- An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.
dystopia. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved January 28, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dystopia
Here are features of Dystopian Fiction:
- Post-apocalyptic setting, usually there is the background story of natural disaster, revolutions, war, climate change, some kind of devastating event that changed society
- Dystopians are normally future based
- A difference in the standard of living than what we enjoy in today’s society. This can be a poorer standard of living, as in The Hunger Games, or sometimes a more materialistic environment, like such in Brave New World and Uglies.
- The main character questions society, or is exposed to the baser ideals of their society within the plot, leading them to the knowledge that something is terribly wrong with their world.
- There is usually a group/revolution occurring within the novel that the controlling state does not have control over that the protagonist teams up with or strives to join/become like, although nothing is being changed by the character or group. In Brave New World, this group is comprised of the people on the reservation.
- Dystopian fiction typically elaborates on the darker society trends that effect us today. Usually the reader can identify things within our own society that could lead to this future terrible state.
- Within the plot of a dystopian fiction, the protagonist usually will try to escape or bring down the society that restricts them
- Open to everyone (if you do not have a blog, just state in the comments section that you read the book and on what date)
- Any book format – Wiki list of dystopian lit
- Books can be chosen throughout the year, but must have been read within the timeline. Just because your read Fahrenheit 451 in 7th grade doesn’t mean it counts.
- Sign-up below with Mr. Linky
- Post your reviews in the comments area
- Three Levels:
- Level 1 – Experimental – 5 books
- Level 2 – Addict – 10 books
- Level 3 – Junkee – 20 books
Level 3 participants will get a dystopian button with their blog or name on it and entry into a contest to win The Hunger Games: Book 3.
This is on your honor, so please play nice!











I'm definitely joining this! and may I say these buttons are very pretty =D
How do you have time for all this coolness???
Im signing up…this genre is one of my favs!!!!
SWEET! I'm signing up!
this sounds awesome but I'm still thinking if I'm up for it… hmmm…
I would like to sign-up for this but I don't see the Mr. Linky. Can I still sign-up for it??
Great idea- I'm totally in! I'm not seeing Mr. Linky though…
Count me in! LOVE dystopian lit.
im in great way to lower my tbr pile
I hope I'm doing this right. Here are three reviews from my Dystopia reading list.
#1. The Hunger Games Review:http://abook- loversreview.blogspot.com/2009/09/hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins.html
#2. Catching Fire Review:http://abook-loversreview.blogspot.com/2009/09/hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins.html
#3. Brave New World Review:http://abook-loversreview.blogspot.com/2009/10/brave-new-world-by-aldous-huxley.html
I'm ordering the whole Uglies Series today and will start on them ASAP. I'm about to start The Maze Runner and have heard lots of good things about it so I hope it's good.
abook-loversreview.blogspot.com
Hey. I oopsed, and I think I am going to be on your linky list twice, so delete the first one, please. I don't know exactly how many I am going to be able to read, but I am aiming for Junkee, cause I love me some dystopian.
Two questions:
Why August? Why not make it the whole year? Just because of HG3?
Also, have you read Oryx and Crake? If not, PUT IT ON YOUR LIST!!!
@Misty ending it August just cause of HG3 – thought I would spice it up with an HG3 giveaway to make things more interesting, and if I extended it until December might lose the momentum, since people joining this challenge are probably big dystopian fans and when you think dystopian in 2009 you think HG. Hmmm…rambling. Does that make sense?
@Trini yes you are doing it right. I want to read Maze Runner so bad. Heard excellent things about it, have you seen the trailer…ack!
Count me in!!!!!
Here's number four review.
#4 The Maze Runner
I'm going to read The Giver by Lois Lowry next probably by this weekend.
Trini @A Book-Lovers' Review
I am completely in love with this challenge. Thank you!
Here is my 1st review: Animal Farm
My first Review Skinned
http://willowdustreviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/skinned-by-robin-wasserman.html
Second Review: Girl in the Arena
http://willowdustreviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/girl-in-arena-by-lise-haines.html
first review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
http://www.bookloveteen.com/2010/02/forest-of-hands-and-teeth-by-carrie.html
Review for The Sky Inside and The Walls Have Eyes at Stiletto Storytime:
http://stilettostorytime.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/clare-b-dunkle-series/
Courtney
Stiletto Storytime
Count me in! Looking forward to it.
This is my first challenge ever, so this may be a silly question – but does a series count as one, or does each book count seperately? Say the Obernewtyn Chronicles – as one, or as 5 because there's 5 books in the series so far?
Thanks for your time and help – and for running this challenge!
Baggins.
Second review:The Shadow Speaker
http://www.bookloveteen.com/2010/02/shadow-speaker-by-nnede-okorafor-mbachu.html woot two down already! I love this Challenge!
