Alright, so I meant to write this post a while ago. But things have been busy with me packing up for Kansas City. If you regularly read my blog then you know that I am fan of
The Hunger Games (cue Robert thinking about Jennifer Lawrence [No Robert, concentrate!!!!!]. Recently, I have read other dystopian teen novels that are similar to
The Hunger Games.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
In my opinion
The Maze Runner is a combination of
The Hunger Games and
Ender's Game. This story takes place in a place called the Glade. Every thirty days, a boy is transported to the Glade with no memory of who they are or where they came from. The story focuses on Thomas. His arrival causes many other of the Glade's inhabitants feel uneasy because strange things start to happen such as the arrival of the first girl and a message from the designers indicating that there will be no future citizens or supplies. Thomas and the others have to figure out how to get past the Maze which surrounds their home in order to survive. This is the first book in a trilogy. I hope to finish it up this year.
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
This is the first of four books in
The Uglies series. Tally Youngblood lives in a world without war, disease, or hunger. She is about to turn sixteen, which is when all people in her community undergo surgery to make them "pretty". Tally has looked forward to this day for her entire life. This all changes when her friend Shay begins to have reservations about the surgery. Shay frequently speaks of a society that leaves beyond the "pretties", where everyone is natural. Suddenly, Shay disappears one day. Before Tally has her surgery, the authorities tell her that she must find locate where Shay escaped to. If she does not then she will have to remain "ugly" forever. As the story progresses, Tally learns a dark secret about her society that will make her question about what it means to be "pretty". This book addresses many issues that many teens (especially girls) will find relevant such as what and who defines beauty. Some might define this as a dystopia. I am more inclined to say that this is utopia, but you are welcome to argue with me on this.Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I hope to finish the series soon.
Wither and
Fever (
The Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren DeStafano
This year I read
Wither and
Fever. They are the first two books of
The Chemical Garden Trilogy.
The final book is due to be published next year. This is about a
futuristic society in which genetic engineering has gone wrong. Although
the first generation of genetically modified humans were impervious to
disease, their children would experience massive side effects. All men die at the age of twenty five and women die at the age of twenty. Many women are captured off the street and forced into polygamist marriages in a rash attempt to save humankind from extinction. The story focuses on Rhine, who is one of these captured women who is forced into a marriage against her will. This would be a good book to read if you want to analyze gender roles and power structures. This series gives a very depressing outlook on what a society will do in order to save itself. I found that the language that DeStefano uses in these books to be very beautiful. I would like to issue a content warning. This series does contain polygamy and sex is implied. Also, the women in this book endure harsh treatment under their father-in-law. So, if that bothers you then you may not want to read this. Overall, I enjoyed these books. I am eager to read the conclusion of the trilogy.
This year I read Wither and Fever. They are the first two books of The Chemical Garden Trilogy.
The final book is due to be published next year. This is about a
futuristic society in which genetic engineering has gone wrong. Although
the first generation of genetically modified humans were impervious to
disease, their children would experience massive side effects. All men die at the age of twenty five and women die at the age of twenty. Many women are captured off the street and forced into polygamist marriages in a rash attempt to save humankind from extinction. The story focuses on Rhine, who is one of these captured women who is forced into a marriage against her will. This would be a good book to read if you want to analyze gender roles and power structures. This series gives a very depressing outlook on what a society will do in order to save itself. I found that the language that DeStefano uses in these books to be very beautiful. I would like to issue a content warning. This series does contain polygamy and sex is implied. Also, the women in this book endure harsh treatment under their father-in-law. So, if that bothers you then you may not want to read this. Overall, I enjoyed these books. I am eager to read the conclusion of the trilogy. 
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