The Dystopian Countdown

The Hunger Games opens in Theaters on Friday, March 23. This long awaited movie was a book first and a hot title among teens and adults, alike. The Pearl River Public Library owns at least 10 copies with over 100 copies available throughout the Ramapo Catskill Library System.

The initial title of the Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins was first published in 2008 with popularity continuing to grow. The waiting list at the library is quite long for all three books (Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay) but the queue is moving fast. If you still can’t wait or you have finished the series and want more dystopian angst, check out some of the titles listed below.

5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
In this dystopian society on their sixteenth birthday, the young people are divided and initiated into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Each initiate undergoes extreme physical tests of endurance to be worthy of one of these factions. The main character Tris has to ultimately choose between staying with her family and finding out where she really fits in. (Sequel: Insurgent)

4. Matched by Ally Condie
In a tranquil future where everything seems perfect, young people are “Matched” by the government. When Cassie’s Match is revealed she expects it will be her longtime friend Xander. Instead she finds the face of Ky, an Aberration to society and one who is prohibited from Matching. This unheard-of glitch in the perfect government system sows seeds of doubt in Cassia's mind about what is really happening in the society in which she lives. (Sequel: Crossed)

3. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
In this futuristic society it is the goal of the entire population to look “pretty.” At the age of 16 each child undergoes a compulsory operation taking away all physical differences to have everyone conform to what is thought to be the ideal standard of beauty. The main character Tally never questions these procedures until she meets Shay. Together they find what is truly important about themselves and what more may lay outside the bounds of society in which they have been raised.  (More titles in this series: Pretties, Specials, Extras)

2. Ship Breaker by Paulo Bacigalupi (2011 Printz Award Winner)
This story is a post-apocalyptic adventure set among the abandoned oil tankers and rigs of the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Nailer is a ship breaker, one who scavenges the old tankers for salvage. After a brutal hurricane Nailer helps to rescue a “swank” girl who is the daughter of a wealthy, shipping-company owner.

1. Legend by Marie Lu
June and Day are as different as night and day in this dystopian future. June is rich, brilliant, and privileged, the only candidate ever to get a perfect score in the Trials. She is destined for a super-star career in the Republic’s military. Day, on the other hand, is a child from the slums who failed his own Trial and has turned to a life of crime (think Robin Hood.) He's the Republic's most wanted criminal. When tragedies strike both their families these teens are thrown together and find they are more alike than they initially think, with a common enemy hunting them down. (Sequel: Sure to follow)

You will find all these titles at the Pearl River Public Library or through the library catalog.