DystopYA Reading Challenge... and Everything I Know about Dystopian Fiction!

Books on the Nightstand challenges us to read Dystopian YA Fiction!

Are you up for the challenge?

You may wonder what Dystopian Fiction is... "Dystopian fiction is generally fiction about a world that is attempting to be perfect but contains a fatal flaw. It's the opposite of a utopia. This can take the form of a fascist government, a failing environment, corporate rule - anything. In it, life is miserable and people have to strive to rise above."

There have been quite a few YA (Young Adult) books published lately that deal with Dystopia Fiction including The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. One of the best known YA Dystopian novels is probably The Giver by Lois Lowry, a novel in which a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy... almost! The Giver won the Newberry Medal in 1994, which is presented to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." It also made the banned book almost immediately for it's "inappropriate material" for children. The American Library Association says that Dystopian fiction "not only offer teens excellent escapist fare rife with surv

ivalist adventure and grim imaginings of future worlds but also an opportunity to reflect on how the issues in their own lives and societies are mirrored in these worlds gone horribly wrong."

So when Ann & Michael of Books on the Nightstand posted the DystopYA (that stands for Dystopic Young Adult) challenge I thought I would join in on the fun! Would you like to enter the world of DystopYA with me? Here are two of the "rules"... (yes, there are always rules in a Dystopic world...)

* You must do as you are told. You are hereby commanded to read 3 works of dystopic fiction that were written or published primarily for young adults. Books must be read between October 5, 2009 and December 31, 2009 in order to count for the challenge.

* Secret activities are forbidden in dystopic societies. You must post your reading list and/or your review(s) of the books that you've read... either on your blog or on the special thread set up at Goodreads.

There will be a random drawing at the end of the challenge for prizes for all participants who complete the challenge too! Go to Books on the Nightstand DystopYA Reading Challenge for all the details!

Here is My reading list for the "Challenge"... AND links for the Reviews!

The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld... The Uglies is the first book in a trilogy. It's about a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. This seems like a good thing, but it's not. Especially if you're

one of the uglies, a bunch of radical teens who've decided they want to keep their own faces... Here's My Review!

The Giver by Lois Lowry... Jonas, an eleven-year-old boy, tells the story of living in a futuristic society that has eliminated all pain, fear, war, and hatred. There is no prejudice, since everyone looks and acts basically the same, and there is very little competition. Everyone is unfailingly polite. The society has also eliminated choice... Here's My Review!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner... When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind. Here's my Review!

As I meet my Challenge of reading these three Dystopic books, I'll post a link to my reviews here! So check back to see how I'm doing! Oh and BTW, Dystopian Fiction isn't limited to YA, there are plenty of choices for adult fiction too! The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, The Road by Cormac McCarthy and 1984 by George Orwell are just a few adult dystopic novels to choose from.

Have you read any Dystopian fiction novels? Any recommendations? Do you like Dystopian fiction? Let me know what's on your shelf!

Happy reading...

Suzanne