Excellent Dystopian Listens Like The Hunger Games

Excellent Dystopian Listens Like The Hunger Games


By Tirzah Price | October 8, 2020
The popularity of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games trilogy and its film adaptations has paved the way for so many great dystopian books and series in YA, imagining harrowing worlds where teens must fight for survival and define what life means to them. Although it's been more than 10 years since the first installment in the series was published, the enduring popularity of the series has proven that dystopian stories and the sometimes-dark futures they imagine are still endlessly fascinating to our imaginations—witness the furor surrounding the new series prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, performed by fan favorite narrator Santino Fontana.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best books like The Hunger Games series for listeners to explore. From eerily familiar near-future landscapes to creative far-future scenarios, these listens will fascinate, entertain, and provoke plenty of conversations! May the odds be ever in your favor with these chilling and thrilling YA dystopias.
  • Four Audiobook By Veronica Roth cover art

    • Four

    • A Divergent Collection
    • By: Veronica Roth
    • Narrated by: Aaron Stanford
    • Series: Divergent, Book 0.5
    • Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
    • Release date: 07-08-14
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,858 ratings
    • Perhaps the second-most popular dystopian YA series in recent years, this trilogy imagines a bleak future set in the wreckage of what used to be Chicago along the dry bed of Lake Michigan. The survivors of a global fallout have organized themselves into five different factions—Amity, Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, and Dauntless—each embodying a value they cherish above all else. This effectively defines each faction’s role in this society and allows them to work apart, but together, to survive. Each year, teens are tested and sorted into their future homes, and Beatrice Prior is no exception. But she’s utterly shocked when she finds a new home in Dauntless, and as she begins to see her city and her own fears in a new light, she uncovers a sinister plot to overthrow their carefully balanced world. The trilogy is narrated by Emma Galvin, with Aaron Stanford voicing the prequels and in-between short stories.
      Books in Divergent series: Four (Book 0.5), Divergent (Book 1), Insurgent (Book 2), Allegiant (Book 3)
  • Matched Audiobook By Ally Condie cover art

    • Matched

    • Book 1
    • By: Ally Condie
    • Narrated by: Kate Simses
    • Series: Matched, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
    • Release date: 11-30-10
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 3,806 ratings
    • If you are fascinated by the controlled order of a future society and loved The Giver, then definitely pick up the Matched trilogy! Cassia has complete trust in the Society to regulate everything in her life—her meals, living quarters, education, and even who she will marry and how long she will live. But when another person’s face flashes for a moment on her Match ceremony screen before settling on her intended’s, Cassia begins to have doubts about how Society manages to know what's best for her. She connects with Ky, whose appearance on the screen was only supposed to be a rare glitch, and as she falls for him, they begin challenging everything they’ve ever been taught about Society and life...even if it means escaping into an unknown land. The trilogy is narrated by Kate Simses and Jack Riccobono.
      Books in Matched series: Matched (Book 1), Crossed (Book 2), Reached (Book 3)
  • The Grace Year Audiobook By Kim Liggett cover art

    • The Grace Year

    • A Novel
    • By: Kim Liggett
    • Narrated by: Emily Shaffer
    • Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
    • Release date: 10-08-19
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,140 ratings
    • If the survival aspect of The Hunger Games appeals to you, The Grace Year should be your next listen. In the County, women are banished during their 16th year to a compound in the woods, where they are expected to release their magic before returning home to become docile wives, mothers, and workers. Tierney just wants to survive her Grace Year unscathed, but it’s clear to her that the dangers in the woods are greater than she could have imagined. She was warned about poachers and the importance of following the guidelines, but no one warned her about the brutality of the other girls. When Tierney stumbles across a shocking secret about the Grace Year, she must pick between survival by any means necessary, or exposing the truth and upsetting her world. Emily Shaffer delivers a powerful performance of this book, which has already been optioned for film by Elizabeth Banks!
  • Legend Audiobook By Marie Lu cover art

    • Legend

    • By: Marie Lu
    • Narrated by: Mariel Stern, Steven Kaplan
    • Series: Legend, Book 1
    • Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
    • Release date: 11-29-11
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,002 ratings
    • In this series, set on the West Coast of the United States, the Republic rules all. June is a military prodigy, and Day is a notorious criminal, one of the Republic's most wanted. When June's brother is murdered, the Republic wastes no time in pointing fingers at Day, and June decides to hunt him down and exact revenge. But Day didn't do it, and furthermore, he's got his own shadowy motivations for doing the things that are labelled as crimes. What ensues is an elaborate cat-and-mouse chase that will bring Day and June face to face, and force them to dismantle the lies and illusions they've been told in order to fight for the truth. Steve Kaplan and Mariel Stern narrate the first three books, and Nile Bullock steps in for Stern in Rebel.
      Books in Legend series: Legend (Book 1), Prodigy (Book 2), Champion (Book 3), Rebel (Book 4)
  • War Girls Audiobook By Tochi Onyebuchi cover art

