Question of the Week: Dystopian Books

With reading trends on the loose, the dystopian genre finds the front and center of the race. Here at The Readable Kingdom we've all read our fair share of dystopian novels and would like to give you our top five dystopian books.

But before we get to the goods, we'd like to make sure our readers are on the same page with what a dystopian book is. So, what classifies a dystopian novel? Well, dystopian novels are set in a post-apocalyptic, futuristic world. The government within that world is usually corrupted and controlling. For example, in Matched by Ally Condie, the Society controls everything--ranging from what day they will die to what meal they will be eating on a certain day. Not every dystopian novel has a government as harsh as the Society in Matched, but it varies and is always a different form of controlling their citizens in order to give the illusion of a perfect society, although it is clearly anything but that.

The idea of not conforming and becoming an independent person is most likely what makes these books as appealing as they are. Nothing is more enjoyable than reading about a strong main character that stands up for what they believe in the face of great power. Before dystopian, vampires were the major trend in Young Adult Literature. While they are still very prominent, vampires have been overshadowed by dystopian books. This is most likely because people were yearning for characters who do something that matters, instead of simply battling some fictional characters that will never exist. These characters go through some extremely difficult challenges, and being set in possible shocking future that could be closer than we can imagine, this makes us think about where the world could ultimately be heading.

Now, on to our top five dystopian books.

5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

In a world where love is a disease, Lena Haloway has to discover herself and whether she will conform or break out of their fenced town. Everyone has always relied on the treatment when they turn eighteen that will cure them from the disease. But will Lena? Delirium was written beautifully and has a cool new twist on your average dystopian book.

4. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Amy, a seventeen-year-old girl decides to board the spaceship Godspeed with both her parents which are on their way to a planet similar to Earth. Both Amy and her parents are then cryogenically frozen aboard the spaceship. Their expected arrival is 300 years away. The only problem: Amy is awakened 50 years early. Across the Universe has plenty of mysteries and sci-fi aspects. The mystery was what was really intriguing. Godspeed is a spaceship full of secrets and Amy is determined to figure them out.

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner is slowly finding its way to the best of the best dystopian books, and there's a reason for it! Thomas wakes up in a lift with absolutely no memory. He doesn't know anything about his past or present life, the only thing he remembers is his name. When he opens the lift he finds lots of other kids in a place they call the Glade. What is most interesting about The Maze Runner is definitely the plot. It draws you in from the very first chapter with Thomas's own confusion and you'll be aching for the sequel The Scorch Trials immediately after you turn the last page.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent ranks number two in our top five dystopian books! In this dystopian world, people are separated into factions. So, what are factions exactly? There are five of them: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). When you turn 16, you attend a choosing ceremony--which is just as it sounds, you have to choose which faction to belong in. The problem Beatrice faces is what faction she should be in-- the one her family is in, or the one that truly suits her. Once she makes this decision, her life completely changes.


1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This really is the epitome of dystopian books. If you haven't even heard about this marvelous series, then it's safe to say you've been living under a rock! The Hunger Games is about a girl named Katniss who volunteers to take her younger sister, Prim's place in an event called The Hunger Games in which adolescents battle it out in an arena until there's only one person standing. This does mean death and The Hunger Games are also recorded and watched by the rest of society. Definitely by far our favorite dystopian book!