Tag Archives: dystopia

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

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delirium_laurenoliverWhat would happen if love were outlawed? If it were eradicated from society, with all teenagers given a “procedure” which prevented them from feeling strong emotions?

This is the basis around the life Lena lives. Her mom committed suicide after Lena’s father died because she loved him, unlike the other couples who learned to live with one another. Lena’s older sister was also in love and had to be dragged to her procedure. Now, everywhere Lena goes, the story follows her, words of suicide and diseased.

But everyone claims the procedure is the cure. After that, people can live normal lives, go to college, get paired and married, and have the exact number of children the government requires. All the “cureds” are protected from the Invalids, those who are diseased with amor deliria nervosa, by barbed wire fences and guards. Regulators within the city keep everyone in line, at home before curfew and safe from the sympathizers who might pose a threat to their fragile society.

Sounds perfect, right?

Not quite.

All this supposed safety comes with a price. No one can be seen in public expressing any sort of strong feelings. Even parental love, such as between Lena and her mom before the suicide, had to be hidden. No loud music can be played; the only music even allowed is on the government’s list of approved songs. The same goes for books.

Lena had been living a normal life, looking forward to her cure and the chance to forget the pain associated with her mother’s death. She spends every second with her best friend, Hana. Yet at her evaluation, which rates her to be paired with a suitable future husband, something happens. It is quickly covered up with a lie from the government, but knowing the truth changes her view of her life.

And then there’s the boy who was standing on the observation deck throughout the whole thing, laughing…

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. So many things which seemed predictable at first actually took me by surprise. I truly couldn’t put down this book and I finished it in less than two days, though I could have read it faster if I didn’t have an appointment. I recommend this book to anyone, though younger audiences might struggle with some of the content. Plus, like any good book, it also made me cry, but in a good way.

– Leila S., 10th grade

Delirium is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Solstice by P.J. Hoover

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solstice_pjhooverDo you like dystopias or mythology books? What about books that are both?

Solstice combines a dystopian-end-of-the-world atmosphere with a core plot that connects to mythology. Meet Piper. She’s just your average teenage girl with an overprotective mother living in a world that hasn’t seen winter for as long as she’s been alive. The heat waves that threaten the world are getting worse, which makes Piper’s mom more protective causing Piper to rebel all the more. She gets a tattoo with her friend and plans on moving away as soon as she finishes high school.

When Piper’s mom goes out of town, Piper finds herself pulled towards freedom and romance. But will it be with Reece who breaks rules for fun or Shane who makes her heart beat faster when she sees him? As she learns more about gods and the battle for the underworld, it’s hard for Piper to know who to trust. But whoever she is with, Piper can tell everyone is keeping secrets. Will she find a way to stop the world from dying and even find out who she is?

The romance here is a bit cliche with the insta-love-triangle. It isn’t bad per say, just nothing that new or special. I think I enjoyed more of the idea of the plot, how the mythology and dystopia blended together more than the characters. If the premise seems interesting enough, give it a read because it’s an interesting take of gods dealing with the end of the world.

-Nicole G., 12th Grade

Solstice is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Fahrenheit 451

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fahrenheit451_bradburyFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury tells the tale of fireman Guy Montag. Read by many people since 1952, it is considered as a modern classic. Taking place in the future, society is obsessed with their television sets and radios. Nobody reads books anymore because of society’s obsession with technology. Firemen are sent to the houses of people who possess books in order to burn them. Guy Montag is a thirty-year-old man who burns books for a living. He does not think too much about this until one day he meets Clarisse McClellan. A seventeen-year-old girl, Clarisse starts up a conversation with Montag, and asks if he is happy.

This simple question causes Montag to rethink his life, and the righteousness of his job. He also wonders what the books he burns actually contain. Taking a book to his home, Montag tries to reason with his wife, but it does not work out. Eventually, his boss, the fire captain, discovers Montag’s secret and comes to arrest him. On the run, Montag is considered a fugitive.

A perplexing tale like this one is hard to forget after finishing. Bradbury’s way of writing is beautifully crafted. The ability to integrate so many different ideas at once was very interesting. I also enjoyed how Bradbury used imagery to convey some things instead of naming them directly. Also, the complex building of Guy’s character was really fascinating. Despite being written over fifty years ago, this book still resonates after turning the last page. I would recommend this to anybody looking for an interesting view on a technologically obsessed society.

-Anmol K.

Fahrenheit 451 is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available digitally through Overdrive. 

The Program by Suzanne Young

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theprogram_suzanneyoung“But the psychologists say that suicide is a behavioral contagion. It’s the old adage ‘If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you, too?’ Apparently the answer is yes” (9).

In Sloane’s world, nothing is as it seems. Any sign of depression, even just crying in public, and a teenager risks being sent to The Program, a “solution” to the suicide epidemic. Here, teenagers’ minds are wiped clean so they can start their lives again. The handlers medicate them to erase all their pain and memories, leaving all the returners “empty,” as Sloane might say.

