Dystopias describe a devastating event or series of events that has forced society to restructure. The governments in these future states have placed strict rules on thought and conduct. The heroes of these books struggle to question the status quo and ultimately, to resist the powers that be.
Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'BrienMarch 2010
In the Enclave, your scars set you apart, and the newly born will change the future.
Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone and her mother faithfully deliver their quota of three infants every month. But when Gaia's mother is brutally taken away by the very people she serves, Gaia must question whether the Enclave deserves such loyalty.
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Matched by Ally CondieNovember 2010
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's ever known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
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The Unidentified by Rae MarizOctober 2010
Sometime in the future, big business controls education. Shopping malls ahve been converted to high-surveillance schools, and students are "players," participating in a combination of learning and entertainment in a multimedia experience called the Game, while sponsors look for new trends and exploitative opportunities. Katey, aka Kid, chafes at the whole process, but plays along to pursue her dream of making music. When a group calling itself the Unidentified pulls off a daring prank challenging people to think for themselves, Kid's attempt at self-expression brings her to the attention of her sponsors, who offer her everything she's wanted. But is it success, or is it selling out? the more she learns about the Unidentified, the less certain she is of her goals and the more determined she is to shake things up.
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The Limit by Kristen LandonSeptember 2010
"An eighth grade girl was taken today..."
In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhosues if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonder if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt's family over their limit--and to change his reality forever.
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The Line by Teri HallMarch 2010
An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.
Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died in the last war. It's a safte, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.
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Inside Out by Maria V. SnyderApril 2010
"Keep Your Head Down. Don't Get Noticed. Or Else. I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own... until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution."
Trella's life is consumed by her job--testing, cleaning, and making sure the pipes in her world are working. She spends her free time exploring the forbidden Upper Levels, but Trella's solitary, peaceful life is about to be disturbed when a prophet comes and promises a better life for her people.
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Grace by Elizabeth ScottSeptember 2010
Sixteen-year-old Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom.
In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among the malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that discovered her uncertain fate.
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Delirium by Lauren OliverFebruary 2011
"Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard to not be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: it kills you both when you have it and when you don't."
Lena Haloway has always accepted the government's decree that love is a disease that must be eradicated--but then she meets Alex.
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