1984

1984

George Orwell

Quick Stats:

Page Count: 328

Age Range: 13 and up

Year: 1948

Genre: Dystopia

1984 is George Orwell’s classic dystopian nightmare novel – read and loved (or feared) by millions; the date of doom may have passed, but its vision of humanity’s possibly bleak future remains eerily plausible today, and to some readers may appear to already have manifested itself in some respects.

Anyone who likes to think about politics and nations, the way the world works, or the way humanity works, will enjoy this book. It was not written for children by any means, but could still be understood by most middle schoolers.

Mr. Coleman

Love in the Time of Global Warming

Love in the Time of Global Warming
Francesca Lia Block

Quick Stats:
Page Count: 230
Age Range: 14 and up
Year: 2013
Genre: Adventure, Dystopia, Fantasy

“The Earth Shaker” has wiped Los Angeles of all evidence of civilization, leaving Pen alone to survive in the ruins. She then begins to search for her family, an adventure that parallels The Odyssey and leads her to finding companions in Hex, Ez, and Ash. The story alternates between Pen’s flashbacks and the group’s journey toward Las Vegas, telling of family bonds and the will to survive.

For anyone who is interested in Greek mythology, the modern parallels to The Odyssey are enjoyable to read through. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in dystopian novels and is looking for a change of pace from 1984 and Brave New World to a more fantastic, poetic writing style.

Ms. Kristina

Blackout

Blackout
Robison Wells

Quick Stats:
Page Count:432
Age Range: 10 and up
Year: 2013
Genre: Adventure, Dystopia, SciFi

Laura and Alec are highly trained teenage terrorists. Jack and Aubrey are small-town high school students. There was no reason for their paths to ever cross. But now a mysterious virus is spreading throughout America, infecting teenagers with impossible superpowers—and all teens are being rounded up, dragged to government testing facilities, and drafted into the army to fight terrorism. Suddenly, Jack, Laura, Aubrey, and Alec find their lives intertwined in a complex web of deception, loyalty, and catastrophic danger—where one wrong choice could trigger an explosion that ends it all.

Ms. Ashley

The Giver

The Giver
Lois Lowry

He looks like he has a lot of memories to give.

Quick Stats:

Page Count: 180
Age Range: 8 and up
Year: 1993
Genre: Dystopia

Series: 1st of 4, works well alone

Jonas lives in a ‘perfect’ world–there is no pain or suffering, only “Sameness.” Jonas however has been chosen to receive the painful memories of the past–the knowledge invoking memories before sameness. Jonas must choose if he wants to stay in a safe but shallow community, or leave the community to discover a colorful, love-filled, and emotionally deep yet potentially painful and dangerous life.

I would recommend this book to really anyone, but especially to those who challenge the way things were/are/should be in society.

-Ms. Liz

The Obsidian Blade

The Obsidian Blade
Pete Hautman

Similar to “The Subtle Knife”?

Page Count: 308
Age Range: 12 and up
Year: 2012
Genre: Dystopia, Fantasy

Series: 1st of 3, Klaatu Diskos

Part one of a futuristic sci-fi trilogy introduces Tucker, whose normal life changes drastically after the entrance of an unspeaking girl, and the almost simultaneous loss of his parents. Tucker must stay alive to figure out the mysterious arrivals and departures that are new to his world.

This book would be great for teens who enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy, and are at a similar lexile level. It definitely would lead to great discussions if read conjointly.

-Katie

Matched

Matched
Ally Condie

I wonder if this image is symbolic in any way. Maybe Cassia really likes the color green?

Quick Stats:

Page Count: 400
Age Range: 12 and up
Year: 2010
Genre: Dystopia
Series: 1st of 3

Cassia Reyes lives within a society, called The Society, that controls every aspect of Cassia’s life. Her dreams, her workout routine, her job, her husband, and even her death is predetermined by The Society. Cassia believes The Society is the perfect way of life until she falls in love with an outsider to the society, Ky Markham, pinning her against the life she and her family have vs. the life she dreams about.

This book is good for those who were interested in The Hunger Games. Condie gives details that make the world in which Cassia lives enjoyable. It’s also a great book for those who enjoy a good love triangle.

-J-Money

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner
James Dashner

Can you almost see what’s at the end of that passageway? That’s how Thomas feels for the entire book.

Quick Stats:

Page Count: 400
Age Range: 12 and up
Year: 2009
Genre: Dystopia
Series: 1st of 3, there is also a prequel planned

A boy emerges, memory wiped, into the center of an apocalyptic video game of a world inhabited by a group of other teenage boys. He remembers only that is name is Thomas. How did he get there? What is this place? How can he get out? Either the others don’t know or they won’t tell him. Thomas must run, fight, and puzzle through a lot of danger and mind games to find out.

This book is popular with middle-schoolers. It is repetitive, unsubtle, and choppy, and the characters are hard to relate to, but it is definitely packed to the brim with action and twists. Recommended for readers who love danger, mystery, and action.

-Miss Barter

Messenger

Messenger 
Lois Lowry

Kamehameha!
(Anyone else getting this Dragon Ball Z reference? Just me? Ok.)

Quick Stats:

Page Count: 169
Age Range: 8 and up
Year: 2004
Genre: Dystopia
Series: 3rd of 4

A companion to The Giver and Gathering Blue, this third novel in Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet succinctly ties up loose ends and leaves the reader with a satisfied, finished feeling. The characters from the two preceding novels are united in a story about betrayal from both nature and humanity, and ultimately, healing.

If you like dystopian fiction, and can handle Lowry’s sometimes canned and corny style, this is the book for you. Pleases multiple age groups and reads similarly to the Hunger Games trilogy.

-Katie

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins

Are you hungry?

Quick Stats:

Page Count: 381
Age Range: 11 and up
Year: 2008
Genre: Dystopia
Series: 1st of 3

The story takes place in a future dystopian country, Panem, where there are 12 tightly-controlled and abused districts that exist to support Panem’s capital (called The Capital). The narrative follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl who has been unwillingly chosen to represent her district in The Hunger Games, a televised fight-to-the-death sport established to suppress the districts and entertain the Capital.

This story is very popular with kids, which makes it easily engaging. I would only recommend reading this with either advanced students or with guidance; the author is fond of multi-syllabic words that can easily muddy the text to a struggling reader.

-Jess

Delirium

Delirium
Lauren Oliver

Here is a big picture of a young woman’s face. Here eyes seem focused. Maybe she’s not delirious yet.

Quick Stats:

Page Count: 480
Age Range: 14 and up
Year: 2011
Genre: Dystopia
Series: 1 of 3

Lena and everyone in her world know something we don’t: love is a disease. Don’t believe it? Lena does: love causes mood swings, changes in appetite, difficulty focusing, irrational behavior, and it can even be fatal! Luckily, scientists have discovered a cure. Lena can’t wait to receive it, until the unthinkable happens–she gets infected. In her sanitized and tightly-controlled community, that’s a very bad thing. This is the first book in the new trilogy everyone’s talking about.

Those who love star-crossed lovers will certainly be intrigued by Delirium. It is an easy read with its straightforward structure and plain vocabulary. That said, this book is too long, internally inconsistent, and exceedingly predictable. Its world is unconvincing and its characters are flat and even unlikeable. Don’t read Delirium if you’re looking for a good book, but if you’re looking for a romance in a creative setting, this is your novel!

-Miss Barter