Tag Archives: dystopian
Matched
Matched, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Puffin
2011
369
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
Review:
“Matched” is the perfect book to introduce younger readers to the world of dystopias beyond “Animal Farm”. It explores some difficult issues, including trying to control how people live and think, as well as censorship. Everything is chosen for them. What choices they do have are limited to a select few. The government even controls death.
The content is solidly in the PG category, while still holding enough of a love story to get keep the attention of older readers who enjoy that sort of thing. It is a relief that, while there are two possible love interests, it is not really a love triangle. Those are overused and tend to feature at least one unhealthy choice. This does not follow that pattern, which is a relief to me to know younger readers have access to books who present healthy relationships.
Cassia is a fascinating character who the author uses to highlight the challenges of being different in a society that will not tolerate anyone who strays from the norm. Good lessons throughout the book that can leave children with a sense of empowerment over those telling them the things they “can’t” be.
It’s an enjoyable read for anyone from fifth grade and up. A perfect choice for reluctant readers.
Content Warning:
Brief Violence
Unwind
Unwind Dystology, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Simon and Schuster
2009-06-02
352
In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to survive until they turn eighteen.
Review:
To be honest, I am not sure how to put into words just how profound this book is. While meant for young adults, I think it presents issues that people of any age should take the time to consider carefully. It made me rethink many of the views I had that I assumed were firm.
The way the plot evolves is nothing short of amazing. All three of the main characters are well-developed and come together in a way which is completely plausible. Their backstories make them feel like real people whose wellbeing is a real concern. They also are not presented as perfect, or completely imperfect, individuals. Each is given a complex set of strengths and weaknesses. The same can be said with all of the secondary characters. The entire world is brought to life through the vast amount of personalities and intertwining lives.
The author’s writing is superb. The sentences are structured perfectly to be able to flow smoothly as well as make perfect sense to less advanced readers without losing the gravity of the subject matter.
Be warned: There is one particular scene in this book that is far more frightening than even the likes of Stephen King has written. It still gives me the shivers and makes me feel a bit nauseous, and I have a fondness for scary things. That being said, it is in no way gratuitous, and was a very necessary part of the plot. If you have a younger reader, be prepared to answer questions.
I love this book enough to give it the rare five stars. If the rest of his work is like this one, the author will be guaranteed a fan for life in me.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Brief Sexual Situations
Divergent
Divergent, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Katherine Tegen Books
2012-02-28
576
Paperback features over fifty pages of bonus materials, including a sneak peek of Insurgent, an author Q&A, a discussion guide, a Divergent playlist, faction manifestos, and more! In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. Veronica Roth is the New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, the first in a trilogy of dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.
Review:
I want to put this out there right from the start: I have an extremely intense love/hate relationship with this book. It’s like some form of reader sadomasochism, a punishment that just serves to make me want more.
The plot has more holes than swiss cheese, the sentence structure is written as if meant for a four-year-old, and don’t even get me started on the faction system. Actually, let me take that back. I want to get started on the faction system. It makes absolutely no sense. Why would someone completely think one way and not even vaguely have a characteristic of the others? I can see the idea of balance, but this is the most far-fetched division system I have ever read in a dystopian novel, and I have read a lot of them. I feel like I need to eat some Amity bread to accept this.
And yet, against all reason, I do. I love this story. The completely cookie-cutter misunderstood bad boy meets the secret bad-ass girl disguised as a shrinking violet makes my heart go all aflutter. I think the idea of rolling off of moving trains sounds like fun. I made my poor wife read it. We have already pre-ordered the steelbook blu-ray of the movie, which is worse than the actual book. I even forgive the typos!
This, my friends, is the value of a good story. If you have a good enough plot, people will forgive literally almost everything. I’m not proud of my Divergent weakness, but there it is, for all of the world to see.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Brief Sexual Situations
The Testing
The Testing, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2013
344
Sixteen-year-old Malencia (Cia) Vale is chosen to participate in The Testing to attend the University; however, Cia is fearful when she figures out her friends who do not pass The Testing are disappearing. 100,000 first printing.
Review:
Cia is a girl from a small colony who is chosen to go, not by choice, to compete for a spot at the only university in her country, located in Tosu City. Only the best and brightest are chosen for the honor.
The plot does somewhat resemble the Hunger Games, but I can assure you that the author has created a fully fleshed-out world that stands on its own without a reliance on the structure of Panem. The imagery is vivid, and the scenes are very intense. Once she arrives at Tosu City there are no real lulls in the action. It’s a one sitting type of read.
The book is extremely well written with realistic dialogue and flowing sentences. Plot structure is solid with a multitude of elements to appeal to lovers of dystopian, romance, and survival stories. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but the fact that they were not can be directly attributed to the situations in which they find themselves in. Cia simply does not have time to get to know her fellow university candidates in much detail.
Speaking of Cia, she is a great character who enters the story somewhat sheltered but not naive. She learns quickly, and she is not easily pushed around by those in charge. This is a refreshing change from many dystopias.
