrow takes it upon himself to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste. There he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies … even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Note: The series opener is suitable for mature teens, but later books are darker and contain scenes of graphic violence.
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Blood Rose Rebellion Series
Buy from:Rosalyn Eves delivers a totally unique historical fantasy about a teenage girl shunned for her inability to perform magic — and her seemingly uncontrollable ability to disrupt magic. Anna is considered Barren, a defect of her blood, and an embarrassment to her powerful family. But when her true abilities come to light, she’s exiled to Hungary, where revolutionaries hope she’ll break the spell that binds the world’s nefarious social order.
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Last Reality Series
Buy from:A bit Ready Player One, a bit Westworld, the Last Reality series is set against one of those backdrops that feels unreal yet eerily plausible. Like many people, Simon is addicted to a virtual reality game called Otherworld — a place so incredible, so freeing, that it’s far superior to real life. But the tech company behind Otherworld has horrifying practices and equally horrifying plans for humankind.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2026.