    • War Girls

    • By: Tochi Onyebuchi
    • Narrated by: Adepero Oduye
    • Series: War Girls, Book 1
    • Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
    • Release date: 10-15-19
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 245 ratings
    • Set in 2172, this series is about two sisters, Onyii and Ify, living in a war-torn Nigeria. After climate change and decades of civil war and unrest, the world is nearly uninhabitable. Only the luckiest of people can escape the horrors on land and live in the safe havens of the sky colonies. Onyii and Ify want to be among the lucky few, and they want to stay together. And that means doing whatever it takes to see their dream realized, even if they have to fight their way through. This is an action-packed story about sisterhood and survival with a sci-fi feel, perfect for listeners who enjoy seeing how advanced technology and robotics may look in the future. Currently, only the first book is available, but a sequel is on its way!
      Books in War Girls series: War Girls (Book 1)
  • We Set the Dark on Fire Audiobook By Tehlor Kay Mejia cover art

    • We Set the Dark on Fire

    • By: Tehlor Kay Mejia
    • Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
    • Series: We Set the Dark on Fire, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
    • Release date: 02-26-19
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 196 ratings
    • Kyla Garcia narrates both books in this fiery duology about Dani, a young woman enrolled in the premier school for young women, which trains girls to become society wives—either mothers and caregivers, or partners who run households. Dani is triumphant at finally making an advantageous match, just as she is asked to spy for a rebel organization. Not only that, but she finds herself falling for her biggest rival, another student named Carmen. As her carefully planned future begins slipping from her grasp, Dani tries to balance the demands placed upon her and her own desires. Because Dani has a secret: Her pedigree is a lie, and if her past is discovered, her whole family could be in danger. This is an excellent dystopian duology with great LGBTQ+ representation.
      Books in We Set the Dark on Fire series: We Set the Dark on Fire (Book 1), We Unleash the Merciless Storm (Book 2)
  • Dealing in Dreams Audiobook By Lilliam Rivera cover art

    • Dealing in Dreams

    • By: Lilliam Rivera
    • Narrated by: Marisol Ramirez
    • Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
    • Release date: 03-05-19
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
    • In this dystopian novel with Mad Max vibes, Nalah is the leader of the Las Mal Criadas, an all-female crew who own the streets of Mega City and inspire respect and awe wherever they go. Nalah has worked hard to get her girls to the top of the street game, fighting to forget a painful childhood marked with abandonment, but now she wants more out of life than endless challenges, violence, and throwdowns. When she accepts a job from Mega City's top boss, she thinks it's a ticket to a better life—but soon the Las Mal Criadas find themselves outside of the city, facing uncomfortable truths about who really has the power. Is Nalah willing to risk the family she has created to fulfill her dreams? Marisol Ramirez narrates this fierce thriller.
  • Scythe Audiobook By Neal Shusterman cover art

    • Scythe

    • By: Neal Shusterman
    • Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
    • Series: Arc of a Scythe, Book 1
    • Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
    • Release date: 03-14-17
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 17,993 ratings
    • Neal Shusterman is a master at writing vividly realized dystopian realities, and his latest series is no exception. In a near-ish future, death has been eradicated and humans have the ability to reset themselves to age 25. Even fatal accidents can be reversed, thanks to the omnipresent Thunderhead (think the cloud, but with all the power on the planet). But in order to keep the population under control, Scythes randomly "glean" people, to remind them of mortality. Cinna and Rowan have just been chosen as Scythe apprentices, but what they can’t know is that they've just become the latest pawns in an epic struggle among Scythedom that no one, not even the Thunderhead, can interfere in. This Audible exclusive trilogy is narrated by Greg Tremblay.
      Books in Arc of a Scythe series: Scythe (Book 1), Thunderhead (Book 2), The Toll (Book 3)
  • Want Audiobook By Cindy Pon cover art

    • Want

    • By: Cindy Pon
    • Narrated by: Roger Yeh
    • Series: Want, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
    • Release date: 06-13-17
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 107 ratings
    • Set in futuristic Taipei, Cindy Pon’s Want series envisions a reality where environmental damage is rampant and the rich have manufactured special suits to protect themselves from the plagues and disease brought on by pollution. Zhou is among the poor, who must suffer without protection, and when his mother dies as a result of the city's horrible conditions, he decides to exact revenge. He sets his sights on bringing down the CEO of Jin Corporation, the company that manufactures the protective wear. As Zhou infiltrates the world of the protected mega-rich, he begins to suspect Jin Corp of manufacturing the very pollution their suits are made to protect against. To complicate matters, Zhou realizes he is falling for Daiyu, the CEO’s daughter. How far is he willing to go for vengeance? Roger Yeh narrates this "positively chilling" (The New York Times) dystopian thriller, joined by narrator Kim Mai Guest in the second volume, Ruse.
      Books in Want series: Want (Book 1), Ruse (Book 2)
  • Internment Audiobook By Samira Ahmed cover art

    • Internment

    • By: Samira Ahmed
    • Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
    • Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
    • Release date: 03-19-19
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 344 ratings
    • Soneela Nankani narrates this terrifying near-future story about what happens when the United States sets up internment camps for Muslim people. Layla Amin and her parents have just been forced into an internment camp, where they are imprisoned and terrorized by the camp director. With the help of her boyfriend on the other side, and new friends and connections made inside the camp, Layla sparks a resistance that will highlight this injustice and demand change. This standalone novel not only reminds listeners of a time not so long ago when internment camps were used in the US, but also demands we think about racism, fear, and how injustices continue to be carried out in our present. This is perhaps the most realistic and chilling novel on this list. A must-listen.

With so many tantalizing (and frightening!) worlds and possible futures to choose from,
which dystopian series will be your next listen?



Tirzah Price is a YA writer and contributing editor at Book Riot.
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