YA Dystopian Literature on Display

This month, D.C. public libraries will be celebrating George Orwell's novel 1984 through a series of programs (from Jan. 18 through Jan. 31) as part of an event entitled Orwellian America: Government Transparency and Personal Privacy in the Digital Age. 

But what is dystopia and how does it relate to YA literature like The Hunger Games? Simply put, dystopia is the opposite of utopia, which is defined as an ideal state of being; dystopian literature often features dark fictional landscapes in which governing agencies or the chaos from ensuing evironmental effects threaten social norms.

There are several reasons why dystopia has become a popular movement in YA literature. For instance, young adults 

• may identify with the themes of conflict and the depiction of broader universal ideas like war, love, etc. 
• may be drawn to adventure-like scenarios that depict heros or heroines in "high stake" scenarios
• may find similarities with current world politics 

or just because they are generally these novels offer thought-provoking content. 

In honor of 1984 and dystopian literature, the Petworth Library's teen space will be featuring a selection of YA dystopian literature. If you like The Hunger Games but don't know what to try, stop by and take a look at our display. We have a range of selected texts which feature YA apocalyptic literature, world calamities, and whatnot. Who knows? You might just find answer on how the world is really going to end. 

Looking for a thrill? Try these one of these texts or ask one of librarians for another recommendation:

• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Divergent by Veronic Roth
• The Uglies by Scott Westerfield
• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Matched by Allyson Condie
• Orleans by Sherri L Smith
• The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy
•  Ashfall by Mike Mullin
• The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken