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Quick answer: If you loved Delirium, read Lauren Oliver's Delirium, Before I Fall and Panic, then Ally Condie's Matched, then Veronica Roth's Divergent, and Kiera Cass's The Selection and Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. All are dystopian young adult love stories.
Lauren Oliver's Delirium imagines a society where love is treated as a disease. These picks offer the same mix of romance and rebellion.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delirium | Lauren Oliver | 13+ | readers who like romance |
| Matched | Ally Condie | 12+ | readers who like quiet dystopia |
| Divergent | Veronica Roth | 13+ | YA dystopia fans |
| The Selection | Kiera Cass | 13+ | readers who want romance |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | 12+ | readers who want intense action |
| The Giver | Lois Lowry | 12+ | readers who like ideas |
| Uglies | Scott Westerfeld | 12+ | readers who like social critique |
| Legend | Marie Lu | 13+ | readers who like cat-and-mouse |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | 14+ | readers who like court intrigue |
| Cinder | Marissa Meyer | 12+ | fairy-tale and sci-fi fans |
| Before I Fall | Lauren Oliver | 14+ | readers who like second chances |
| Panic | Lauren Oliver | Teen | high-stakes games |
| The Testing | Joelle Charbonneau | 12+ | competitions |
| The Maze Runner | James Dashner | 12+ | readers who like puzzles |
| The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken | 13+ | readers who like road-trip dystopia |
1. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Lena lives in a world where love is a disease and falls for a boy. Lyrical and tense.
Best for: readers who like romance.
2. Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia questions the system that chooses her mate. Gentle and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like quiet dystopia.
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Tris chooses a faction in a divided Chicago and discovers she does not fit. Fast and popular.
Best for: YA dystopia fans.
4. The Selection by Kiera Cass
America Singer enters a competition to marry a prince. Romantic, with a hint of dystopia.
Best for: readers who want romance.
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place in a televised fight to the death. It is not magic, but its high stakes and quick pace appeal to the same readers.
Best for: readers who want intense action.
6. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Jonas lives in a society without pain, and learns its secrets. Short and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
7. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally lives in a world where everyone is made pretty at 16. Fast and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like social critique.
8. Legend by Marie Lu
June, a prodigy soldier, hunts Day, the country's most wanted criminal. Fast, with dual narrators.
Best for: readers who like cat-and-mouse.
9. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Mare, a Red girl with a Silver power, is forced into a deadly court. Fast and twisty.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
10. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, is drawn into a royal plot in a futuristic Cinderella story. Quick and inventive, with sequels.
Best for: fairy-tale and sci-fi fans.
11. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Samantha relives the last day of her life seven times and learns to change it. Powerful and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like second chances.
12. Panic by Lauren Oliver
Graduating seniors take part in a dangerous game for money. Fast and edgy.
Best for: high-stakes games.
13. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Teens compete for a place in college, and the stakes are deadly. A tense, quick dystopia.
Best for: competitions.
14. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas wakes in a glade surrounded by a deadly maze and must solve it with other boys. Mystery and suspense on every page.
Best for: readers who like puzzles.
15. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Ruby, a teen with powers, escapes a camp and joins other fugitives. Fast and emotional.
Best for: readers who like road-trip dystopia.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Delirium: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Delirium. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For the closest match, read Matched or The Selection. For action, pick Divergent or The Hunger Games. For a classic, try The Giver.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Delirium?
Lauren Oliver, in 2011.
Is it a trilogy?
Yes, Delirium, Pandemonium and Requiem.
What age is it for?
Teens 13 and up.
Which book here is best for readers who like road-trip dystopia?
Try The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, which suits readers looking for readers who like road-trip dystopia.
Which book here is best for readers who like puzzles?
Try The Maze Runner by James Dashner, which suits readers looking for readers who like puzzles.
Which book here is best for competitions?
Try The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau, which suits readers looking for competitions.
Which book here is best for high-stakes games?
Try Panic by Lauren Oliver, which suits readers looking for high-stakes games.
Which book here is best for readers who like second chances?
Try Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, which suits readers looking for readers who like second chances.