Rick Yancey is an author many readers love, especially if they are into young adult fiction that goes a bit deeper. His books often mix big action with really thought-provoking ideas, and he doesn’t shy away from tough subjects.
If you’re on the hunt for authors who create stories with a similar feel, where adventure meets questions about life and humanity, then read on.
Readers who enjoy Rick Yancey’s exciting storytelling and vivid dystopian worlds may also connect with Veronica Roth. Roth is best known for her popular novel “Divergent.” The book introduces readers to a future Chicago divided into five factions.
Each group values a single virtue—honesty, bravery, selflessness, intelligence, or peacefulness—above all else. The story revolves around sixteen-year-old Tris Prior, who faces a troubling choice when her test results reveal she doesn’t belong neatly into any one faction.
As Tris chooses her path, dangerous secrets emerge, challenging the carefully controlled society she knows. Fans who liked exploring Yancey’s intense conflicts, strong teenage characters, and suspenseful twists may find Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” equally appealing.
James Dashner is an author known for creating fast-paced, intense young adult novels that combine dystopian settings with adventure and suspense. If you enjoyed Rick Yancey’s “The 5th Wave,” check out Dashner’s “The Maze Runner.”
This book follows Thomas, a teenage boy who wakes up without memories in an eerie place called the Glade, surrounded by massive, shifting walls and a dangerous maze.
Thomas and other boys trapped there must find a way out, but deadly creatures roam the maze at night, and the group’s survival depends on uncovering dark secrets hidden within their own minds.
Dashner’s gripping storytelling and intriguing plot twists make “The Maze Runner” a memorable read.
If you enjoy Rick Yancey’s blend of suspense and futuristic storytelling, Marie Lu might be exactly what you’re searching for. Lu’s novels weave dystopian settings with strong characters readers can’t help but root for.
Her novel “Legend” introduces two unforgettable protagonists, June and Day, each brilliant, determined, and caught on opposite sides of a radical conflict in a fractured America.
Day is a notorious outlaw hunted tirelessly by authorities, while June is the Republic’s young prodigy sent to track him down. Each page reveals deception, betrayal, and unexpected alliances that make it tough to put down.
If Yancey’s “The 5th Wave” drew you into its world, “Legend” will likely captivate your imagination just as much.
If you enjoy Rick Yancey’s suspense and rich storytelling, Michael Grant offers a similar edge with his book “Gone.” Grant crafts a suspenseful world where teenagers must survive in a town after all adults vanish suddenly.
As hunger grows, alliances form, powers emerge, and danger intensifies. The novel combines action, complex characters, and eerie mysteries that keep readers glued to every page.
If you like books that explore survival, friendship, and the darker sides of humanity, Michael Grant might quickly become a favorite author.
If you enjoy Rick Yancey’s intense stories where teenagers face extraordinary threats, you might appreciate Cassandra Clare’s novels. Clare writes imaginative series full of dark fantasy, adventure, and shadowy mysteries.
In her book “City of Bones,” the first in “The Mortal Instruments” series, teenager Clary Fray unexpectedly witnesses a group of tattooed warriors take down a demon at a New York nightclub.
Soon after, her mother disappears, and Clary finds herself swept into a hidden world of demon hunters called Shadowhunters.
The book follows Clary’s urgent quest to find her mother and uncover truths about her own family’s past, all while navigating a hidden side of New York filled with supernatural creatures, secrets, and danger.
Suzanne Collins creates vivid worlds and intense action, traits readers of Rick Yancey will appreciate. Her book “The Hunger Games” centers on Katniss Everdeen, a teenager forced by an oppressive government into a brutal televised competition.
In the arena, she must fight for survival against other teenagers like herself. Collins crafts powerful characters and a dystopian world that readers won’t soon forget. Themes of sacrifice, loyalty, and rebellion add extra layers to an already exciting story.
Fans of Yancey’s “The 5th Wave” may find Collins has blended action and emotional depth in a fresh, engaging way.
Patrick Ness writes stories that blend tense plots with deep, relatable characters, a style readers of Rick Yancey often appreciate. Ness’s novel “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is the first book in his Chaos Walking series.
It follows Todd Hewitt, a boy living in a world where everyone’s thoughts are constantly broadcast aloud for anyone to hear. There are no secrets—until Todd suddenly stumbles upon a mysterious and impossible silence in the swamp near his settlement.
This discovery propels him into a dangerous escape from authorities and a search for truth about the world he’s always known. It’s a powerful journey about trust, bravery, and resisting a world full of noise and lies.
Neal Shusterman is an author to check out if you’re a fan of Rick Yancey’s style of suspenseful storytelling and thoughtful worlds. In “Unwind,” Shusterman sets us in a near future where society has found a controversial solution to the abortion debate.
Teenagers can be “unwound”—their bodies divided up and used for parts. The story follows three runaway teens who are fighting to escape this chilling fate. The plot moves quickly, the themes dig deep into morality, and the characters feel very real.
Fans of the intense pacing and moral questions raised in Rick Yancey’s “The 5th Wave” will find a similar experience awaiting them in Shusterman’s gripping and unsettling tale.
If you enjoy Rick Yancey’s sci-fi novels with their intense action and complex worlds, you’ll probably appreciate author Philip Reeve.
His book “Mortal Engines” imagines a future post-apocalyptic world where giant mobile cities roam the desolate landscape and cities hunt each other for survival.
The story follows young Tom Natsworthy, a curious apprentice historian forced out of his comfortable life in London, and Hester Shaw, a mysterious girl seeking revenge.
Reeve crafts a vivid, mechanically inventive setting and fills it with thrilling scenes and sharp twists that keep the story unpredictable. Fans of dystopian worlds, engaging characters, and imaginative storytelling will find Reeve’s work satisfying.
Books by Victoria Schwab often blend fantasy elements with a dark and thrilling twist, appealing to readers who enjoy Rick Yancey’s gripping narratives and adventurous plots. If you haven’t tried her work yet, check out “This Savage Song.”
Set in the gritty, divided city of Verity, the novel follows Kate Harker, a rebel desperate to prove her strength to her powerful father, and August Flynn, a monster who longs for humanity but struggles with his dangerous nature.
Their paths cross in a tense world where violence creates monstrous creatures, and their unlikely alliance could either save or doom the city they call home.
Schwab crafts emotionally charged characters, a complex setting, and thought-provoking questions about identity and morality—elements that fans of Rick Yancey will recognize and appreciate.
Scott Westerfeld is an author who creates vivid worlds and intriguing scenarios that fans of Rick Yancey’s style would likely enjoy. His novel “Uglies” introduces readers to a future where turning sixteen means undergoing surgery to become stunningly beautiful.
Tally, the protagonist, eagerly counts down the days until her own transformative operation. But when her friend Shay runs away to avoid the procedure, Tally faces a troubling dilemma—betray her friend or risk remaining forever categorized as an “Ugly.”
Westerfeld uses suspense and relatable characters to explore complex themes such as identity, friendship, and societal pressure, making “Uglies” an exciting read for fans of dystopian adventures.
Tahereh Mafi is an author whose captivating stories blend vivid imagery, strong characters, and intriguing plots. If you enjoyed the suspense and emotional depth of Rick Yancey’s novels, you might like Mafi’s “Shatter Me”.
It centers around Juliette, a girl whose touch can be lethal. After being locked away because of her dangerous power, Juliette struggles to understand her abilities and regain control of her own life.
As the world around her unravels into chaos, she faces decisions that will affect her heart, freedom, and humanity itself. The novel offers action, romance, and a gripping dystopian backdrop filled with engaging twists and memorable characters.
Lauren Oliver is an author who builds suspenseful narratives that blend realities with mysterious possibilities, much in the style of Rick Yancey.
In her novel “Delirium,” Oliver imagines a chilling society where love is classified as a dangerous illness called 'amor deliria nervosa.' The government mandates a mandatory cure to eradicate the disease.
Lena, the main character, at first eagerly awaits her cure and the predictable, safe life that will follow. But when she meets Alex, a boy from outside the strict society, everything Lena believes begins to unravel.
The deeper Lena gets into this forbidden relationship, the more she questions the government’s oppressive rules. Oliver creates a captivating and thought-provoking world filled with questions of freedom, choice, and love.
Fans of Yancey’s knack for exciting stories about young people challenging a frightening future may find Lauren Oliver’s “Delirium” impossible to put down.
If you enjoy Rick Yancey’s mix of suspenseful plots and vivid, believable characters, Alexandra Bracken might catch your attention as well.
Bracken’s novel “The Darkest Minds” introduces Ruby, a teen whose mysterious powers emerge amidst a frightening disease affecting America’s youth. Authorities fear teens like Ruby and confine them to camps, but Ruby escapes and joins other teens on the run.
Their journey is tense and emotional with moments of trust and betrayal that keep readers engaged. Bracken combines a gripping premise with relatable characters and real-life emotions, elements appreciated by Rick Yancey fans.
If you enjoy Rick Yancey’s suspenseful and action-packed storytelling, you might appreciate Kiera Cass and her novel “The Selection.” Cass crafts engaging stories with teenage protagonists who face major life-changing choices.
In “The Selection,” America Singer finds herself chosen for an intense competition in which girls from across the country compete to win the heart of Prince Maxon.
Torn between her home life, a forbidden romance, and the glittering—but complicated—world of palace politics, America has tough decisions ahead. Cass mixes romance, excitement, and relatable characters into a story that’s entertaining and easy to lose yourself in.