Dystopian Round up

There's nothing I like better than a good dystopian novel. Except for chocolate. Chocolate is awesome, but I digress. There's something enticing about novels set in an imaginary yet familiar land with issues we are dealing with today, such as desensitization in the media, or a fear of technology. A dystopian setting also is an environment that readers can relate to, but can be more technologically advanced. And hey, who doesn't want to read about a land with high tech gadgets?

So if you're looking for a new book to read, or if you've run out of chocolate, here’s a round up of some ones I’ve read recently:

The Hunger Games series

By Suzanne Collins

This is the obvious choice to start off with; The Hunger Games are possibly one of the most well-known recent dystopian novels. The story is about a 16 year old, Katniss Everdeen, living in post-apocalyptic America, struggling to support to her family, when she is sent away as one of 24 tributes to compete in a televised fight to the death.

The Hunger Games are extremely well written and Katniss is very feisty, and although I would not necessarily agree with her choice in men, I devoured this book and finished in about two days. The next two books are when I start to get annoyed. You want to keep reading to find out what happens, and, sure, she’s been dealing with all this post-traumatic stress but she gets flaky and vague and stops sticking up for herself and becomes a bit of a pain, which is sad because the rest of the characters are so cool and the story itself is really good. But read the series and make up your own mind. Some people hate the first two books and love the last one.

Feisty chick-o-meter: 7/10

Age rating: 12 or 13 and up

Rating: 8/10

Stand alone or series: Series

Legend

By Marie Lu

This is currently one of my favourite books of all time.  It’s narrated from two different points of view. The first is June, a 15 year old military prodigy from a wealthy family recruited into the military after her brother’s death, who is hunting down her brother's killer. The second is Day, a 15 year old criminal, born in one of the poorest slums, who just happens to be the Republic’s most wanted. These two characters meet under the most unconventional circumstances and form a shaky alliance, until one the darkest secrets of the Republic is uncovered.

This is one of the few books that balances the female lead extremely well, and Day is also well balanced in the sense that he is a strong character, but not afraid to feel, show, and express weakness. The book runs at a consistent pace and the behaviour of all the characters goes according to their personalities, and you can understand why they react in a certain way. I listened to Legend as an audiobook, and the fact that it’s narrated by two different people adds to the effect. I would recommend listening to the audiobook, because the narrators read the book very well, but the book is still really good either way.

The sequel, Prodigy, is coming out January next year, not that I’m counting down or anything…

Feisty chick-o-meter: 10/10

Age rating: 13 and up

Rating: 10/10

Stand alone or series: Series

Scorpio Races

By Maggie Stiefvater

This is another book narrated from two perspectives, Sean Kendrick a 19 year old boy of few words, who has entered and won the Scorpio Races four years in a row, and Puck Connoly, a 17 year old girl living with her two brothers on their own in a house they might lose. The story takes place on the island of Thisby, where, each November the Scorpio Races take place, a race in which men from all over the island come to race on the capaill uisce (pronounced capple ishka), the carnivorous water horses. Sean races to keep the horse that isn’t really his. Puck joins the races for the first time this year for the money. As Puck and Sean’s unlikely friendship grows, both are faced with a dilemma; both want the other to win, and neither can afford to lose.

 The Scorpio Races is very well written. The dialogue is believable and the characters evolve very well, as do their relationships. Puck sticks up for herself with cutting and most of the time amusing retorts, without relying on someone else to defend her, and Sean is a very complex character, with more to him than just sullenness.

Okay, I admit, I’m a sucker for multiple cast audiobooks, but sometimes the voices will be wrong and it will ruin the story. That didn’t happen for this audiobook. The two narrators have voices perfect for the characters. This is another book that I would recommend first as an audiobook because of the dual narration, but the story still has the same qualities either way.

Feisty chick-o-meter: 8/10 

Age rating: 13 or 14 and up

Rating: 8/10

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

Maze Runner

By James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up he remembers nothing but his name. He is trapped inside a metal box and when the flaps open, he sees the Glade. It has been the same for two years. Each month a new boy is sent up through the box along with supplies. No one knows where the box comes from or where they are. All the Gladers know is that the Glade is in the middle of a maze with hideous monsters outside the wall. Thomas accepts his role as the newbie, at least for a month, until the box comes up, one month early, with a girl inside, with an alarming message. Suddenly the search for an exit turns frantic and it becomes clear that Thomas and this new girl are the key to getting out of the maze.

Maze Runner is narrated from the perspective of Thomas, and may I just say that the Gladers have the best expressions, such as “You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!”  Maze Runner is very well written and the characters are well rounded, however Thomas doesn’t really evolve during the course of the book. It’s a very boy’s club book - there are only two female characters- however I don’t think that makes the book inaccessible.

Maze runner has two sequels, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure, plus a prequel.

Feisty chick-o-meter: 5/10 Seriously?! Only two female characters?!

Age rating: 13 and up

Rating: 7/10

Stand alone or series: Series

****

Some other dystopian novels that I’ve read are:

The City of Embers and its sequel The People of Sparks byJeanne DuPrau

Matched and its sequel Crossed by Ally Condie

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

Divergent and the sequel Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Also, if you're in the mood for a movie, check out The Matrix. 

The Lawrence Public Library also has a really good flowchart on what to read if you enjoyed The Hunger Games, and it has a really good collection of dystopian novels, along with other genres. And if you're really crazy about dystopian books and don't really have anything to do for the next 10 years, Wikipedia has a list of practically every dystopian novel ever written since 1900.