Dystopian stories for Hungry Teen/YA Readers

I am not sure if I'm the last person to learn that the stories that interest me lately are called dystopian. What I mean is Ultra Violet, V for Vendetta, The Hunger Games, Matched- they all fall into a category where it's futuristic or sci-fi but also bleak. I didn't learn the word dystopian until just this week. Now I find myself learning more. And since there is all the love of Twilight series and the soon to be released The Hunger Game movie (March 23, 2012) I figured I would focus on authors focusing on a teen twist. Just because the world is bleak don't mean a few good guys can't win in the end....or can they?

Love chocolate? Love samplers? Love reading it before you can buy the book in stores? Try the kindle edition, Hunger for Dystopian Teen Sampler.

"Tales of dangerous worlds set in futures both unrecognizable and startlingly familiar. Read sneak peeks of the hottest dystopian books around, including Divergent by Veronica Roth, Gone by Michael Grant, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Variant by Robison Wells, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Eve by Anna Carey, and Partials by Dan Wells."

Alright, so there wasn't any chocolate, but at least you don't live here: All these things I've done-

"In a dystopian future where chocolate and caffeine are contraband, teenage cellphone use is illegal, and water and paper are carefully rationed, sixteen-year-old Anya Balanchine finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight as heir apparent to an important New York City crime family."

Let's just start with my review of The Hunger Games and then list some more books that might grab your attention. I've included individual and series/trilogies. This is not a complete list but hopefully enough to let your mind wander and hunger for a world you've never imagined before.

This blog is now found in my Pinterest board and updated often.

Trilogies

Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth:

• Divergent
• Insurgent (due to release May 1, 2012)
• (Not yet named)

The Girl Trilogy by Reussie Miliardario:

• Girl Possessed (recently released December 7, 2011)
• Girl Enchanted
• (Not yet named)

The Giver Trilogy by Lois Lowry:

• The Giver
• Gathering Blue
• Messenger

Update 5/26/12: This series is not a Trilogy but a Quartet, the final book is Son (expected October 2, 2012).

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins:

• The Hunger Games
• Catching Fire
• Mockingjay

The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner:

• The Maze Runner
• The Scorch Trial
• The Death Cure

Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie:

• Matched
• Crossed
• Update 6/4/12: Reached (expected November 13, 2012).

The Spencer Nye Trilogy by Jason Letts:

• Suspense
• Expense (recently released October 26, 2011)
• (Not yet named)

The Taken Trilogy by: Zia Marie (pen name):

• Taken (A Dystopian Novel)
• Update 6/4/12: Lost (recently released May 19, 2012)
• (Not yet named)

Series

Birthright Series by: Gabrielle Zevin:

1. All These Things I’ve Done (recently released September 6, 2011).
2. Update 6/4/12: Because It Is My Blood (expected September 18, 2012).

The Book of Mortals Series by Ted Dekker:

The Keeper: A Short Story Prequel to Forbidden (# 0.5)

1. Forbidden
2. Mortal (expected to release June 5, 2012).

Desire Series by Kailin Gow:

1. Desire
2. Summer Wishes (#1.5)
3. Shattered
4. Passion  (due to release March 19, 2012)

Incarceron Series by Catherine Fisher:

1. Incarceron
2. Sapphique

Nowhereville Series by Sean Campbell:

1. Nowhereville- Volume 1

The Pledge Series (could be Trilogy) by Kimberly Derting:

1. The Pledge (recently released November 15 2011)
2. Update 6/4/12: The Essence (Expected publication: January 2013 )
3. Update 6/4/12: Unknown Title (2014).

Shifter Evolutions Series by Ami Blackwelder and Belle Magnolia:

1. The Invasion of 2020
2. The SCM of 2030
3. The Shifters of 2040
4. The Hybrids of 2050: Belle Magnolia
5. The Hunted of 2060, a Shifter Dystopian
6. The Revolution of 2060 (due in 2012, no date given at this time).

The Ship Breaker Series by Paolo Bacigalupi:

1. The Ship Breaker
2. The Drowned Cities (expected to release May 1, 2012).

Persona Series by Amy Lunderman:

1. Persona
2. Update 6/4/12: Unbroken (expected to release September 19, 2012).

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld:

1. Uglies
2. Pretties 
3. Specials
4. Extras

Bonus book: Bogus to bubbly: an insider's guide to the uglies (Oct 2008). This was a trilogy that turned into a four part series, last released in 2009).

The Wasted Series by Lauren Hammond:

1. Famished (recently released September 27, 2011).

Witch & Wizard Series by James Patterson:

1. Witch & Wizard
2. The Gift 
3. The Fire (recently released December 5, 2011).

Individual Books

Bumped by Megan McCafferty.

The Cure by Sonia Levitin.

Sudden Independents by Ted Hill.

Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe (a novella- short story).

A few Graphic Novels/Magna:

Buffy Season 8 by Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty (Illustrator), Jo Chen (Illustrator)- Dark Horse Comics.

Library Wars: Love & War by Kiiro Yumi (Author & Illustrator), Hiro Arikawa (Original Concept).

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (Illustrator)- DC Comics.

Witch & Wizard Magna by James Patterson,  Svetlana Chmakova (Illustrator).

Still hungry? See if your local library has more suggestions included in their catalog such as Goodreads or NoveList (through Ebscohost).