Sloane, her boyfriend James, and their friend Miller do not agree. They would prefer to die than be sent to The Program, which makes things slightly more complicated.

Overall, I found this book to be a compelling read. I would definitely recommend it, yet keep in mind that it discusses a sensitive topic. For that reason, I would recommend this book for a slightly older audience. Even at my age, I was a disturbed by the repetition of suicide in the novel.

On a brighter note, however, the narrative was sentimental. The Program is definitely one of those books where you sympathize with the characters. From the perspective of a critic, the storytelling leaves readers with questions which are left unanswered until the very end, which makes me want to read the rest of the series.

– Leila S., 10th grade

The Program is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Library. 

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

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thedarkestminds_alexandrabrackenHave you ever read a book that you had never seen before but upon finishing it, you wondered how it stayed out of your life? If not, you haven’t read The Darkest Minds.

In an imaginary, futuristic world, the adolescents of America and many other countries have been afflicted with IAAN, Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration. Sounds scary, right? To many, yes. This disease gives the kids of the Psi generation “abilities” to see in another’s mind, to move things with a flick of their hands, to short circuit a car, the list goes on and on. The government issued a list of warning signs for parents to look for to “protect” their children, so that they can be “reformed.” So when Ruby was sent away to Thurmond, one of the government’s “rehabilitation camps” to be sorted, she was scared like any 10-year-old would be. But she had a secret to keep. One that made her more dangerous than she could imagine.

Truthfully, I was rather confused at the beginning of the novel, as I wasn’t sure where the story was going. But the mismatched events worked themselves out quickly, and now this book has made it near the top of my list of favorite books.

My favorite part was that I couldn’t put the book down. Though I had other things to be doing with my time, the book demanded my attention. I love when a book is able to make me laugh out loud one moment and make me cry the next, and this novel definitely fulfilled that requirement. I also loved that in the book, one of the characters, for more complex reasons, wrote a mini blog post, as a means of communicating with his mom. It contained a secret message only his mom could find.

But with any book, I do have a least favorite part. Little did I know, The Darkest Minds has a major spoiler for William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, which I have not finished reading for my English class! But oh well… If that’s the only complaint I have about the book, then it must be a great read! I highly recommend checking it out!

– Leila S., 10th grade

The Darkest Minds is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

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testing_joellecharbonneauDo you like standardized testing filled with hours of questions you have to fill out with a number two pencil? Wouldn’t it be more interesting if wrong answers resulted in your death? Welcome to The Testing.

Set in a dystopian future, this is the life of Cia as she is chosen for the testing. She’s from a small town, but is very smart and wants to be a mechanical engineer. There are several stages of testing, the first few standard things that you’d expect: math, history, etc. A question about categorizing plants between poisonous and nonpoisonous really showcases the intensity of the testing. Everyone had to eat the plants that they categorized and nonpoisonous. If they were wrong, well, death ensued.

What I found disappointing was that this book did not feel original to me. Maybe I’ve just read too many dystopian novels at this point, or this book borrowed too many similar ideas (aside from written standardized testing as far as I know) to feel new to me. There is a mostly average girl from an underrated location who goes somewhere new to survive and prove her worth. The underestimated idea from district twelve as well as a physical aspect of wilderness survival reminded me of The Hunger Games. The idea of a test where anyone can die at any time felt like Divergent. And the ominous government hiding everything from the public can go back to almost any dystopian work.

That isn’t to say it wasn’t a good book. Cia is a strong female character who uses her brains and even weapons when the events call on her to defend herself. She has a love interest, but he’s not really the focus. I didn’t really feel that Cia was really interested in him too much either because the situation she’s in took precedence in the plot. If you aren’t sick of dystopias at this point and don’t mind a few repeated themes, go ahead and give The Testing a try.

-Nicole G., 12th Grade

The Testing is available for download from Overdrive.

Owari no Serafu (Seraph of the End) by Takaya Kagami and Yamoto Yamamoto

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Modern Japan (and the rest of the world) has been ravaged by a virus, leaving almost everyone above the age of twelve dead.

Monsters called the Four Horsemen of John have come into the world, eating humans they cross. Vampires, afraid that their food supply would be lost, have come out and made human children as their livestock.

Yu, Mika, and the rest of the children of the Hyakuya orphanage are livestock to vampires. This has been the case for four years: living in a city made by vampires that they can’t get out of. Yu hates it, but the person that he feels like is his brother, Mika, feels that by giving his blood, his family (the orphanage) can escape. Something goes terribly wrong in the plan, and Yu is the only one who escapes, vowing to get revenge.

Four years later, at the age of sixteen, Yu trains to be in the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, made up with Japan’s last humanity that fights the Vampires. But what if he meets new friends who can become his “family”, knowing that he is haunted by his past? And what happens when he gets a demon to wield, who tells him that he is not totally human?

