I love Marie Lu’s books and I love that this format of her stories makes her books accessible to more readers.

I know that dystopian realistic fiction is a contradiction but this is the best way I can figure to describe this stellar book. Elodee, her twin Naomi, and their parents are moving to Eventown to get away from the sadness that surrounds their family. Eventown is seemingly exactly what the family needs to be happy. Elodee is taken aback as she begins to realize that everything in Eventown in perfect- the yards, the people, the food, the houses, the weather, everything. But Elodee soon discovers that this perfection and happiness comes at a price and she starts to wonder if perfection and happiness is not what she and her family need.

Before reading this book, I read some descriptions and reviews. Noticing that this book was listed as dystopian, I was excited to read it.

To begin, I will say I love this book!
Set in 2032 Valentina and her family, who are illegally in the United States, are on the run from being deported. The government has chipped the population and Val and her mother have illegally-acquired chips. It’s only a matter of time before their chips will stop working. The United States is trying to deport all illegal immigrants and have brought in laws to allow them to capture these illegals at any cost. The wall has been built between the USA and Mexico and California has declared itself a Sanctuary to all illegals so Val, her mom and her 12 yr old brother decide to try to get there from where they currently live in Vermont. The horror of their journey and the losses that Val faces are almost too much at times, however, it is a true reflection of what has been happening.
As I read it I felt like this was less dystopian and more so a likely possibility of what the US could become in 12 years. After reading the book, I read the authors’ notes and was struck my Sher’s comment that she had wanted this book to be dystopian but that it became more so a “what if” story because as they created the journey that Val and her family lived, these events were coming true in the US.
Mendoza and Sher have created a powerful novel that everyone should read

Ever had a book on your TBR pile for a long while and when you finally get to reading it you wish you'd read it earlier? This was one of those books for me. I was hooked after the first few pages and I really enjoyed this dystopian version of Cinderella. I so hoped, as I read it, that it would have the happily ever after that the popular Cinderella version does, and while it didn't, I Iove that the ending now has me wanting to read the next one in the series.

What a fabulous book! This dystopian novel is full of adventure, suspense and even a bit of romance. Twins Rafi and Frey live with father, the leader of their city. The city believes there is only one daughter because Frey is kept hidden. Rafi is the face of the family, with her father while Frey has been brutally trained by her heartless father to be an assassin and to step in as Rafi in more dangerous situations. When their father makes a deal with another city, he sends Frey under the guise of being Rafi, as collateral in their deal. Frey must pretend to be Rafi and ensure the other leading family, to whom she is hostage, believed that her father has sent his most beloved daughter into this dangerous situation.

Finally checked this book out and loved it. In this post-mortal world, 16yr olds Citra and Rowan are chosen as Scythe apprentices. Scythes are charged with gleaning (killing) people and thus controlling the population of this world. Aging, illness, and accidents no longer exist as ways of dying. