books similar to Suzanne Collins Hunger Games for nearly 12 year old

[cluttered]

My son has really enjoyed the Hunger Games Trilogy but doesn't want to read the other series I bought for him, Inkspell etc. I have no idea what else he would like, he has rejected our old John Wyndham and Stephen King books. I see Suzanne Collins also has the Underland Chronicles but these look as if they might be for younger children? He also likes all the Alex Rider books. Can anyone please recommend something he might like. Thanks

'Gone' by Michael Grant. 'The Enemy' by Charlie Higson. 'I am Number 4' - Pittacus Lore, 'Time Riders' by Alex Scarrow.

Thanks, I will look into these suggestions!

Medusa Project books by Sophie Mackenzie. My DS3 read these straight after HUnger games and LOVED them.

You could also try:

the Wind on Fire trilogy by William Nicholson
Stravaganza books by Mary Hoffmann
H.I.V.E.
Ranger's Apprentice
Alex Ryder
Mortal Engines
Percy Jackson
Kane Chronicles
Warriors of Alavna and the others in the series.

All of the above loved by my DS3.

Hunger Games is stunning, isn't it?
ds2 - also 12 - just read these. Barely paused for eating/sleeping after starting the first one! He was thoroughly gripped and he's not the most avid reader.

We found The Roar by Emma Clayton similarly fresh and unusual and gripping.

She's just finished writing the sequel, which will be published in the states in the new year.

He might like The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, another dystopian fantasy, though a bit darker than Hunger Games. It's the first of a trilogy too.

James Dashner - Maze Runner
Patrick Ness - Knife of Never Letting Go
Kristen Cashore - Graceling
Carrie Ryan - Forest of Hands and Teeth

I can't remember the name of these authors but...
Girl in the arena
The line
Water wars
Feed - surname is anderson

A few post apocolyptical fantasy's with a mix of pritagonists.

Second Patrick Ness Chaos Walking. Also just read one called Blood Red Road by Moira Young-brilliant. Quite similar to Hunger Games although I enjoyed the language in BRR more. Julie Bertagna has done a dystopian trilogy, the first is called Exodus I think, which is really fabulous. Perhaps Robert Muchamore if he likes Alex Rider? Teen spies again. There are about 20 of them.
I am doing a children's lit MA and have a blog which is why I have read SO many teen books even though mine are 6 and 3...

Thanks for your suggestions everyone, I have ordered about 10 of them and DS has chosen to read Gone which was kindly suggested by MadameHooch, he is loving it and has requested that I order the rest of the series.

Another question though please, what approximate reading age do these books (and the Hunger Games series) correspond to, to help me with future purchases, and who are their target audience? Although nearly 12, DS has an early September birthday so is still at primary school, I would say he is above average in reading as I think he is predicted level 5 for KS2 Literacy, he is fairly worldly and not overly sensitive so I'm not sure whether I should be exercising any control over his reading choices?

I wouldn't worry about the reading age of 'Hunger Games' and 'Gone.' They are not particularly difficult to read - it's more the content, which I would say is aimed at children of 12+. When the first Hunger Games came out, I would have said that it's target audience was girls, due to the strong female character and the romance thread running throughout. However, because of the endorsement of the books by both Stephenie Meyer and Stephen King and because of the dual cover (one with Katniss and one with Peeta) I think it was always the author's/publisher's intention to attract male and female readers and, sure enough, by the time the third book came out, we had nearly as many boys asking for it as girls. Curiously enough, the first book has just been reprinted with a new jacket which looks very 'warish'.

'Gone' on the other hand, does mainly appeal to boys, although the girls I've recommended it to love it!

No need to sanction his reading with these books. Both series are addictive and brilliant, and the good news is that this whole post-apocolyptic world where the kids are in charge is definitely 'in' right now, so there will be loads more for him to try once he's finished them.

Thanks MadameHooch, I gather from your post that you work in the field of children's books, are you a librarian or something similar? I will come back to you for further recommendations once I have exhausted all these suggestions!

