A lot of people find dystopian fiction depressing. I actually find them uplifting, since it makes the real world seem a whole lot brighter! Well, I canât promise that the world right now is actually any better than them, but we can dream. Here are some of the best. All blurbs written by me unless otherwise specified.
Also, this post deleted itself halfway through me writing it. Ah, the things I struggle through for you people. The reviews I painstakingly re-write. The show must go on.
The Handmaidâs Tale (and The Testaments) by Margaret Atwood - The Republic of Gilead is ruled by right-wing Christian extremists, and freedom for women is a rare commodity. Offredâs value lies in her reproductive ability, stolen from many other women by high levels of radiation. She must find a way to escape before she outlives her usefulness.
I know, I know, itâs typical, but hear me out (or scroll down for more original ones). This book is heartbreaking, itâs beautiful, itâs terrifying and most importantly itâs very applicable to modern society. Iâm sure youâve all heard people go on for ages about how it technically excels, but I want to talk about how Atwood never once falls into the trap of showing characters getting stronger by making them more masculine. Offred and the other female characters all embrace their femininity in different ways, and they are all strong while also being women, something many young adult writers seem to think is impossible. I expect nothing less from this great author. The Testaments went through the same prejudice as all sequels from reviewers, but I think it was wonderfully done and answers plenty of questions about Gilead and the world watching it.
Chaos Walking (The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men) by Patrick Ness - There are a couple of strange things about Prentisstown. There are no women, and everyone can hear each otherâs thoughts. Even the animals. Todd Hewitt is the youngest one in town, and heâs determined to find out the secrets of his home.
Ah, Patrick Ness, the only author on the planet who can reliably make me cry. And hoo boy, is there lots of crying to be had in this series. Emotional turmoil ahoy! No but seriously, once you get over the way the main characterâs accent is written (which made me pass by this book more than once) the story told throughout the series is deeply heartfelt, frightening and above all human. Topics from war to gender to segregation to what it means to be human are all covered in a way suitable for youngsters while also managing to be compelling and intense to adults. A slightly offbeat dystopia, but one with worldbuilding that cannot be scoffed at.
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) by Suzanne Collins - Panem is divided into 12 districts, who each provide cheap labour for the illustrious Capitol. Each year 24 children are forced to fight to the death to quell uprising in the districts. That is, untill Katniss Everdeen comes along to shake things up.
Everyone knows the Hunger Games. But if youâve only watched the films, I strongly suggest you read the books. The media industry did what the Capitol did, and threw out the real story to focus on a romance that isnât even real within the context of the books. If you have read the books, check out The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Itâs a prequel, focusing on how President Snow got to be... like that. Despite mixed reviews I really enjoyed it, and it was very nostalgic for me, considering I was pretty much obsessed with Panem for several years.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - Montag is a firefighter, but not in the normal sense. His job is to burn books, protecting the people from the knowledge within. A meeting with a teenager called Clarisse has thrown his worldview into disarray, and his wife is going insane.
This book is standing in for all my old dystopias - 1984, Animal Farm, We - for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I recently realised 1984 creeped me out as a kid because of how r*pey it was and I need to re-read and re-assess whether I like it or not. Secondly, because I think itâs really quite poignant in the current information age. We have access to the internet to co-ordinate, learn and educate each other. The sum total of all human knowledge is here. If we didnât, would we be able to rebel as we do now? Or would we simply go along with what we are told, because we have never been told otherwise? Also, Ray Bradbury is a legend and is likely to pop up in my upcoming short stories list quite a lot. Bear in mind that this is a very thinky book so donât pick it up as a light summer read, pick it up for introspection and criticism of censorship in our society.
Vox by Christina Dalcher - Women are limited to 100 words per day, at risk of a near-fatal electric shock if they overstep. Girls are swiftly losing the ability to speak, read and write. Dr Jean McClellan is going to change that if it kills her.
One big criticism of this book is that itâs too similar to the Handmaidâs Tale. I have to agree to a certain extent, but there are some key differences that make it a worthy read on its own. The pace, for one thing, is a lot faster, with more action which might make it a great option if you havenât got the patience for Atwoodâs style. It feels a lot more like a typical young adult dystopia without losing any of the moral punch of HT. Also, it emphasises the importance of communication for rebellion a lot more than HT. I think its message needs to be said again and again, and that the stylistic and plot differences not only make it accessible for more people but also lend themselves to a more personal story. Let the reviewers whine. Itâs one of my favourites.
