If you enjoyed the Netflix series “Yellow Jackets” and are looking for books with a similar atmosphere or themes, here are five recommendations that you might find intriguing:

1. “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding:

This classic novel explores the dark side of human nature as a group of young boys stranded on an uninhabited island struggle to survive and maintain order.

At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything. But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued.

2. “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins:

Set in a dystopian future, this gripping trilogy follows a group of young individuals forced to participate in a televised fight to the death. It delves into themes of survival, sacrifice, and the blurred lines between morality and survival.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. 

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Still, if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. 

3. “Wildlife” by Richard Ford:

This coming-of-age novel tells the story of a teenage girl who navigates the complexities of her parents’ failing marriage, ultimately finding strength and resilience in challenging circumstances.

When Joe Brinson was 16, his father moved the family to Great Falls, Montana, the setting for this harrowing, transfixing novel by the acclaimed author of Rock Springs. Filled with an abiding sense of love and family, and of the forces that test them to the breaking point, Wildlife is a book whose spare poetry and expansive vision established it as an American classic.

If you enjoy the “Yellow Jackets Books To Read” list, visit our blog at The Ritual for related movie and book reviews.

4. “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer:

Based on a true story, this book portrays the journey of Christopher McCandless, who gave up his comfortable life to embark on a solitary quest for self-discovery in the Alaskan wilderness.

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter….

5. “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt:

This dark, atmospheric novel follows a group of college students studying ancient Greek who become involved in a mysterious and morally ambiguous event that leaves lasting consequences on their lives.

Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.

These books capture different aspects of survival, complex human relationships, and the exploration of one’s identity, which may resonate with fans of “Yellow Jackets.” Happy reading!

The article was written by a dark fiction author, Willy Martinez, to be released on the Ritual Blog for Mind on Fire Books.

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Author of dark fiction Mythology, “The Sigua” and short visceral fiction, “Flora.”

Willy Martinez is also featured in our anthology Mad Men, available for sale now.