Actually I was thinking the Gone series may have been aimed at girls initially because the later books in the series only seem to be available in paperback format in a girl-orientated cover or else in hardback with a more "boyish" cover. DS doesn't want to wait until September when the boyish style paperback of Lies is released and won't tolerate the idea of reading the "girly" book. I refuse to pay an extra £10 for the hardcover, will only buy him paperbacks, so his solution is to buy the hardback out of his savings, shows the power of the cover on reading choices!

Second Muchamore! Great writing. Some of the later ones are for an older audience, but I would think a robust 12 year old would be fine. Read the CHERUB series first. Used to work in a little independent bookshop and we sold loads of his stuff.

cluttered - I am a bookseller in a well-known chain of bookshops beginning with a 'W'.

I think the covers you are looking at are the American versions. The British versions are all the black cover with the neon title across the front. They are definitely more popular with boys in our shop but I agree that the US covers look awful - don't blame your son for not wanting those!

Would also agree with the recommendations for Robert Muchamore. He's probably the most popular author for teen boys around today.

Oh great thread as I also have a 12 year old. Can anyone tell me a bit more about the Hunger Games? I'm not sure it would appeal to my ds who is a very picky reader. Loves Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson, Mr Monday (Garth Nix), all those Warrior books, the Wolf Brother series, some Diana Wynne Jones, and most recently a series by Megan Whalen Turner. But didn't like Bartimaeus, or Mortal Engines and isn't very keen on books that are scary, or too real life or thriller type books which it seems like lots of the teen novels focus on more.

We live in Canada now, and sadly many of our books are printed in the States, often with rubbish covers and poor print quality (and you have to pay tax!)

Hmmm nooka I like a challenge...Has he done Phillip Pullman??? Lionboy Zizou Corder? Phantom Tollbooth? Madeline L'Engle A Wrinkle in Time etc?

Unfortunately we watched The Golden Compass (films always seems to put them off reading the books for some reason). I recently re-read Madeline L'Engle and was a bit put off, but I could get that out of the library again. We have the Phantom Tolbooth so I could try him on that, although I think the language might put him off (he is dyslexic and although a good reader now I'm not sure how he'd do with word play). But he has a quirky sense of humour so worth a try.

Tell me more about Lionboy Zizou Corder - sounds intriguing. I'm going to set them summer homework of a new book a week (with bribery) so I need a good stack

Actually if you really want a challenge, then my dd is proving harder at the moment. She's 10, a good reader, but getting her off re-reading Warriors, Twilight and Laura Ingals Wilder is a problem!

WHen my DD was 10 she was addicted to Roman Mysteries - she read them all one after the other, all 17 of them and the spin-offs. SHe's 11 and a bit now and loves -

Skulduggery Pleasant
Percy Jackson
Kane Chronicles
Princess Trap/Plot
Nim's Island
Howl's Moving Castle
Pigheart Boy and other Malory Blackman books

There are a load more, but I can never remember. I'll have a think or even ask her.

Lionboy is a fab trilogy about a boy who can talk to cats (and therefore lions, obv) set in a futuristic world. Might like Alan Garner? Never loved him the way I adored Diana Wynne Jones but he is more of a boy's writer.

Think stressed HE mum has done my work for me but 10 year old girl might like Ellen Renner, Castle of Shadows, E.L Konigsburg Mixed up files of somebody or another v popular in USA scans bookshelves frantically Beswitched Kate Saunders (time travel plus boarding school)

Forgot the brilliant Eva Ibbotson Which Witch and Secret of Platform 13 for 10 year old

Yes we have some Iva Ibbotson. Thanks all, I'll take your lists to the library this weekend and report back if I have success. I have a very large children's book collection, so I get very peeved when the children claim they have nothing to read...

Interestingly the only book dd didn't enjoy in her recent 'Battle of the books' (a competition where each child had to read and answer questions on eight books) was the Mixed up files, which she said was very boring.

I forgot that DD also loves Nancy Drew books, some rubbish about My Sister the Vampire, some Jacqueline Wilson, some Cathie Cassidy. Will keep thinking.

DD also likes/liked:

Vampirates
those Pseudonymous Bosch books
Celia Reese
Mysterious Benedict Society