Overall, it’s a fun and quick read that will leave you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.
Content Warning:
Violence, Brief Sexual Situations
The Maze Runner
The Maze Runner, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
2009
375
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.
Review:
This book is difficult to put down from the first page. Thomas arrives with no memory of anything aside from what happens from when he opens his eyes forward. As readers, even though it is written in the third person, we are left to discover things exactly as Thomas does, leaving us to feel his fear and confusion as though it is our own.
The plot has quite a bit of action, but also some moments where things go slowly. That could create a problem for the reader were it not for the ever-present questions slowly being answered. While most are resolved, it does leave some unanswered, and brings up new ones. It’s a real cliff-hanger.
This is a good book for reluctant readers while still being sophisticated enough for adults. I recommend it for grade 6 and up.
Content Warning:
Violence
Article 5
Article 5, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Tor Teen
2013-01-08
384
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back. Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. That life in the United States used to be different. Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.
Review:
“Article 5” is a dystopian novel that is set in a world where a super-charged version of the moral majority has taken over in a civil war. Ember is forcibly removed from her home for committing the “crime” of being born out-of-wedlock. When she is arrested by the former boyfriend who was drafted into the military, her entire world seems to fall apart.
This was a terrifying book for me and a good cautionary tale against becoming overzealous with ruling by morality alone. What I would have liked to see more of was the backstory of how the war started and why they ended up in such a dire governmental system. The book would have been much more enjoyable had those explanations been present, but I am holding out hope that it is covered in the next installment.
Ember is a character about whom I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, she has led a sheltered life in one very small section of a city, only to be suddenly yanked into a very terrifying world. On the other, she seems hellbent on not trusting Chase, who can reasonably expect to be changed due to traumatic circumstances. The problem is that she does not bother to ask, or believe a word or action from him, and it became frustrating to me. She is an intelligent girl, so writing her with such a slow ability to adapt in some areas while adapting quickly in others was very out of character.
The action is what makes me want more. It was fast-paced and intense. Lots of questions are unanswered, but the end of the book and change in character awareness make me want to know more. I have high hopes that the next book will build on the improvements found at the end of this one. The writing is solid and obviously from a talented author who has the potential for great storytelling.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Sexual Situations
The Registry
The Registry, Book 1
Fiction
William Morrow Paperbacks
2013-06-11
336
Welcome to a safe and secure new world, where beauty is bought and sold, and freedom is the ultimate crime The Registry saved the country from collapse, but stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America, girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are raised to be soldiers, trained to fight and never question orders. Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning from her married older sister raises dangerous questions. Now, instead of going up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom. All Mia wants is to control her own destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get her back.
Review:
I am being somewhat generous with the three stars, but do hold out some hope for the series. The idea is a good one, with there being handbooks and guides to marriage and military service that are controlled by the government. Women are bought, and while men ultimately end up in control, as boys they are all but abandoned due to not having a monetary value to their fathers.
The world is interesting, but there is a problem with how it is presented. The problem being that we have very little explanation about why it came to be that way. There is something offered, but it doesn’t explain anything, even though I believe the author meant it to. It made what could have been a straightforward plot a bit of a mess and distracts from some issues raised that are more than worthy of in-depth exploration.
The writing is stilted, but that may be on purpose, as Mia has been protected her entire life from most knowledge and education. It’s difficult to tell at this point in the series. There are also quite a few typos that can easily be fixed and can be frustrating to see.
I’m not certain whether or not to continue on with the series, as I have been burned in the past by novels with promising plots but technical problems.
Content Warning:
Violence
Under the Never Sky
Under the Never Sky, Book 1
Juvenile Fiction
Harpercollins Childrens Books
2012-12-04
400
When Aria is exiled from the enclosed city of Reverie, she forms an unlikely alliance with an Outsider named Perry, who could be her only chance of survival providing they can overcome their prejudices.
Review:
Before I begin the review, I have an embarrassing confession about a misconception I formed at the beginning of the book. Between the cover and the multiple mentions of Perry being shirtless and in leather pants, it became set in my mind that I was somehow reading a Harlequin Romance fantasy. Obviously, this was wrong, but nevertheless I breathed a sigh of relief once he finally put on a shirt and things got going in earnest.
The reason for the three instead of four stars in my rating is the fact that it took me a full third of the book to really get into it. Being a fan of how the worlds are built in dystopian novels, I found this one lacking. There was very little to go on at the beginning, and while this may be intentional, it made me apathetic to what happened to them one way or the other.
That being said, once the two main characters were together, things picked up quickly. The world and characters become more than one-dimensional and I began to care what happened to them and everyone else. Perry and Aria are both very interesting and complex, and the ultimate love story evolved beautifully. It was nice to see a book lacking a love triangle and keeping the complications to what they were going through, as opposed to which boy Aria should kiss.
In the end, I was so drawn into their world that I immediately ordered the next in the series and expect I will not have the difficulty getting into it that I had with this one. If you find yourself wanting to give up at the beginning, I encourage you stick with it. It’s worth it.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Sexual Situations
The Darkest Minds Never Fade
The Darkest Minds, Book 2
Juvenile Fiction
Hyperion
2013-10-15
512
"In the second installment of The Darkest Minds trilogy, Ruby joins forces with the revolutionary Children's League to find critical information about the epidemic that has torn both her life and America apart"--
Review:
Ruby and friends are back, with the book picking up only a few months after the first one left off. The sacrifices she made at the end of “The Darkest Minds” become immediately clear as far more than even she thought they would be. It jumps right into the action and never really stops. In other words, this book is intense, so be prepared.
Typically second books in trilogies are the weakest link. I was prepared for that to be the case with this one, because it really did seem impossible to make it on par with the first. In my opinion, this one was even better, though I was disappointed in seeing so little of my favorite character, Liam. That is bias on my part though and was necessary to the plot. When he does come back, the result is perfectly believable and flows well with how he left off at the end of the first book.
We are introduced to quite a few new characters, and just like in “The Darkest Minds”, they are fleshed out with complete and compelling backstories gradually revealed over the course of the book. Alexandra Bracken is a genius when it comes to character development. All of their actions fit with their backstory.
One of my favorite things about this novel is the fact that teenagers actually speak and act like teenagers. Vida is the most shining example of this. Her language is vulgar, she is full of attitude, and can be volatile with her moods. I think we’ve all known at least one Vida growing up. All too often authors shy away from the way teenagers actually speak, and the fact that Bracken is not afraid to go there speaks of both her talent and her respect for her readers that are of that age.
The world is expanded in a wonderful way. We get to see the inner workings of the mysterious Children’s League as well as learn more about how the government is currently functioning. It adds a perfect balance to what we learned in the first of the series of how the children are living and gives us a much more complete view of the world Ruby lives in. All of it sets up for what is sure to be an exciting conclusion.
As with “The Darkest Minds”, “Never Fade” has become one of my favorite books of all-time. The world and characters are so well-developed that I feel like Alexandra Bracken needs to teach a class in creative writing. She is a true natural talent. Again, if I were wealthy I would buy everyone a copy.
My only question is how am I supposed to wait until October 28th? I feel like I may go into withdrawal and need some sort of rehab.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Sexual Situations
The Darkest Minds
Juvenile Fiction
Hyperion
2012-12-18
496
"Sixteen-year-old Ruby breaks out of a government-run 'rehabilitation camp' for teens who acquired dangerous powers after surviving a virus that wiped out most American children"--
Review:
To put this out there right up front, this is one of my favorite books ever and the beginning of one of my top three favorite dystopian series.
Ruby and company are part of a generation of children who have developed various powers, each given a different color code. The government locks them into camps to try to “cure” them. Obviously, this is not how it goes, because if they just went to camp and were cured there would be no plot to speak of. I’ll leave it to you to read the book and find out what happens.
Ruby is a refreshing character in the world of young adult dystopias. While she does have quite a bit of naiveté when it comes to interactions with the outside and boys due to being sent to the camp when she was ten, she is certainly not slow to pick up on things. She takes help and needs help but is by no means a damsel in distress. Others need her just as badly as she needs them. All too often these types of novels leave the heroine in somewhat of an intellectual fog when it comes to adaptation to their new environments, but Ruby does not suffer from that. This is part of why I love it so much.
The other characters are all wonderful. Each one has a well-developed back story that is compelling and heartbreaking. This is not a novel where you find anyone with an easy life. Getting to know them on such an intimate level made me become invested in the novel as whole, not just as it related to Ruby, and made me feel genuine panic when the fates of some became unknown.
The author clearly thought out the motivations of every character in a scene before writing it. None of it is muddled, and it all fits perfectly with their history and current circumstances. None of it seems out-of-place and it makes the plot flow beautifully leaving no room for holes in a character’s plot line. It’s an excellent example for those looking for what to do when it comes to character development.
There is one scene that is particularly disturbing in a sexual consent and control issue way. It’s intense enough that I feel it warrants a description here rather than a brief mention in the content warnings. One character takes advantage of another by using their powers. It’s somewhat ambiguous as to the exact nature of what occurred, but it is definitely creepy and a possible trigger for some. That being said, it is in no way gratuitous and does serve to further both character development and plot. In my opinion, it’s a delicate subject that is handled well.
I cannot end this review without mentioning the world-building aspect. That is my favorite part of any non-realistic fiction type novel and Alexandra Bracken does not disappoint. It’s a world still very much like how we live today, but one going downhill fast. The best parts of the small details that make perfect sense but many would not even think to add. For example, what would the radio play in an absence of teenagers? Oldies. Don’t even get me started on how they are used, because as a combined biblio- and audiophile I may never stop speaking.
Overall, I recommend this book to the point that were I a rich man I would buy all of you reading this review a copy. Well-written, well-developed, heartbreaking, and really darn fun.
Content Warning:
Language, Violence, Sexual Situations, General Intense Situations
Follow my book reviews and ramblings:
