What books are similar to Divergent?

The 10 closest matches to Divergent by Veronica Roth on ReadingList include Four, The Maze Runner, The Selection, I'll Give You the Sun, and Scythe. Each is scored on shared themes (identity, choice, and courage), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 8–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Divergent reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 8–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like Divergent

If you liked Divergent, read Four, The Maze Runner, or The Selection — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Four by Veronica Roth

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Looking for books like Divergent by Veronica Roth (Dystopian · grades 8–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of identity, choice, and courage. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 8–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Fourgrades 9–12: Is by Veronica Roth, the same author, both on the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award list, and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Maze Runnergrades 7–12: Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+4 more shared lists), same genre (Dystopian), and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Selectiongrades 7–12: Shares themes of choice, both on the Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice Award (LTRC) list, and overlapping grades (7–12). Amazon → books like this →
I'll Give You the Sungrades 9–12: Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Scythegrades 7–12: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+4 more shared lists), overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Fault in Our Stars850L: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+5 more shared lists), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Hate U Give590L: Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+3 more shared lists), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
The Poet X800L: Shares themes of identity, both on the Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) list, and overlapping grades (8–12). Amazon → books like this →
Good Girl's Guide to Murdergrades 9–12: Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+2 more shared lists), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →
Red Queengrades 9–12: Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+3 more shared lists), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Divergent for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey · 390L — Shares themes of identity and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list).
Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins · grades K–0 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2010s).
I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2010s).
Zombies Don't Eat Veggies! by Jorge Lacera · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2010s).
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates! by Ryan T. Higgins · grades K–3 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2010s).

Books like Divergent for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Shares themes of identity and both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+2 more shared lists).
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list).
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey · 390L — Shares themes of identity and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list).
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo · 670L — Shares themes of courage and both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+3 more shared lists).
Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+1 more shared list).

Books like Divergent for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes · 360L — Shares themes of identity and both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+2 more shared lists).
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list).
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo · 670L — Shares themes of courage and both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+3 more shared lists).
Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston · grades 4–7 — Shares themes of courage and both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+1 more shared list).
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L — Shares themes of courage and both on the Land of Enchantment Book Award list (+1 more shared list).

Books like Divergent for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson · grades 7–12 — Both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (7–12), and the same era (2010s).
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon · grades 9–12 — Both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon · grades 9–12 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list (+1 more shared list), overlapping grades (9–12), and the same era (2010s).
That's Not My Name by Megan Lally · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of identity, both on the Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers list, and overlapping grades (9–12).
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys · grades 9–12 — Both on the California Young Reader Medal list (+3 more shared lists) and overlapping grades (9–12).

What to read after Divergent

Divergent is book 1 of 3 in Veronica Roth’s Divergent series. Not done with the series yet? Follow the Divergent reading order first — then come back for the matches above.

Common questions

What books are similar to Divergent?: The 10 closest matches to Divergent by Veronica Roth on ReadingList include Four, The Maze Runner, The Selection, I'll Give You the Sun, and Scythe. Each is scored on shared themes (identity, choice, and courage), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 8–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Divergent reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 8–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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