The Hunger Games and a brief history of dystopian literature

Young-Adult Dystopias

Although the Young-Adult division of dystopian literature can vary widely, it tends to not only feature a young protagonist, but also focuses on elements of society that are most prominent for the young. These books often pose questions of identity and how a person builds their future.

While there were some novels that handled this early on, the big boom in YA dystopian literature came in the wake of The Hunger Games trilogy. Because the franchise found so much success, there were multiple copy-cat novels that did little more than bank on the success, much like the previous boom in paranormal romance.

Despite the oversaturated market, a few examples stand out for their chilling depictions of very possible futures. These novels take the stance that the young are not just able to understand serious topics, but that they are actually more capable of recognizing society's failings. Teenagers are at a time in life where they must examine the world and their place in it, which provides the perfect circumstances to evaluate whether the world is acceptable or not.

Examples:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

• Unwind by Neil Schusterman