The Hunger Games. Maze Runner. Divergent. You don’t have to be a teen to know that dystopian fiction is still a force to be reckoned with in YA lit. But what if you’ve already read the big names in the genre and are still hungering (sorry!) for more “the future is bleak, bleak, bleak and it’s all the adults’ fault” fiction? Here are a few read-alikes that just might fit the bill, including some less familiar titles and international entries.
1. Tomorrow, When the War Began / John Marsden
Seven Australian teenagers return from a camping trip in the bush to discover that their country has been invaded and they must hide to stay alive.
In a small town on the coast of California, everyone over the age of fourteen suddenly disappears, setting up a battle between the remaining town residents and the students from a local private school, as well as those who have “The Power” and are able to perform supernatural feats and those who do not.
Ostracised or incarcerated her whole life, seventeen-year-old Juliette is freed on the condition that she use her horrific abilities in support of The Reestablishment, a post-apocalyptic dictatorship, but Adam, the only person ever to show her affection, offers hope of a better future.
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth / Carrie Ryan
Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.
5. The Knife of Never Letting go / Patrick Ness
Pursued by power-hungry Prentiss and mad minister Aaron, young Todd and Viola set out across New World searching for answers about his colony’s true past and seeking a way to warn the ship bringing hopeful settlers from Old World.