Reel Reading: Dystopian

Do you enjoy a good binge fest over books, TV series or films? Join us to talk about all things binge-worthy in our virtual club just for teens.

Reel Reading is a teen-specific book, film and TV club meeting virtually on the fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This club is for ages 13-18 and each month will have a genre or theme to explore. For November, we’re exploring dystopian books, movies and TV on Tuesday, November 24. Register to join us here.

Teen Street Team member Shreya is our guest blogger for this month, and talks about her favorite parts of dystopian settings:

One of the most appreciated aspects about story-writing is creativity and imagination, beyond what exists. Another less valued yet admired component of story-writing is the connection you make with your audience and the way you relate your story to current existence.

This gray line between imagination and reality is my favorite part about Dystopian books. Dystopian books are stories about suffering and confinement, usually by higher authorities with an evil agenda. They can be stories about victory or defeat, and it is like living through a scenario and learning about our fears and how to overcome our enemies without actually being in that scenario. 

The first dystopian book I read was the Hunger Games, a very famous dystopian book which has been adapted into award-winning movies starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. This dystopian story is about Panem, a country with a dark, rebellious history. This country is divided into districts ranging 1 through 12, everyone struggling for food. To respond to the rebellious past, the government (capitol) of Panem decides to host a Hunger Games tournament every year in which contestants from each district participate and must hunt each other down in order to survive, and win. The prize is income from the Capitol for the rest of their lives and a special status. I absolutely loved reading this book! The author, Suzanne Collins, has done a marvelous job of portraying what the characters are going through and it is a must read. In fact, I have read it multiple times. The author’s insight of the current situation of our world is painted into the abstract story of the Hunger Games, portraying exactly what Dystopia is all about: a perfect mixture of fantasy and reality!

In addition to the Hunger Games series, here are a few more titles from the Dystopian genre, put together by our Teen Street Team Librarians. Links below are just a couple of format options – search the library catalog for others:

The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
The Maze Runner: eBook and eAudiobook
The Scorch Trials: eBook and eAudiobook
The Death Cure: eBook and eAudiobook
The Kill Order: eBook and eAudiobook
The Maze Runner Files: eBook
The Fever Code: eBook and eAudiobook

The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry
The Giver: eBook and eAudiobook
Gathering Blue: eBook and eAudiobook
Messenger: eBook and eAudiobook
Son: eBook and eAudiobook

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
eBook, eAudiobook 1, eAudiobook 2

The Old Guard (Graphic Novel Series)
The Old Guard, Book 1: Opening Fire
The Old Guard, Book 2: Force Multiplied

City of Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau
The City of Ember: eBook and eAudiobook
The People of Sparks: eBook and eAudiobook
The Prophet of Yonwood: eBook and eAudiobook
The Diamond of Darkhold: eBook and eAudiobook

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
The Selection: eBook and eAudiobook
The Elite: eBook and eAudiobook
The One: eBook and eAudiobook
The Favorite: eBook
The Heir: eBook and eAudiobook
The Crown: eBook and eAudiobook
Happily Ever After: eBook and eAudiobook

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
eBook, eAudiobook 1, eAudiobook 2

Reel Reading meets next on Tuesday, November 24 at 7 p.m. Register to join us here.