The Broken Trilogy (Broken Sky, Darkness Follows and Black Moon) by L. A. Weatherly - Amity is a Peacefighter, charged with competing in dogfights with other regionsâ representatives in lieu of actual war. But corruption has its teeth deep into the Peacefights, and there is a tanged web of espionage, rebellion and... astrology?
Yep, thatâs right folks, this is a dystopia in which your star chart determines whether you live or die. Sure, it sounds goofy, but surprisingly enough it works extremely well as a premise, and who are we to talk trash about insane government officials? Amity is a deep, exciting character, and sheâs joined by a really compelling cast including a secretive astrologer and Amityâs love interest. Unfortunately, the love story feels quite forced, but fortunately the rest of the story is so good you can struggle through. The first book is a slight trek to get into, but once you do, thereâs a hell of a cliffhanger waiting for you. I shall say no more.
And that about wraps up my forays into dystopian fiction! As you can probably tell Iâm obsessed so expect a second post when Iâve collected a few more. Might have to divide it into feminist and other :/
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âWhy do Peacefights have to be dangerous, though?â I blurted. âWhy canât opposing countries play chess or something?â
Yet even as I asked Iâd known the answer.
âBecause people are violent at heart,â My father had said softly.
Broken Sky / L. A. Weatherly
ââââââââ
Based in 1940âs America, the story starts with a flash-forward to the main characters (Amity) escape from a cafĂŠ. It soon, it then resumes to present time and about Amity being a Peacefighter- someone who flies a fighter plane to win land and oil rights for their area. Yet, a friend who she hadnât seen in four years (and assumed dead by her) turns up in the Peacefighter canteen. He is also one. She learns about where he has been and how naive the main city is to believe that stars can control someone fate. 5/5
I absolutely fell in love with this trilogy and itâs characters. It may seem like the typical dystopian story, but in fact itâs far from it.
Itâs intricately woven into a deep plot filled with government secrets and betrayal. Youâll never see the plot twists coming and some parts will make you want to scream and cry from frustration. The books are not repetitive at all, which Iâve found to be the case with other trilogies Iâve read before, and each book builds on the other, expanding the world and the plot.
The characters are all completely 4 dimensional and theyâre each very unique. L. A. Weatherly really pays attention to each character and their motives, giving them all interesting backstories and making them incredibly interesting and deep. Some of my favourite characters of all time are from this series.
In conclusion, I absolutely loved this series and it took me on a journey of heartbreak and redemption and itâs now among my favourite book seriesâs.
Read if you like:
âď¸plot twists
âď¸dystopian books
âď¸romance
âď¸intricate plotting
âď¸interesting character arcs
âď¸heroes & bravery
âď¸being played by the author so bad that you want to scream and cry
Blog Tour w/Excerpt for Broken (Broken Trilogy Book 1) by J.L. Drake
ââ˘â #Blog Tour ââ˘â Broken by JL Drake "You can always fall Savannah, because I'll be the one to catch you" ~ Cole Logan. My name is Savannah Miller. My father is the mayor of New York. One day after my twenty-seventh birthday I was grabbed from behind. A cloth sack was quickly pulled over my head, and I was taken from everything Iâd ever known. #Purchase this Romantic Suspense | Military story #TODAY ⢠http://amzn.to/2b4TTp0 #Add Broken to your Goodreads #TBR ⢠âââhttp://bit.ly/2AVDi2F #RomanticSuspense #Military #JLDrake #Broken #BrokenTrilogy #Cliffhanger #Sexy
 BLOG TOUR February 19th â 23rd  Broken, (Broken Trilogy ) Author J.L. Drake  Release Date March 2nd, 2015   Goodreads http://bit.ly/2AVDi2F  Genre Romantic Suspense  Synopsis *** This is the first book in this series and it ends with a cliffhanger. Intended for 18+.*** My name is Savannah Miller. My father is the mayor of New York. One day after my twenty-seventh birthday I wasâŚ
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Tired of all the lies and deception, Savannah Miller must learn to face life on
her own. As she seeks to find out who she really is, she still is still
bâŚ
Title: Mended Series: Broken Trilogy #3 Author: J.L. Drake Genre: Romantic Suspense Release Date: Available Now
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Savannah takes controlâŚ
Tired of all the lies and deception, Savannah Miller must learn to face life on her own. As she seeks to find out who she really is, she still is still burdened with the fallout from past traumas that left her broken.
