Stuff for the Teen Age

Dystopian Romances for "Hunger Games" Fans

Do you love Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games trilogy? Are you REALLY hoping that the new Hunger Games movie is going to do justice to the book? Do you want to read more books in which the world as we know it has ended... and a dark and dangerous world has taken its place? Where a dark and dangerous guy (or, for that matter, a blonde and dangerous guy) will look deeply into your eyes and inspire you to fight against the society you've known your entire life? Whether you're on Team Gale or Team Peeta, here are some titles that will inspire you.

Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia is growing up in a society where important decisions will be made for her — her job, her spouse, and even the date of her death. When she goes to the matching ceremony, she's nervous to find out which boy will be her husband and partner for life. She's happy to discover that she's matched with her best friend Xander, since she already knows that she likes him and she won't have to marry a total stranger. But when she goes home and looks at the microcard that is supposed to contain the data on her future husband, she's surprised to see not one boy's face but two.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Lena lives in a world where love is against the law. Or more precisely, every citizen is cured of the disease called amor deliria nervosa when they turn 18 years old. Lena is 17 years old, and she wants to be cured of this disease. She knows that love can lead to sorrow, pain, and even death. Her own mother committed suicide after the government tried to cure her of the disease three times. Her mother never stopped loving her father, and Lena doesn't want to live with that kind of pain. Little does she know that she's about to meet a boy who's going to change her life.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Society has been divided into five factions. At the age of 16, people must decide if they want to devote their lives to honesty, selflessness, bravery, peace, or intelligence. But Beatrice doesn't fit into just one category, and the decisions she makes and the secret she keeps are going to have an incredible impact on her own life and on the world around her.   

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Tally can't wait to turn 16 years old, when she can go under the knife and all of her ugliness will be fixed and cut away, turning her into a Pretty. Tally's friend Shay doesn't trust the procedure and runs away to join a mysterious group of rebels called the Smoke. Then the authorities give Tally an impossible choice: follow Shay and reveal the secret location of the Smoke... or else stay ugly forever.

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my two cents

Having read all the above books.....I found Matched boring, Delirium kinda ridiculous, Divergent is actually pretty good if not wildly predictable and Uglies is a masterpiece but I got so mad at Westerfeld about the romantic plot of the books that I can't look at it the same way anymore.

Oh Anne, I'm glad to hear you

Oh Anne, I'm glad to hear you found Delirium ridiculous too. Aside from the dodgy worldbuilding (rebellion is an easy, casual choice, yet the police routinely run around terrorizing people?), I have rarely felt so personally betrayed by a YA book. The erasure of queerness is just so intense. You stop teenagers from falling in love by separating them by gender??? And then straight people are the ones who fall in love and save the world??? Ugh.

more books for Hunger Games fans

A few more: Wither by Lauren DeStefano Ashes by Ilsa Bick (post-apocalyptic) Unwind by Neal Shusterman Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien And just for the record, I LOVED Delirium and can't wait for Pandemonium in March.