Top Ten YA Dystopian Books

Tuesday, March 13, 2012






Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top Ten Young Adult Dystopian Books:


1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I would be a failure of a blogger if I didn't put this book first. I put it off for a long time after this first book came out only because of the concept, but once I read it, I was completely and utterly hooked. This series is just about up there with HP for me!

2. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - This is the only book in the series that ended up completely capturing me, but it did so in a way that has me loving it to this day. Written in diary form, we're given a first-hand account of one girl's desperate struggle for survival when the moon is knocked out of orbit.

3. Blood Red Road by Moira Young - There was such a strong divide on this book because of the dialect, but I was one of those bloggers that loved it. Once I became used to the voice of the novel, it became a complete strength, and the story was so strong and engrossing.

4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - I actually don't think it's a cop-out for me to put two of the same series on this list because I feel they stand just as strong apart from one another. This one somehow managed to up the ante from an already intense book one, and I was hooked.

5. Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari - This was, again, one of those books where bloggers seemed to love it or think it completely missed the mark. For me, it was a complete win, however. With great characters, a fantastic storyline and a great writing style, I highly recommend it.

6. Partials by Dan Wells - There was something about this one that was just so sophisticated that made it stand apart from the rest. With a rich blend of military, science and political themes, it was more than just a tainted world. It was heartbreaking and fascinating.

7. Wither by Lauren DeStefano - When I first read this book, I honestly didn't love it. Perhaps I'd read a string of bad books, or I wasn't in the right mindframe, but it didn't work at the time. I gave it a re-read a month ago though, and I found it to be far more poignant and powerful than I remembered. This is definitely a success.

8. Pure by Julianna Baggott - Frankly, this should be higher on my list, but we'll just go ahead and say they're all on par with one another on this top ten. This was one of those books that just blew me away by the sheer enormity and originality of the story. It's one I recommend to everyone who asks!

9. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - In an effort not to put series again and again on this list, I'm only putting book two, but Delirium is right there with it. Book two, for me, really stepped up its game and was even better than book one though, and that's what I look for in series as a book blogger.

10. Eden by Keary Taylor - Though this one wasn't originally a favourite of mine, I have to include it on this list because of the sheer originality of the world. It still possesses some of those YA cliches that drive me mad, but it is a fascinating world and concept, and it's one that gets better every time you read it.

27 comments:

  1. Oh I love the dystopian genre so! I still have to read Blood Red Road. I can't believe I haven't read it since I actually have a copy of it. These are all wonderful and I could read them again and again, but Pure was just...WOW. WOW. 

    GREAT list. This genre is always just so much fun for me. 

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  2. What a fantastic list.  I've read a fair share of those books and totally agree with you.  Since they are on your top ten list I'm going to have to add: Eden, Ashes, Ashes and Partials to my TBR.  I can't wait to get Pandemonium, I have my copy reserved at the digital library, I'm on the wait list. Oh and Pure!  What's not to love about the world building in PURE!  Incredible, fresh and creative are all adjectives which come to mind after completing that book.

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  3. I think you'll just adore PARTIALS...it was brilliant, and I'm so glad to hear you agree on PURE! :)))

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  4. Isn't it though! I love dystopian, and I love it even more when they break the mold!

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  5. Great list, I have been curious about Partials after hearing a blogger friend rave about it.

    http://kristina-worldofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-10-tuesdays-13.html

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  6. I should bookmark this list to remind me of all the stellar dystopian I need to hurry up and read (i.e. Partials, Pure, etc.)

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  7. Awesome list!  I'm so glad to see Pure on it!  I think that series is going to be epic!  I really need to read Partials too.  I went to a signing with Claudia Gray, Dan Wells, and Lauren Oliver this past weekend, and he talked about Partials and I so want to read it now!  Great picks!

    Check out YA Litwit’s Top Ten Fairy Tale Retellings and my GIVEAWAY!

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  8. Hunger Games, Partials, Wither, and Pure would definitely make my list too! They are all absolutely wonderful.

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  9. So I seriously might die before next weekend. I want to see The Hunger Games so bad!!!!! I'm hoping it's a brilliant adaptation, the previews look really good so that's at least encouraging. Loved Wither too, such a creepy but fascinating world!

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  10. Ooo some great choices. I still have to read a few of these.

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  11. I have Partials on my TBR right now and I'm so excited to read it! It looks amazing and I've only heard good things about it so far ;D Adored Wither and The Hunger Games, and Pandemonium was awesome - though the ending was CRUEL ;P

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  12. Catching Fire is definitely not a cop-out! It was just as phenomenal as THG. I read Life As We Knew It about a year ago and I still think about it all the time! I'm dying to read Partials and Blood Red Road, but saving them for spring break :) Awesome list!

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  13. Ah...so many books that I need to read!  I've only read a third of these!

    ♥Melissa

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  14. That just means you have a lot of excitement ahead of you!!!

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  15. I think you'll love BLOOD RED ROAD - it's very different, but I adore it :)

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  16. The ending was cruel, wasn't it?!?! Those are the best though haha like MARA

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  17. UM PS my best friend went to the world premiere of THG?!?!?! I'm totally going at midnight ;)

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  18. Yay! Someone else who liked Ashes, Ashes. I've never seen someone else talk about it in a possitive way before. It also made my list this week.

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  19. I really should read Blood red, but they only got the translation and that annoys me a bit

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  20. Great list! There are several on here that I haven't read but want to check out - like Pandemonium & Blood Red Road.

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  21. Great list. I think my all time dystopian fav is The Giver. It's the only dystopia book that really touches me (as much as I love Hunger Games).

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  22. There are just a few books I need to read! But the others I totally agree!

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  23. I really liked the Maze Runner series also. And there's a book that I read as a teenager that I think you would enjoy, if only I can remember the name. i want to read it again myself.

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  24. Have you read The Fifth Sacred Thing or Woman on the Edge of Time? Neither YA, but both dystopian and very good.

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  25. Hi, have you read 'Angelfall' by Susan Ee? 

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  26. Thank you for giving me a few new titles to read! I loved life as we knew it-that's the book that got me started YA books again.

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  27. Wow.. I need to read faster. I actually got 5 out of these unread on my shelf :O Great blogpost :)

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