OMG!!! this contest is awesome!! Only recently have I been turned on to this genre. I am in love with The Hunger Games…. and I just read Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines….. EXCELLENT as well!!!
I want to try this contest but first I am going to see if I can make a list of 20 books in the genre that I really want to read!!–I love to have romance as a big element so I will see what I can find!!=)
My first review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher can be found at http://derapsreads.blogspot.com/2010/02/book-review-incarceron.html
On to another title!
You should do a Mr Linky page for reviews. (no pressure, just saying. ;p)
I'm just joining. I have a few books already on my TBR stack so I hopefully I can find a bunch more to add.
Hello! Hope i'm not too late to join in? I'm pretty new to blogging and i'm still finding my feet so to speak. I've lined up quite a few more dystopian novels for my Blog reading challenges, so I'm aiming for Junkee level! This is gonna be fun!
Third review! I'm a total junkie…Feed by M.T. Anderson(audio)
http://www.bookloveteen.com/2010/02/listen-up1.html
This is awesome, and I dont know how could I not see it sooner. I have two questions, can I still join? and the second, book 2 or 3 in a series count? (like Catching Fire)
Just making sure: Epitaph Road is a dyptopian book, correct?
Thanks,
Kelsey
Here is my first review, http://lindsayphotobook.blogspot.com/2010/02/birthmarked.html
O.k. Time to post a review!
Noughts and Crosses:
http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/03/noughts-crosses-by-malorie-blackman.html
Lots more soon…
Woo Hoo my first review!
http://cryhavocandturnthepage.blogspot.com/2010/03/line-by-terri-hall-bought-with-my-own.html
Lots more coming soon…
oh yea, forgot one…hehe
http://cryhavocandturnthepage.blogspot.com/2010/02/bones-of-faerie-by-janni-lee-simner.html
Three more reviews done!
http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-i-live-now-by-meg-rosoff.html
http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/03/declaration-by-gemma-malley.html
http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/03/salt-by-maurice-gee.html
I've just realised that these three reviews may or may not count!
I reviewed Charlie Higson's The Enemy on Jan 1st: http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com//gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/01/some-holiday-reading.html
Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox:http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com//gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/02/adoration-of-jenna-fox.html
Saci Lloyds Carbon Diaries 2015: http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com//gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/02/carbon-diaries-2015-by-saci-lloyd.html
First Review: The Hunger Games
http://tarawriter.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-hunger-games.html
http://cryhavocandturnthepage.blogspot.com/2010/03/birthmarked.html
review for Birthmarked
I'd like to participate! Not sure how many I'll get through, but it sounds fun!
My reviews so far:
Uglies http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/02/this-is-good-one.html
Pretties http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/02/pretties-by-scott-westerfeld.html
Specials http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/02/specials-by-scott-westerfeld.html
The Host http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/02/host-by-stephanie-meyer.html
Inside Out http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-inside-out-by-maria-v-snyder.html
The Forest of Hands and Teeth http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/03/zombies-are-new-vampires.html
Incarceron http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-and-book-trailer-incarceron-by.html
My first review for this challenge (signed up under Ruthann)
The Children of Men by PD James
http://cookiesbooksbikes.blogspot.com/2010/03/children-of-men-by-pd-james.html
Hey (",), I'd like to participate as a Junkee!
Here's the list of books I'll be reading and reviewing: http://paranormal-obsession.blogspot.com/2010/04/dystopian-challenge-2010.html (I did a little research, and that's what I came up with, so hopefully everything does in fact count as Dystopian Fiction)
Here's my first review of Hunger Games and Catching Fire: http://paranormal-obsession.blogspot.com/2010/03/hunger-games-suzanne-collins.html
Happy Easter xx
LoL, linked to a post instead of simply to my blog, please remove the first link, but keep the second (",).
…and now for some Dystopian mini-reviews, for sequels I read whilst laid up with a cold:
Knife Edge and Checkmate by Malorie Blackman, The Resistance by Gemma Malley, Gool by Maurice Gee and Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd:
http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/04/dystopia-sequel-itis.html
OMG I just noticed that the first three books I posted on here are from 2009. I'm sorry just ignore them I have more anyway..YA!!
Ok since the first three don't count but my #4 does which is The Maze Runner it is now my #1 entry. I hope I make since. Well here are two more of my entries.
#2 The Line by Teri Hall
#3 The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Im working on my review for The Dead-Toss Waves right now and will post it tomorrow.
Oh dear! I don't think I can complete this. Can I withdraw my name?
Flipping awesome challenge!
My review of Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder.
Does that count?
