10 Best YA Dystopian Novels (For Teens)

Something about YA dystopian novels gets under our skin, making us root for the underdog. We subconsciously wish the youth could save us from our society’s flaws. There’s something about this trope that we can’t get enough of, no matter how many times we read it. Essentially, it’s the story of a David conquering a Goliath. Do you enjoy stories that portray a broken society? How do you react when the powers that be are held accountable for their misdeeds?

Are you looking for your next YA dystopian fix or want to dive into this genre but don’t know where to start? Listed below are some of the most interesting dystopian novels that we cure you of your reading slump.

No matter what you’re looking for, there’s sure to be a book that speaks to you. So grab a book, get cozy, and dive into this thrilling genre!

1) THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES BY SUZANNE COLLINS

First up is The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. This trilogy, which follows Katniss Everdeen, is the quintessential YA dystopian novel. A thrilling story of a girl’s fight against an oppressive regime. This book has been a favorite for many years and spawned a movie series.

The story kicks off with Katniss volunteering to take the place of her younger sister, Prim, in order to spare her from the brutality of the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a cruel tool orchestrated by President Snow, ruler of the Capitol. It illustrates the godlike power he holds over the districts.

In this world, some districts live in wealth and over indulgence. In contrast, other districts, like District 12, Katniss’s district, live in bleak poverty. Poorer districts must scrape to survive. It is mandatory for each district to sacrifice one male and one female to compete in an arena. Only one victor may return home alive. 

There’s a little something for everyone in this series — a love triangle, a survivalist story, action, political intrigue, backstabbing, and brilliant world-building. What I love about The Hunger Games is that it reminds us that a small spark of rebellion can ignite hope like wildfire.

2) THE RED RISING SERIES BY PIERCE BROWN

If you already read The Hunger Games Series and loved it and want a similar title, look no further than The Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown. This story grabs ahold of  you from the start. There is a heart-wrenching opening chapter that immediately connects you with the main character, Darrow.

The Red Rising Saga depicts a society divided into haves and have-nots, and Darrow discovers that his people, the lower caste Reds, were deceived into believing that their labor was necessary for a better life on Mars. Darrow uncovers the truth that they are just slaves meant to serve the ruling Gold class.

Determined to save his people from oppression, Darrow infiltrates the institute and pretends to be one of the ruling class, where he must navigate a deadly competition using his skills and cunning to make allies along the way.

It’s worth noting that this book contains delightfully complex world-building and surprising plot twists. Furthermore, the character development is exceptional – even with a large cast, each character is uniquely defined with their own quirks and mannerisms, described in vivid and stunning detail.

3) THE RED QUEEN SERIES BY VICTORIA AVEYARD

Another similar title, but with a strong fantasy element, is The Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard. In this world, we have two distinct types of people — the Reds and the Silvers. Sound familiar? It’s a harrowing tale of two bloodlines.

The Silver’s have silver blood which gives them superhuman powers (controlling fire, water, metal, healing abilities, etc). But, what happens when a mere Red blooded girl has a power no one has ever seen before?

Enter Mare Barrow, a Red girl who can harness lightning. Suddenly thrust into the midst of the Silver ruling class, Mare must navigate this unfamiliar territory while keeping her true identity a secret. As she pretends to be Silver herself and becomes involved in political intrigue by marrying a Silver prince. Mare’s very existence threatens to unravel the oppressive regime that binds her people.

Behind closed doors, Mare joins forces with the underground resistance group known as the Red Guard. Tasked with covertly working towards overthrowing Silver rule, Mare must grapple with deception and betrayal at every turn. Her aim is to bring about change from within. It’s an unrelenting tale of adventure that keeps readers on their toes.

This book is brilliant if you love fantasy, romance, and the idea of a girl coming into a power she never knew she had.

4) The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

For readers who want to explore the genre a bit more, there’s always The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. Like The Hunger Games, this dystopian series also inspired a popular movie franchise.

This book follows the story of Tris, a sixteen-year-old, living in a dystopian Chicago world where everyone is divided into factions. Each faction is based on a particular virtue — Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), and Erudite (intelligence). This system keeps the society in harmony and balance.

Every sixteen-year-old must choose a faction and for Tris, this means remaining with her family or choosing who she really is. As Tris endures the brutal trials of her faction initiation, she sees cracks in this “perfect system”. She must conceal an earth-shattering secret from her old faction and her new one.

If you love a good slow-burn romance, intrigue, and a fair bit of action, look no further than the Divergent Series.

5) the host by Stephenie Meyer

If you like a dash of Sci-Fi and sprinkle of romance with your Dystopian YA omelet, check out The Host by Stephenie Meyer. This book also inspired a movie. But, in my humble opinion, it was not nearly as good as the book. It should be noted that this book starts off slowly, but I swear there is a huge payoff towards the midpoint.

This book follows Melanie Stryder and the alien, Wanderer, aka “Wanda” for short. In a world where aliens have landed and live like parasites in the minds of their human hosts, one girl refuses to fade away, Melanie. Melanie proves to be a particularly strong-willed host and refuses to let Wanda take her over completely — or at least without a fight.

As Wanda sifts through Melanie’s memories, hoping to assist an overzealous seeker (an alien that searches for humans) she instead falls in love with a boy she’s never met.

