By Caitlin Taylor So
The world is a scary place. It can also always be scarier. For some, that might be a comfort to keep in mind during troubling times. Here are some well-known YA dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels we hope will counterintuitively give you some peace of mind.
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Waves are coordinated attacks The Others execute as part of their calculated long-term plan to eliminate all humans on Earth. Cassie is staying alone to stay alive as she figures out where her little brother was taken. Along the way, she meets Evan Walker and doesn’t know what to make of him, but she soon quickly realizes the life-saving benefits to having an ally.
- Scythe by Neal Shusterman
At first glance, a world with no hunger, no disease, no war, and no misery sounds like the most impressive utopia to ever exist. To keep populations under control, scythes are the only ones who can carry out death—each of them with their own methods of doing so. When you decide how and when people die, what guiding moral principles will you live by? Who or what will keep you in check?
- Legend by Marie Lu
North America has devolved into two opposing countries: The Republic and The Colonies. We follow two characters from polar opposite backgrounds, June and Day, who otherwise would never meet until June’s brother is murdered and Day is the prime suspect. When the pair put their brilliant minds together, they reveal every lie and secret The Republic has ever told.
- The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
A disease kills nearly all children and teens across the United States, but the government is afraid of the survivors. Those that survive develop powers and are separated into five color-based categories based on their abilities and perceived danger. They are sent to government-sponsored rehabilitation camps where they can be closely watched and controlled. Ruby has the most feared ability of all: telepathy and mind manipulation and erasure.
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
The highly anticipated second prequel to the widely successful Hunger Games franchise will start on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, or the Second Quarter Quell. Not much else has been officially revealed about this installment yet, but fans speculate it will heavily focus on everyone’s favorite District 12 mentor.
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Born and raised in Queens, Caitlin Taylor So is a Chinese-Vietnamese writer who is passionate about prioritizing and amplifying marginalized voices. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in publishing and marketing. Her writing can be found on Business Insider, PopSugar, WebMD, The New Absurdist, and Her Campus Media.