5 Must-Read Books Set In A Dystopian Society
Remember that time in middle school when all you read was dystopian society set novels like The Hunger Games and Divergent? Yeah, me too.
Those books changed my reading for the better and I’m forever grateful for some of the amazing books I’ve found along the way. Today, I want to share some of my favorite dystopian society books and why I love them so. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Ready Player One is by far one of the most fascinating physical books I’ve read AND audiobooks I listened to.
The book takes place in a world that is broken down to the point where people seek another type of environment; a virtual world where they can be anything they want. This virtual reality is known as the Oasis. The Oasis was created by brilliant inventors, one of them named Halliday.
As Halliday realizes he’s approaching death at his old age, he creates these easter eggs hidden in the game for anyone to find. The prize once you find them all? The billion-dollar company that is The Oasis all to your self.
Our main character in this adventurous book is Wade Wyatt. He along with several friends in the game compete to gain access to the entirety of The Oasis. By doing this they can keep the game free for all. Meanwhile, large corporations want to do the opposite and make it a paid service for the elite.
This book is an incredible novel set in a dystopian society and one I’d highly recommend especially for gamers.
2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Maze Runner, though an incredible movie starring the handsome Dylan O’Brien was a book before it was a film.
The book was just as good, if not better than the movie. The Maze Runner is a novel set in a society where young adults are placed in an area where their intelligence is monitored. They’re placed in this maze like area.
Thomas, our main protagonist, is thrust into this environment unsure of who he is or what he’s doing there. Outside of the area in which these people live is a large maze surrounding them. Many who go in don’t come back alive. Thomas along with many he meets overtime to attempt to find a way out of this disturbing society.
This book is thrilling from the start. You’re constantly at the edge of your seat waiting for your favorite characters to get out of this area and through the maze safe and sound.
3. Legend by Marie Lu
I remember reading this book in my prime dystopian days. This was around middle school. I fell in love with this book so much so that I read it again…twice…within the same week.
Legend revolves around two protagonists, one a soldier and the other a criminal on the run. June, the female soldier and Day, a known criminal are constantly playing cat and mouse. Day has been suspected of a murder very close to June and she will do everything in her power to ensure justice is brought. Little does she realize that the death close to her wasn’t from Day, but from someone else, she should fear.
The duo come together in this fascinating novel where half the time you’re hoping June catches Day and the other half you’re hoping he gets away. It’s romantic and thrilling from the get-go.
The novel takes place in a new North America where the country is divided into the Republic and the Colonies. If you’re looking for a book with a protagonist you’ll be swooning over for days (no pun intended) then this is the book for you.
4. The Fifth Wave by David Brisbin
Alien invasion? Natural disaster anomalies? Count me in!
The fifth wave is one of the few books I read when I was younger that I truly feared. The book originally takes place in a seemingly normal world. Suddenly several natural disasters occur one by one. Each known as a wave. Cassie is the main character in this novel. After her parents are killed, Cassie is determined to save her younger brother when he’s kidnapped.
Little does she know that the aliens everyone thought were invading their world aren’t the real threat. Cassie will stop at nothing to save her brother and many others who are in much graver danger than they know.
The book is great if you love alien novels with a twist. The ending of the movie and novel are one of the best out there and definitely not one I would have expected.
5. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Let’s just say this book has been on my to be read list for quite some time now. I couldn’t have a list of dystopian society novels without this novel that’s been sweeping the nation.
I swear google the name of this book anywhere and you’ll find hundreds upon hundreds of book reviews and people raving about how amazing it is.
Scythe takes place far in the future where death by diseases, hunger, and many other factors have been eliminated due to technology. Individuals known as Scythe have taken it upon themselves to determine when people die to keep overpopulation from taking over. Though this may seem grim many feels as though it’s ideal to what the past has been. Our two main characters are set to shadow then become Scythes themselves, but are they ready to take on a roll this large? And moreover, is this really a better world?
Wrapping Up
I love books set in a dystopian society. The idea of worlds that aren’t what we’re used to is fascinating to me.
What do you think our world is going to look like a thousand years from now?
