Dystopian Overview

   
     Since I haven't been keeping up very well with my book reviews, I decided to do something a little different: instead of writing a review on a single book, or giving you a list of my favorites with a grade, I'm going to write a series of short reviews on books in a similar genre.  This way, if you loved Hunger Games, e.g., and want to find something similar, you can read this post and see several alternatives and my opinions on them, and also if I give it less than an A, the reasons for that.

     Let's start with The Hunger Games:  Overall, I think I ended up giving the series as a whole an A-.  All 3 books were definite page-turners, and like nothing I had ever read before; and they had JUST enough of a love story to pass. I did end up a little disappointed in the final installment, Mockingjay. I know people who hated it and others who loved it, and I fell somewhere in the middle.  While I still found it very compelling, I think I expected more of an inspiring story, with Katniss rising up to become the hero she was destined to be. Instead, it had a very heavy feeling throughout, and ended up being depressing in my opinion.  And yet, I am still looking forward to the movies! :)

     For months after reading those, I was basically on the hunt for anything else like it!  It took a while, but I had the book Divergent recommended to me from several sources and finally gave it a try and really liked it!  As far as The Divergent Trilogy goes, like The Hunger Games I really enjoyed the first 2, but unlike it I ended up kind of bored with the 3rd one, Allegiant!  I have friends who liked it just fine, and have read reviews of those who hated the way it ended, but for me I just almost lost interest completely!  I don't know if it was the "info dump" where the author was explaining so much, and actually complicated some things unnecessarily, or what.  The love story was, again, just enough to keep the series an A-.

     There are 2 stand-along books in this genre that I really enjoyed: Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck, and The Giver, by Lois Lowry (this actually became a series, but the sequels didn't measure up).  Really, very fascinating takes on future possibilities, the first being based on an actual UN Agenda. That one even has a bit of a love story that I wasn't expecting that was really sweet!  The Giver (considered a children's or pre-teen book) I read even before Hunger Games, and it was very thought-provoking; particularly about how much freedom we are willing to give up for the sake of safety. Highly recommend both of these; solid B's, mostly for no love story (sorry, it's a must! :)) in The Giver and for Agenda 21, just not as much of a page-turner as some.


     Moving right along to a couple I didn't like as much: First,  The Matched Trilogy. You would think, with a premise very much focused on love matches, that I would have loved this series; as it turns out, I think the first one was a B but they went downhill from there and just didn't hold my interest well enough.  The world building was interesting, but the love triangle fell flat! The 2nd book with its constant travelling and the 3rd where they weren't together were just frustrating for me. Again, I know people who really like it, so don't let me stop you from trying!

     And now for one I actually couldn't even get through, The Uglies Series. This one has a unique and interesting premise, where at a certain age every person is made "pretty", except for those who don't want to submit to the government control that comes along with it; they are known as "Uglies".  I was interested enough after the first book to pick up the 2nd, but unfortunately The Pretties are also what I like to call The Idiotic. The way they talked and their shallowness, although I realize he used these things for a purpose, were just unbearable!  I ended up skimming more than 1/2 when I couldn't take the word "bubbly" anymore...

     One more that I'm currently reading the 3rd installment, and he is writing a 4th,  The Unwind Dystology. Another solid B, which means definitely worth reading! The tiny amount of romance keeps it well out of the range of A, but otherwise it's very interesting.  Very thoughtful examination of the moral implications of "unwinding", a fictional result of outlawing abortion: the parent could have the child unwound before the age of 16, with all parts being donated to others who needed them.  Sounds crazy, but somehow he makes it seem possible!  

     So that's my overview of the Dystopian books I've read; I hope it helps you decide what to pick up next in this ever-growing genre!