Reviews by Tag: dystopian fiction

Teen Review
Anthem by Ayn Rand

Anthem

By Ayn Rand
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Feb 3, 2025

Anthem is written by a person who escaped Communist Russia, exploring the negativities of communist society by placing the reader in a dystopian world. In this world, the central idea is that there is no individuality, and the word "I" doesn't even exist. All jobs are assigned to people when they reach a certain age and there is no change allowed. There is one person named Equality 7-2521 who is unlike everyone else in that he is too curious, which earns him the job of a street sweeper.

Teen Review
1984 book cover

1984

By George Orwell
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Feb 3, 2025

1984 by George Orwell is great and shows the dangers of surveillance. The book is set in a creepy dystopian future where the government has total control over everything and always watches society's every move. The main character, Winston, is a rebel who starts to question the government's authority. 

Teen Review
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me

By Tahereh Mafi
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Layla M
Jan 24, 2025

Shatter Me is a story about a girl named Juliette living in a dystopian future Earth. Juliette has been incapable of human touch all her life and that leads her to being locked away for years. With the prospect of having a better future Juliette must make tough decisions and choices to escape her captivity. Shatter Me is the first book in the series and I liked how you could tell Juliette changed throughout the book due to the writing style. My favorite characters are Juliette and Adam.

Teen Review
The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner

By James Dashner
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Sanay Mishra
Jan 21, 2025

Thomas wakes up in a dark, empty elevator with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He finds himself in the Glade, a massive enclosed area surrounded by gargantuan walls which hide an ever-changing maze. The only way to escape is to navigate the maze, but it’s full of deadly creatures called Grievers. The maze is not just a physical challenge, but also a mental one. As secrets unravel, Thomas becomes determined to lead his fellow Gladers to freedom. Can they decode the Glade’s secrets before time runs out? Or will the Grievers get them first?

Teen Review
1984 book cover

1984

By George Orwell
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
Ashwika Balaji
Jan 12, 2025

In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the main character, Winston, lives in a totalitarian society where he silently rebels against the “Party Members”(the government). The novel takes place in the future and speculates what our society could become. Citizens in Oceania are constantly under surveillance and fear a fictional creation that the government threatens. Throughout the novel, Winston struggles in difficult situations and acts in different ways to overcome them.

Teen Review
Divergent book cover

Divergent

By Veronica Roth
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
A
Jan 11, 2025

Veronica Roth’s Divergent is a gripping dystopian novel set in a world where society is divided into factions based on virtues. Sixteen-year-old Tris Prior discovers she is “Divergent,” meaning she doesn’t fit neatly into one faction. As she navigates her new life in the Dauntless faction, she uncovers a dangerous conspiracy threatening the entire society. The book delivers fast-paced action and an intriguing world. I also enjoyed Tris’s personal growth and the romantic tension with Four that added emotional depth.

Teen Review
Divergent book cover

Divergent

By Veronica Roth
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Saanvi M
Dec 13, 2024

Divergent is about a teenage girl named Beatrice. She lives in a dystopian world separated into five different factions: Dauntless, Amity, Erudite, Candor and Abnegation. Each faction has its own pros and cons, and the people within each group share similar characteristics based on personality. Once teenagers are old enough, they have the choice to choose the faction that they will remain in for the rest of their life.

Teen Review
Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

By William Golding
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
Oct 11, 2024

After a plane crash leaves a group of adolescent boys stranded on a deserted island, they must figure out how to survive. Their initial methods are civilized and orderly, but as the struggle for power takes over, a man’s darkest parts are revealed. With the added obstacles of a terrifying monster and lost hope, will the boys survive?

Teen Review
Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

By William Golding
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Jack Maxwell
Oct 11, 2024

When a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain is shot down, Ralph and the rest of the boys take refuge on an abandon island. During the war, a break from everyone seems nice, and the boys quickly build a shelter and thrive on their new island home. Although everything seems right at first, it’s not long until being cut off from civilization leads some of the boys to turn feral and separate into groups, preparing for war of their own.

Teen Review
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven

By Emily St. John Mandel
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Mahad Zamir
Aug 30, 2024

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is a post-apocalyptic novel that intertwines the lives of several characters before, during and after a flu pandemic wipes out most of the world's population. The story centers on a traveling theater troupe that performs Shakespearean plays for the scattered survivors. Exploring themes of art, memory and the importance of human connections in a world where civilization has collapsed.

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