This manga is wrapped in chaos, fear, and mystery, making it a very good plot to follow and keep readers on the edges of their seats. Additionally, there is a lot of unexpected comic relief, so this is not a serious manga like Attack on Titan usually is. The characters in this dystopia world seem very real, as though they were people the reader would know. Finally, the drawings are amazing; both action scenes and scenes of down time (school, suspenseful scenes, etc.) are well done and very thorough.

If anyone is looking for an action manga that is not too serious, this is one to read. However, although it can be found in Barnes & Noble, it can not be found in the Mission Viejo Library.

-Megan V., 10th grade

Legend by Marie Lu

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legend_marieluAs we all know, traveling into the future is not easy. However, Marie Lu’s book, Legend, goes against this theory, by letting us interpret her version of a dystopian Los Angeles. Told in the perspective of two characters, this book introduces two different sides of society and how changes made in the present affect the future.

Day, from the poor areas of Los Angeles, is the government’s most wanted criminal. With cunning skill and determination, he steals medicine to treat his brother from a miserable plague that is killing civilians. June, on the other hand, is the government’s prodigy, whose brother appeared to have died at the hands of Day. To avenge his death, June goes out on a mission to hunt down this criminal and bring him to justice. However, the two enemies unexpectedly join together as allies through a little romance and shared curiosity of the government’s secrets. Together they realize that the government has been corrupting all of its people, and June and Day are only pawns in the entire plot.

Similar to that of The Hunger Games and Divergent series, Legend is set in a futuristic vision of the United States of America. Marie Lu really emphasizes her understanding of the book’s setting by describing the whole scene of the dystopian world and offers a little background to describe what happened between our present time and book’s future setting. In addition, the Legend series is much more intriguing to read than other dystopian series because the novella itself is easier to relate to and is as action-packed as The Hunger Games. Even better, the action occurs in the busy streets of LA rather than an enclosed arena. On a scale of one through ten, this book is a nine and a half because its description is wonderful. There are some cliffhangers, especially leading into the next books of the series (Prodigy and Champion). I would recommend this book to those who have read The Hunger Games or Divergent and would love to compare the stories and share what you think in the comments below!

-Riley W.

Legend is available for check out from the Mission Viejo Public Library. 

Book Review: Slated by Teri Terry

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slatedIn a future world of England, teenage terrorists get to have a second chance by being

SLATED
where they don’t remember anything of their past life. Their memory is wiped clean, and they get a new name, family, and future.
Kyla is one of those people who got slated. She gets to experience the Levo, which can kill her if she gets too sad or angry, the taunts of terrorists, and the people who do understand her.
Oh, and did we mention that she is not like other slated victims, since she is left handed even though she was listed as right handed, and she has memories of her past life?
PS: the government also seems to be slating non terrorists people against their will.
I found this book to be very interesting. It has some of the old qualities books have, such as evil governments, the main character hardly knowing anything about themselves, and the key feature to not trust anyone. However, it also has some new elements that were a good mix to this book, such as there being a few allies that are from the opposite side and a huge case of identity.
This book also goes into the mind, and the question of if people can really change, even when their whole memory is erased.
I suggest that you try this book out!
-Megan V., 9th grade

Book Review: Four by Veronica Roth

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fourI have been following the Divergent series for a long time and I was so excited to finally get a copy of Four.  I’m sure many of you have heard, read, or watched the Divergent series.  It follows the adventure of the heroine, Tris Prior, whose life is intertwined with the mysterious Four.  The fourth book of the series goes through the Divergent experience through Four or Tobias Eaton’s, eyes.  I highly recommend if you have not finished reading the series to do so before reading Four.

In the novel Four by Veronica Roth, we find out what really happened between Marcus Eaton and Tobias Eaton.  We see what caused Tobias to choose Dauntless as his faction and new home.  Veronica shows us Four’s true feelings about Tris Prior. We also find out about the old rivalry between Four and Eric.  The book bounces from major events in Four’s life. We see his childhood, his life as an initiate at Dauntless, and his personal undercover mission to see what the Erudite want with the Dauntless.  Many of these events are already known or assumed by the readers of Divergent but it is awesome to know what actually happens.  But the most interesting part that I didn’t think about and almost forgot about was when Tobias meet his mother again for the first time.  It was interesting to see his reaction to actually having a mom who has just been hiding in the Factionless.

I think this book was a really fun and it was quick read.  I finished it in 5 days.  It is not my favorite Divergent book because it was just revisiting major events and you basicay knew what is happening and what will happen but it was a great novel to get lost in.  To revisit the world Veronica Roth created but in Tobias’ perspective was interesting.  If you liked the Divergent series and haven’t read Four yet you should definitely read it.

-Erika T., 8th grade