Mini Collab | Top 5 Must-Read YA Dystopian Series

Mini Collab | Top 5 Must-Read YA Dystopian Series

• Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Christina's Top 5: 

1. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – my all-time favourite dystopian series (although I’ve only read the first two and half of the third) about a world in which cosmetic surgery is forced upon every teenagers’ life as they reach their sixteenth birthday. It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

2. The Rain by Virginia Bergin – a great dystopian duology about Ruby, a young teen who must learn to survive after the world discovers the rain is poisonous and one drop can kill you.

3. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau – one of the first dystopian books I read, this series is similar to Hunger Games but with a different twist.

4. The Program by Suzanne Young – a dystopian duology about a society in which suicide is an epidemic and The Program has been created to erase the minds of the “infected.”

5. Halo by Frankie Rose – again, another I’ve only read the first book in the series but this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. A dystopian book where the main character runs away from her town after killing her best friend in an organised fight to the death and must learn to survive outside of everything she has ever known.


Erin's Top 5:

1. Unwind by Neil Shusterman - often overlooked this four book series has a very intriguing concept. Taking place in a world where parents can choose to have the teenagers 'unwound', a process where all of their organs are transplanted into different recipients, the series explores what is it to be human.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I couldn't make a top YA dystopian list without including one of the most well-known series and the first one of the genre I read!

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner - another popular series this trilogy follows groups of teens through various 'trials' in a future version of the world where a disease called the Flare has wiped out most of the population.

4. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau - this well-paced series follows Cia who is chosen to attend the prestigious University in a time where the current students will become the future leaders of this post-war world. With plenty of action and a few little twists along the way this series is a great read for fans of the genre.

5. Slated by Teri Terry - this UK-based trilogy is one of the more believable dystopian setups and effortlessly takes you alongside protagonist Kyla on her complicated journey after she has been 'slated' meaning her memories have been erased.


Anjali's Top 5:

1. Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare - one of my favourite fantasy series for teens and young adults. I love the story line, and the characters and yes, the books are better than the movie.

2. Divergent Series by Veronica Roth - in terms of dystopian series, Roth's books are at the top of that list for me. I read them in the space of about 2-3 days, and loved them. Having said that, I still haven't seen the movie.

3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - another great dystopian YA series, which I don't think gets enough credit. I really want to re-read these this year.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - it may be an obvious choice, but the books are just really great!

5. Variant by Robison Wells - while this series is only two books long, I was immediately hooked on the first pages of Variant, and couldn't stop reading. A great couple of books that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The whole time.

Which series would make your list?

This post was written by Christina, Anjali & Erin. Get to know them on our Meet The Team page!