View source for Top Ten Dystopian Books For Children

The future is a scary thing - who knows what it will bring? Writing about dystopian societies has been a feature of adult novels for a long, long time, but there's some fantastic stuff about for the younger ones. Post-apocalytpic fiction will thrill them, but it will also engage them in positive ideas about shaping the future. It's a win-win situation. Why not [mailto:sue@thebookbag.co.uk tell us] about your favourites?

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{{Frontpage
|author=Neal Shusterman
|title=Unwind
|rating=5
|summary=A powerful, shocking, and intelligent novel about a future which practises retroactive abortion on troublesome teenagers, then uses their body parts for transplant. It's wonderful, wonderful stuff - but sensitive readers may be troubled by a shocking description of the process.
|isbn=1847382312
|genre=Teens
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=Patrick Ness
|title=The Knife of Never Letting Go
|rating=4.5
|summary=A compelling, original and pacy future dystopian book with great originality and a dollop of wonderfully observed humour. Bookbag doesn't approve of the cliffhanger ending, which is the only thing keeping it from a five star rating.
|isbn=1406310255
|genre=Teens
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=Gillian Philip
|title=Bad Faith
|rating=4.5
|summary=A blend of love story, political thriller and murder mystery in this dystopian future book about religious fundamentalism. It presses all the buttons, has great tension, and is a rattlingly good read. Gillian Philip was kind enough to be [[The Interview: Bookbag talks to Gillian Philip|interviewed by Bookbag]]. She has some really fascinating things to say!
|isbn=1905537085
|genre=Teens
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=John Brindley
|title=The Rule of Claw
|rating=4
|summary=This is a timely, pacy and exciting future catastrophe novel suitable for tens and up. There's a little bit too much going on at times, but it's beautifully observed and its central characters are wonderfully charismatic.
|isbn=1842555871
|genre=Confident Readers
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=Gemma Malley
|title=The Declaration
|rating=5
|summary=A tense and dramatic novel speculating on life in a future where drugs have banished old age and death. Mostly for teens, but the quality of writing is such that thoughtful younger children could approach it too.
|isbn=0747587744
|genre=Teens
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=Suzanne Collins
|title=The Hunger Games
|rating=4.5
|summary=Exciting future catastrophe novel focusing on gladatorial style combat games. It's pacy and incredibly absorbing with a dynamic and attractive central character. Great stuff, if a little on the long side for perfect Bookbag comfort.
|isbn=1407139797
|genre=Teens
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=Malorie Blackman
|title=Double Cross (Noughts & Crosses)
|rating=5
|summary=Tense, immediate, colloquial, heart-breaking - Blackman's ''Noughts & Crosses'' sequence continues to raise the bar with this latest instalment. Don't miss them.
|isbn=0385615515
|genre=Teens
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=Catherine Fisher
|title=Incarceron
|rating=4.5
|summary=Beautifully imagined and realised, this novel of future regression is rich with strong characters, big issues and a compelling plot. It is a barnstorming piece of serious fantasy that doesn't put a foot wrong.
|isbn=0340893605
|genre=Fantasy
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=Lene Kaaberbol
|title=Silverhorse
|rating=5
|summary=A stunningly well-told thriller-fantasy with role reversal, a strong female lead character and some interesting questions about the nature of power. Highly recommended for the early teens.
|isbn=1405090472
|genre=Teens
}}

{{Frontpage
|author=James Jauncey
|title=The Witness
|rating=4.5
|summary=Wonderful, challenging novel encouraging political participation and moral questions about life and land, while providing a really tense and well-paced adventure story. The very end is perhaps a little too tidy for the most sophisticated readers but other than that, this is classy, admirable stuff.
|isbn=0330447130
|genre=Teens
}}

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[[Category:Lists|Dystopian Books For Children]]
[[Category:Teens|*Top Ten Dystopian Books For Children]]
[[Category:Confident Readers|*Top Ten Dystopian Books For Children]]
[[Category:Science Fiction|*Top Ten Dystopian Books For Children]]
[[Category:Fantasy|*Top Ten Dystopian Books For Children]]