With the explosion of YA dystopia in the past few years, it can be difficult to find one that stands out from the crowd. After a while, so many series started to look the same to me: citizens divided by arbitrary traits must unite and rise up against evil overreaching government, with a side-order of climate-related disaster and/or zombies. Sound familiar?
In an effort to highlight the more unusual standouts in this genre, here are my top seven most unique YA dystopias that will hopefully refresh a reader who is experiencing some genre fatigue.
Unwind (Unwind Dystology #1) – Neil Shusterman
A chilling, four-part series in which unwanted children between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can be “unwound” by their parents–essentially having all their organs donated so that their life isn’t technically ended–this as a solution to society’s constant fighting over reproductive rights. The books are well-written, incorporating a quiet sense of horror and generating some uncomfortable introspection on our own moral stance.
The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.
Love in the Time of Global Warming – Francesca Lia Block
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An incredibly weird little dystopia, featuring characters with elemental power, genetically-engineered giants that snack on people, and an epic journey across a scarred land. The cast is also incredibly diverse, which makes for a read that’s off the proverbial beaten track.
Her life by the sea in ruins, Pen has lost everything in the Earth Shaker that all but destroyed the city of Los Angeles. She sets out into the wasteland to search for her family, her journey guided by a tattered copy of Homer’s Odyssey. Soon she begins to realize her own abilities and strength as she faces false promises of safety, the cloned giants who feast on humans, and a madman who wishes her dead. On her voyage, Pen learns to tell stories that reflect her strange visions, while she and her fellow survivors navigate the dangers that lie in wait. In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.
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Proxy (Proxy #1) – Alex London
A rather unique concept of patrons and proxies takes center stage in the first part of Alex London’s duology, whereby the wealthy escape punishment for their misdeeds through the use of a proxy–essentially a servant whose debt has been taken over by a patron. A colourful cast of characters and a critical look at wealth, debt, and poverty make this series a winner.
Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.
Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.
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Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.
Burn Bright (Night Creatures #1) – Marianne de Pierres
Deliciously dark and imaginative, this trilogy takes place on the party island of Ixion, where everything takes place in excess, and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Night Creatures rule over the island and its inhabitants, but internal politicking, along with a festering rebellion among some of the youth, threaten upheaval and chaos. Poetic and gorgeous.
Retra braves the intense pain of her obedience strip and stows away to seek her brother Joel, gone two years for Ixion–island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal–sealed minds, sealed community – no craving for parties or pleasure.
What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? What happens to those who grow too old for Ixion? Without Joel, is her eternal bond with a Riper guardian enough to save her?
Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness, you also live with creatures of the dark.
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) – Patrick Ness
I know this series has appeared on many a Best-of-Dystopia lists, but it’s a well-deserved placement. With a unique writing style, the story starts out in an unusual men-only town, where the concept of Noise means that everybody hears everyone else’s thoughts. Our protagonist, Todd, and his beloved dog Manchee, embark on a quest for survival, and a number of issues are tackled along the way, including the horrific lengths people will go to to combat their fear of the unknown.
Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee–whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not–stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden–a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.
But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?
Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) – Susan Ee
Initially self-published, this epic novel about the angel apocalypse descending on to earth is action-packed and a riot to read. Murderous angels are certainly a new take on the dystopian premise, and Ee doesn’t disappoint, showcasing a powerful alliance between an injured rebel angel and a fierce girl willing to do anything to protect her mentally ill mother and disabled sister.
It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) – Julie Kagawa
The Immortal Rules takes two tired aspects of YA literature–vampires and dystopias–and creates an intriguing world full of violence, paranoia, and a bit of star-crossed romance.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for again.
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