The End of the World as We Know It: Books on Dystopian Societies
by Iva-Marie Palmer
Back in my young adult years there were no sections of the bookstore just for me, nor were there sub-genres within the YA genre expressly dedicated to the end of the world.
Oh, how times have changed.
Today, dystopian tales are flying off the shelves faster than you can say “societal breakdown.” And whether that’s a response to growing up in a vast, confusing world that’s both interconnected and disconnected at the same time, or because these stories are super-exciting and frequently filled with love triangles, it’s hard to say. Probably a little of both.
One thing’s for certain: Fans of YA dystopias can’t get enough.
So, if they’ve read Divergent and devoured (excuse the pun) The Hunger Games, what’s next on the list?
Here are a few dystopian stories they might not know about.
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The Giver
The predecessor to young adult dystopias, Lois Lowry’s modern classic imagines a society that’s been groomed to perfection – at the expense of its humanity. The four-book saga follows Jonas, a 12-year-old who gradually grows disillusioned with his world as he learns more about it.
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What’s Left of Me
Book one of Zhang’s Hybrid Chronicles series is set in an America where every child is born a twin – two souls, one body. The dominant soul is supposed to take over by the time the children are six, but at fifteen, Eva is still clinging to life in the body she shares with Addie. Fans cite Zhang’s excellent world-building as one of the book’s strengths.
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Delirium
Any brokenhearted teen might, at first, think Oliver’s alternate reality – a United States that’s declared love a dangerous disease and administers a mandatory cure at age eighteen – sounds okay. But what happens when Lena falls for Alex, a boy who lives off the grid, just months before she’s due to get the cure?
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Fahrenheit 451
Set in a world where firemen set fires rather than put them out, Bradbury’s classic follows Guy Montag, a fireman who helps to set books ablaze as the mindless chatter of television becomes the soundtrack for all of humanity. Bradbury’s gifts as a genre writer make this a fast read, but one with the power to more deeply engage teens, who might see aspects of modern life reflected in its pages.
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The Handmaid’s Tale
Available from:Like Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Atwood’s tale transcends its genre. Set in a United States where women are not allowed to work and are instead given roles – as childless Wives, housekeeping Marthas, and reproductive Handmaids – The Handmaid’s Tale ranks alongside classics like George Orwell’s 1984. This one is probably best suited for older teens.
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Life As We Knew It
The first in a four-book saga that follows an intertwined cast of characters, Life As We Knew It starts with a meteorite hitting the moon. This catastrophic event triggers disastrous climate changes. High school sophomore Miranda catalogs her first year post-impact, when it seems the resource everyone needs most is hope.
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This Is Not a Test
In this novel the zombie apocalypse has arrived. But unlike some jokey theatrical interpretations, Summers’s story is multi-layered. The zombies, it should also be noted, are not the major plot thrust of the novel, which centers around Sloane, a suicidal teen locked inside her high school with several classmates as the zombie threat looms outside.
