Twelve Teen Dystopian MUST Reads for Summer 2018

Summer is the perfect time for catching up on all those wonderful books your friends keep raving about. Whether you're going to the beach, traveling abroad, visiting Grandma, or stuck babysitting your little brother, this collection of young adult dystopian novels will carry you away to darker worlds of the future, where young people fight to be heard ... and sometimes to save the world!

Like any good collection, these twelve books are a mixture of new releases and classic favorites, but everyone of them is a MUST READ for true fans of the YA dystopian genre. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Stealing Liberty by Jennifer Froelich

When Reed Paine is sent to a secret detention school for teens whose parents are branded enemies of the state, he doesn’t expect to find friendship – especially after coming face to face with Riley Paca, a girl who has every reason to hate him. But when Reed, Riley and a few others start reading the old books they find in tunnels under the school, they begin to question what they are taught about the last days of America and the government that has risen in its place. Then the government decides to sell the Liberty Bell and Reed and his friends risk everything to steal it – to take back their history and the liberty that has been stolen from them.              
Stealing Liberty was awarded a 5-star review from Reader's Favorite. "When I finished the novel, I wanted to give it a round of applause. Its dystopian-like plot is inviting and as soon as you start reading, you understand that it is overall original and refreshing." Amazon Readers have given Stealing Liberty an average rating of 4.8 stars, and since it is the first in a series, with book two slated for release sometime this fall, readers have a lot more to look forward to from these relatable characters.

2. Darklight by Greg L. Turnquist        

  Snitch, a young woman who grew up on the medieval streets of Kelmar as a thief, has learned something terrible. The regime’s evil military ruler has learned the hideout location of the resistance she joined and ordered an all out assault. Combined with the captain of the disbanded royal guard, a political prisoner, a duke’s daughter, and an old adviser, can her team rise to action and free Kelmar?        Amazon reviewers praise this "swashbuckling adventure" as a nice blend of sci fi and fantasy. Darklight is also book one in a series, which promises readers who love the book even more to come after this "super fun book."

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.     I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed Cinder and all the other books in Meyer's breathtaking Lunar Chronicles series. If you enjoy classic fairytales, space operas and unforgettable characters, you have to read this book!

4. Day Moon by Brett Armstrong            

     In A.D. 2039, a prodigious seventeen year old, Elliott, is assigned to work on a global soft-ware initiative his deceased grandfather helped found. Project Alexandria is intended to provide the entire world secure and equal access to all accumulated human knowledge. All forms of print are destroyed in good faith, to ensure everyone has equal footing, and Elliott knows he must soon part with his final treasure: a book of Shakespeare’s complete works gifted him by his grandfather. Before it is destroyed, Elliott notices something is amiss with the book, or rather Project Alexandria. The two do not match, including an extra sonnet titled “Day Moon”. When Elliott investigates, he uncovers far more than he bargained for. There are sinister forces backing Project Alexandria who have no intention of using it for its public purpose. Elliott soon finds himself on the run from federal authorities and facing betrayals and deceit from those closest to him. Following clues left by his grandfather, with agents close at hand, Elliott desperately hopes to find a way to stop Project Alexandria. All of history past and yet to be depend on it. 

With an overall Amazon rating of 4.1 stars, Day Moon is a solid choice for any dystopian fans. One reviewer wrote:  "Day Moon is nothing short of an edge-of-your-seat page turner, and I could not stop reading it!"

5. The Giver by Lois Lowry  

If you haven't read this classic Newbery Medal winner from 1994, you really must. It has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

6. The Six Pack: Emergence by B.W. Morris                Just weeks before Tyler Ward is to graduate from secondary school, he learns the truth about Novusordo and how a drink controls the population. After sharing this information with his five friends, they visit a professor’s house, take another drink and gain strange powers. It leads to them learning more about how the government controls people and the discovery of a movement against the government. Calling themselves the Six Pack, Tyler and his friends must learn how their powers can change society. But they first must learn to trust this movement… and even each other.       Six Pack: Emergence reviewers say it is reminiscent of a comic book series and would make a great television show. A sequel, Six Pack: GYRATION has just been released, so don't miss this exciting series!

7. The Fourth Generation by Chris Von Halle

In the future, no adults exist. 

Ever since the plague swept the world 100 years ago, no one has lived past seventeen. Sixteen-year-old Gorin, a collector of curious artifacts left over from the pre-plague civilization, is on the verge of perishing from that deadly epidemic. And his last wish is to find a way to visit the rulers’ reputedly magnificent, off-limits mansion. Up against the clock, he and his friend Stausha steal into the mansion and discover a secret more horrifying than they ever could’ve imagined—a secret that holds the key to the survival of the whole human race.  

One Amazon reviewer said of The Fourth Generation, "A brave, new world, as bleak as Huxley's, but modernized to current concerns makes this a must read!"

8. Insurrection by Kadee Carder
Saylor had been told she was a stain on the cloth of mankind. When she and her sister orphans Micah, Denise, and Patricia are apprehended upon the high seas, they find themselves imprisoned on a Caribbean island filled with strange noises, dazzling beaches, and a secret military base. Wavering between terror and ecstasy, Saylor develops her inner warrior while facing an enemy exposing her indispensable abilities. In order to rescue her sisters, impress the hunky Australian, and protect innocent lives on a global scale, she must master techniques of fighting an army created to destroy with a single, scorching touch – or die trying.

Insurrection is the first in Kadee Carder's Insurrection Trilogy introducing Saylor, who one reviewer called "bright, tough as nails, sassy, and fiercely loyal to her friends." Saylor's story continues in Incomplete and Indelible.

If you don't like to start a series until the trilogy is complete, this is the perfect time to give Insurrection a try! 


9. Legend by Marie Lu
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. If you like your dystopian fiction grounded in reality -- and inspired by the famous French novel, Les Misérables, Legend and its two sequels, Prodigy and Champion, are for you.

10. The Coming Future by Turner & Torres
Living in a crystal city on a flat world, Aalok Collins is an ordinary boy living in an extraordinary place. But Aalok fears that he is a little too ordinary. All Aalok cares about, besides playing domeball, and, much to his surprise, girls, is his final exam which will determine whether or not he can move on to the Academy next year, or whether he is forced into slavery or exile. But as he waits on nature to develop within him the powers, or anima that all in his clan possess, he is haunted by dreams of an imminent tragedy. As he begins exploring the meaning of his dreams, Aalok encounters a plot to take control of an ancient artifact which could change the base of power in the city of Sherendot, and possibly throughout the 'owr clan.

Amazon reviewers give The Coming Future an average of 4.5 stars. One wrote, "The world of the Crystal City is fantastic and the action and characters are intriguing." The Coming Future is especially perfect for this list because it should suit younger readers (middle grade) as well as fans of young adult fiction.

11. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
   When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
   Outside the towering stone walls that surround them is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
   Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.
   Remember. Survive. Run.
The popular Maze Runner series is a must read for any real fan of the dystopian teen genre, and the first book, earning it a rightful spot on this list.

12. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. 

Finally, is any teen dystopian list really complete without The Hunger Games? Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy is the gold standard in modern young adult dystopian fiction. If you haven't read The Hunger Games yet ... what are you waiting for? Even teens who have a difficult time getting interested in a book have told me that The Hunger Games is an exception, making it a great gateway read and perfect book to round out our list.


I hope you enjoyed our list of teen dystopian must reads for summer of 2018. Let us know what you  think! Particularly:

Did your favorite make the list?
Which of these titles are going to the top of your TBR pile?
Which have you read and already recommended to  friends?

Happy reading this summer! And keep an eye out for our next list of must read books!