I adore Stephanie Meyer’s writing style and her descriptions of young love. Undoubtedly, there’s something about it that reminds you of that crush you had in high school and gives you warm fuzzies. I’ve read this one at least three or four times — whenever I’m in a book rut.

If you like YA dystopian novels with less violence and more romance, you’ll enjoy this book. After all, Stephanie Meyer wrote the hit Twilight series, so you know she knows a thing or two about writing YA romance.

6) Ready Player One BY ERNEST CLINE

Next up, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This is the book that truly surprised me. I didn’t think I would like it because it’s not something I’d normally read. I ended up not only liking it, but loving it. It’s no wonder that it sparked director Steven Spielberg’s curiosity, prompting him to turn it into a blockbuster movie.

The story follows the character, Wade Watts, a poverty-stricken kid whose only escape from his harsh world is the virtual world called OASIS.

When the genius creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, dies, he promises his immense fortune to the winner of an Easter egg hunt within the OASIS. In order to win the Easter Egg, Wade will have to use his vast knowledge of his hero, Halliday. Additionally, he must team up with other players to solve puzzles and endure multiple trials.

The level of pop-culture trivia detail this author included was mind-boggling — sitcoms, arcade games, songs, movies, comics, etc. You truly felt like you were going on an exciting adventure with this character.

As Wade embarks on this quest, he faces real life dangers as other players are just as eager to win that prize. They will stop at nothing to thwart Wade to get him off the board. However, Wade is persistent and discovers how life outside his virtual reality goggles is worth living.

Become a kid again by embarking on an epic treasure hunt along with Wade and his friends. If I had to sum it all up in one word, it would be… FUN!

This book is phenomenal and I couldn’t sum it up if I tried… and I just tried. Just trust me on this one. Grab it.

7) THE ANGELFALL SERIES BY SUSAN EE

So, if you haven’t heard… the end is nigh. Or at least it feels like it these days. LOL. In this next book, the end has already come.

In contrast to the other YA dystopian books in this list, this one is slightly more light-hearted. Our poor main character, Penryn, has to care for her mentally unstable (and hilarious) mother and her disabled little sister, all while dodging street gangs and wrathful angels.

When her helpless little sister is abducted, Penryn has no choice but to team up with the injured angel, Raffe, to get her back. Together they endure a whole slew of enemies — human, demonic, and angelic.

If you’re looking for a fascinating enemies-to-lovers story, witty banter, and lots of action, this book is for you. There were many moments that made me laugh out loud. I devoured these books quickly because they were lots of fun.

8) THE ARCANA CHRONICLES BY KRESLEY COLE

If you’re into the occult, particularly Tarot Cards, this could be an especially fun read for you. Although other characters have a POV chapter in this series, the main character is Evangeline “Evie” Greene. She starts out as just your typical Louisianan teenage girl trying to have a normal life. The only problem is she can’t stop seeing visions of the apocalypse.

Her mother thinks she is crazy. Then, boom! The flash. An apocalyptic event wipes out most of life on the planet.

In order to survive, Evie must rely on a wrong-side-of-the-tracks bayou boy named Jack. Despite Jack thinking she’s a useless spoiled princess, Evie discovers she’s actually a poison princess, the Empress Card, and her powers are deadly.

She also discovers that to save all of humanity, she must compete in a battle to the death with the other cards of the Major Arcana. The Death card, in particular, has an especially major bone to pick with her. For more fun, check out a book trailer here.

If you like an infuriatingly complex love triangle, paranormal dystopian romance, and apocalyptic action, look no further than The Arcana Chronicles.

9) An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

In this captivating dystopian fantasy novel, we follow the story of Laia, a teenage girl who endures the brutal assassination of her grandparents and the arrest of her brother. Desperate to rescue her brother from the ruthless Martial Empire, she relies on the Scholar rebellion to aid her. In return, she vows to act as an undercover spy for them, serving as a slave.

Elais, the most exceptional student at Blackcliff – the Empire’s top military school – harbors a secret plan to flee from his predetermined fate. Upon encountering his cruel mother’s latest Scholar, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to her, yet simultaneously dreads what horrors his mother may impose on her. Nevertheless, the two forge an unexpected alliance and are tasked with battling against the Empire, ghouls, jinn, wraiths, and other fantastical beings in order to survive.

Brimming with rich Roman and Middle-Eastern influences, this enthralling young adult dystopian series leaves a lasting impression through its intense action sequences, high-stakes intrigue, and smoldering slow-burning romance.

10) ARC OF A SCYTHE TRILOGY BY NEAL SHUSTERMAN

In this new world order, traditional human governments have been abolished and replaced with an advanced artificial intelligence known as The Thunderhead. Free from the pettiness and selfishness that often plagues human leadership, The Thunderhead’s sole mission is to maintain peace and structure within society.

In addition, all forms of death have been eradicated, humans can now live to extraordinary ages. For this to be sustainable, an elite group known Scythes must glean (aka murder) to trim the population. 

Amidst these extraordinary circumstances, two teenagers, Citra and Rowan, find themselves reluctant apprentices under a Scythe. They are expected to learn the harrowing art of gleaning. Failure is not an option, as it could cost them their own lives.

In this gripping tale, readers are left to ponder the true implications and consequences of living in what should be a “perfect society.” Get lost in this thought-provoking YA dystopian novel.