12 Books to Read After The Hunger Games

After 5 weeks of working with the youth in our church, they finally had their performance a few weeks ago. It was a skit based on The Hunger Games, and they did a great job-- writing, acting, and choreographing the majority of it themselves.

Of course, I --like nearly everyone out there-- read and loved The Hunger Games. I tend to like dystopian novels in general. In fact, I've read so many that I thought I'd put together a little list of recommendations for those of you itching for something to read after burning through The Hunger Games trilogy. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it should provide a good starting point {and who doesn't like a good book to read during a long holiday weekend?}

12 Books to Read After the Hunger Games:

fig.1  The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson-- a quick, not altogether unpredictable read, but quite enjoyable anyway.

fig.2  The Compound by SA Bodeen-- a tale of an uber rich family living in an underground compound after a nuclear holocaust.

fig.3  The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan-- this is a series, but the first book is the best. It has zombies. Enough said.

fig.4  Gone by Michael Grant-- one day everyone over the age of 15 disappears. It's like Lord of the Flies with a sci-fi twist. Plus it's an ongoing series, which ups the addiction factor.

fig.5  Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer-- The Moon is knocked into a closer orbit with Earth. Panic and death ensue. Good times.

fig. 6  Matched by Ally Condie-- Life is perfect until it isn't. Dystopian in the vein of Fahrenheit 451. 

fig.7  The Maze Runner by James Dashner-- This ongoing series keeps you guessing. Who's in charge? And just what are their motives?

fig.8  Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi-- unflinching account of boy living in a world where resources are limited and government has broken down.

fig.9  Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden-- this is possibly my favorite 'end of the world as we know it' series. A group of New Zealand teenagers form a guerilla resistance group when they come home from camping in the bush only to find that their country has been taken over by invaders. Violent and suspenseful.

fig.10  Uglies by Scott Westerfeld-- the strength of this series is its premise and the questions it raises about beauty and self-worth {the plot is unfocused and meanders aggravatingly}.  

fig.11  Wither by Lauren DeStefano-- a world where everyone dies young.

fig.12  Z is for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien-- Chilling. A young girl believes that she's the last living human being on Earth after a nuclear war. Then one day, there's campfire smoke on the horizon.


Have a great weekend, all!

{if anyone has the source for the "May the odds be ever in your favor' image, please drop me a line!}