DYSTOPIAN NOVELS

Hi and welcome back.

I couldn't believe what I woke up to this morning; ice pellets tapping at my window. Crazy! In Ontario, Canada, our winters usually begin late November with the sprinkling of snow, and by January we're waist deep. Not so this year. All we've had is rain. Hmm. The results of  El Nino or La Nina, or could it be something else....?

I have recently finished several dystopian novels, all of which are set in futuristic societies. In each book characters face the unknown, obstacles and challenges they must overcome to survive. The concept of dystopia is not new, but has resurfaced with an explosion in the teen book market. 

Below are several definitions of the word Dystopia

1. An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.
2. A work describing such a place or state: "dystopias such as Brave New World" (Times Literary Supplement).
(Literary & Literary Critical Terms) an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be
[C19 (coined by John Stuart Mill (1806-73), English philosopher and economist): from dys- + Utopia]
dystopian  adj & n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

The novels all share one thing in common; heart pounding excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. I found it difficult to put aside the books, and read most of them in one sitting. Long after finishing Life as We Knew It, I still find myself looking up and the sky with wonder.   


 The Last Survivors Series by Susan Beth Pfeffer


        


"Life as We Knew It" changed in an instant. An asteroid struck the moon and knocked it out of orbit, sending it spiraling dangerously close to Earth. What were left were numerous natural disasters from floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and fires. Conditions worsen over time, shortages of food and water lead to panic and desperation.  The story is told through the eyes of Miranda, a sixteen year old, who keeps a daily journal of events, documenting the changes she experiences both physically and mentally in her fight for survival.


The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins


        

"The Hunger Games" is a battle of survival; only one winner will walk away in the end.  The story is set in post North America, a continent divided into twelve districts, ruled by the governing Capital. Every year the Capital hosts The Hunger Games. Two contestants, a boy and girl from each of the twelve districts are chosen by lottery to compete in the games. On the day of selection, Katniss Everdeen joins the rest of district twelve in the centre of town. She waits with bated breath as the names are drawn. The unthinkable happens, her twelve year old sister is called to compete in the hunger games. Bravely, Katniss steps in and takes her place, now facing the fight of her life; every decision she makes must be the right one to guarantee her survival in the game.

Divergent By Veronica Roth

Sixteen year old Beatrice (Tris)  had just completed her aptitude test, her results inconclusive, and a divergent; one who does not belong to any one faction. She must now keep this a secret if she wants to survive. Having grown up Abnegation, a faction of selflessness, she now faces the most important decision of her life, to leave and join another faction, or remain with her family. Her decision made, she leaves behind all that's familiar and joins the Dauntless, a faction based on courage, risk and bravery.  Here she must prove herself, face horrific challenges and obstacles, ones she must learn to overcome and conquer, if she wants to remain in Dauntless.

Dystopian titles for upper middle grade readers:
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer                                                                            
The Giver by Lois Lowry

The shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Ember series by Jeanne Duprau

Blade Runner by Philip K Dick

Dystopian titles for Teens:

Enders Games by Orson Scott Card

I am #4 and The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Feed Me by M T Anderson

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Matched by Allie Condie

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Legend by Marie Lu

Dystopian Classics:

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Children of Men by P.D James

Have a great day. Happy reading.

Bye, Rosalyne