LibraryAware TEEN MIDDLE: Dystopian

Here is a list of our favorite dystopian books for teens. These titles are classified as Teen Middle School (TM) and can be found in the Teen section of the library.

The Last Beekeeper
by Pablo Cartaya

In a future shaken by climate disasters, twelve-year-old Yoland Ciceron struggles to get away from the grueling life of farming and discovers her only chance of survival may lie in the rediscovery of a long-extinct species--the honeybee.

It's the End of the World and I'm In My Bathing Suit
by Justin A. Reynolds

When the electricity goes out, twelve-year-old Eddie and his friends set out to investigate what is going on when they make the startling discovery that they are the only ones left in their neighborhood--and perhaps the only people left anywhere.

Hunters of the Lost City
by Kali Wallace

Twelve-year-old Octavia, who grew up believing her town was the only one left after a magical war, meets a girl from outside her town and tries to uncover the truth about her world.

D-39: A Robodog's Journey
by Irene Latham

A robodog, D-39, and his human friends discover challenges, danger, and the strength to persevere in this war and survival dystopian novel in verse about friendship and family.

Last Pick
by Jason Walz

In a world where aliens have taken over Earth, abducted every human they deemed useful, and abandoned the rest, twins Sam and Wyatt struggle to start a revolution of the unwanteds. This title is in the Teen Graphic Novel collection.

One Small Hop
by Madelyn Rosenberg

Discovering what may be the last surviving bullfrog in a near-future North America, Ahab and his friends decide to locate another bullfrog on the black market to save all of frogkind, with unexpected results.

Flood City
by Daniel José Older

A boy from the Earth’s last inhabitable city and a young space soldier questioning his leaders’ genocidal orders become unlikely partners in an effort to stop a war and save the planet.

Spill Zone : The Broken Vow
by Scott Westerfeld

Surviving her encounter with the Spill Zone only to manifest uncanny powers, Addison teams up with North Korean Spill Zone survivor Don Jae and the mysterious rag doll Vespertine to reclaim the pieces of her transformed life. This title is in the Teen Graphic Novel collection.

The Shadow Cipher
by Laura Ruby

A debut entry in an alternate-history series depicts three kids who try to solve a modern-world puzzle and complete a treasure hunt laid into the streets and buildings of New York City. By the National Book Award finalist author of Bone Gap.

Above World
by Jenn Reese

The Coral Kampii, like legendary mermaids, live isolated from the Above World, but when the devices that allow them to breathe underwater start to fail, Aluna and her friend Hoku go to that forbidden place to find help.

Among The Hidden
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to have only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

Living in a "perfect" world without social ills, a boy approaches the time when he will receive a life assignment from the Elders, but his selection leads him to a mysterious man known as the Giver, who reveals the dark secrets behind the utopian facade.

The Scourge
by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Sent to a quarantine colony for plague victims where she anticipates a short and painful life, Ani Mells uncovers sinister truths about the plague and the colony as well as her own unwitting role in a devious plot.

The City Of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau

In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina finds part of an ancient message that she is sure holds a secret to save her underground city from ruin, but Lina and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever.

Brightly Burning
by Alexa Donne

Hoping to escape poverty by taking a governess position on a private spaceship, Stella initially welcomes the ship's generous water supply, books and friendly AI robot before confronting disturbing rumors about the ship's links to a conspiracy that has the potential to topple the entire interstellar fleet, in a lush, futuristic reimagining of Jane Eyre.

Icebreaker
by Lian Tanner

Living on an ancient icebreaker in a war-stricken world ruled by Anti-Machinists, twelve-year-old Petrel hides a stowaway only to discover that her new friend has been sent to destroy a secret object.

The One Safe Place
by Tania Unsworth

In a near future world dominated by heat, greed, and hunger, Devin earns a coveted spot in a home for abandoned children that promises unlimited food and toys and the hope of finding a new family, but Devin discovers the home's horrific true mission when he investigates its intimidating administrator and the zombie-like sickness that afflicts some of its children.

The Maze Runner
by James Dashner

Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.

The Fog Diver
by Joel N. Ross

Working with a crew of salvagers in a fog-covered world that has forced civilization to move to the highest mountain peaks, 13-year-old Chess hides a deadly secret about his ability to survive while his crew leader forges an evil plan.