Second review, Catching Fire:
http://tarawriter.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-catching-fire.html
Here are my first four reviews:
1. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher http://bookgirl-mel.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-incarceron-by-catherine.html
2. Maze Runner by James Dashner http://bookgirl-mel.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-maze-runner-by-james.html
3. Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve http://bookgirl-mel.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-fever-crumb-by-philip-reeve.html
4. Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan http://bookgirl-mel.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-dead-tossed-waves-by-carrie.html
Question: Would This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer count? Natural disaster, struggle for food, elite communities cropping up, etc….
(just noticed I signed up as Ruthann, so WonderBunny=Ruthann)
I read a dystopian graphic novel that is part of a series. I don't think the first half of the series was really dystopian, but it is turning more towards that. Anyway, here is my review for Y: The Last Man – Girl on Girl by Brian K. Vaughan.
http://cookiesbooksbikes.blogspot.com/2010/04/y-last-man-girl-on-girl-by-brian-k.html
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan. Oh my goodness! LOVE!
http://readingteen.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-dead-tossed-waves-by-carrie-ryan.html
Couple of new reviews done!
The Road by Cormac McCarthy: http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/04/road-by-cormac-mccarthy.html
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard:
http://gnomadiclibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/04/small-free-kiss-in-dark-by-glenda.html
Third review, The Forest of Hands and Teeth
http://tarawriter.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-forest-of-hands-and-teeth.html
Fourth Review:
http://www.bookloveteen.com/2010/03/good-things-come-in-small-packages2.html
I'm behind! Good thing I have a nice pile of dystopian titles standing by.
1st Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
http://thedoortowonderland.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins.html
Third book – Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
http://cookiesbooksbikes.blogspot.com/2010/04/catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins.html
Here's my review of The Adoration of Jenna Fox, which is a brilliant novel
http://paranormal-obsession.blogspot.com/2010/05/adoration-of-jenna-fox-mary-e-pearson.html
Hello, I joined a little late, but I've read a few dystopian novels already this year. They're not all on my blog, I'll start with the one that is:
book 1 – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
http://leeswammes.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/the-hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins
I'm joining rather late, but I have already read some dystopian novels this year. One is on my blog, the others I read before I had a blog.
Book 1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (finished April 22, 2010) http://leeswammes.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/the-hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins/
Book 2: The Stand by Stephen King (Finished January, 30th, 2010)
A great adventure in which most of humanity died because of a virus. The survivors are called to one of two places, in their dreams. One is the place of Mother Abigail, the "good" person, the other is the place of Randall Flagg, the "bad" person. This is going to be a fight between good and bad. Guess who wins?
Book 3: The Carhullan Army by Sarah Hall (Finished April 6th, 2010)
In the book, the diary of an unknown woman is reproduced. She lives in England, where after an economic crisis and the fall of the government, a strict Authority rules. People are not allowed to leave town or have babies, and live in cramped circumstances in a dirty, depressing town.
The woman decides to leave her husband and try and move to a community of women that are living illegally in the hills of the Lake District.
Most of the book is about her living with the community. This is interesting to read, but not really much happens until the end. The mood of the book reminds me of The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood).
Book 4: Sulphuric Acid by Amelie Nothomb (Finished May 2nd, 2010)
Unsuspecting people are randomly taken from a square in town and placed in a concentration camp. No, there's no war, this is for a Big Brother-type tv show.
The group is divided in bosses and prisoners. The bosses can do whatever they want to the prisoners, who spend most of their day doing hard labor. Every morning, the bosses choose a number of prisoners that are too weak to work, and they are executed.
Pannonique is a beautiful young woman prisoner who tries to keep morale up by treating everyone very politely. She'll help wherever she can. The others see her as someone to look up to. Meanwhile, one of the boses, a woman called Zdena, has also taken an interest in Pannonique. After some weeks of beating her up every day, she takes another approach and give Pannonique extra food, so she will live longer. When Pannonique wants Zdena's help to excape, Zdena has to choose between keeping her beloved Pannonique in the camp with her, or letting her go, and possibly never see her again.
My #rd Review– The Line by Teri Hall…
http://www.tinasbookreviews.com/2010/05/line-by-teri-hall.html
Forgot to add this–Review #3 is for The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Great read!
http://derapsreads.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-review-knife-of-never-letting-go.html
I forgot about these two, so they make number 5 and 6:
5. Gone by Michael Grant (Finished March 13th, 2010)
6. Hunger by Michael Grant (Finished April 5th, 2010)
2nd review: The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
http://thedoortowonderland.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-dead-and-gone-by-susan-beth.html
Hi! I just started my book blog and am excited to participate in this contest. I think it's a great idea and will post first review soon.
Book 7: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. My review is here: http://leeswammes.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins
3rd review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.
http://thedoortowonderland.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-incarceron-by-catherine-fisher.html
4th review: Epitaph Road by David Patneaude.
http://thedoortowonderland.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-epitaph-road-by-david-patneaude.html
My first review is on I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (:
http://faithadelinereviews.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-am-legend-by-richard-matheson.html
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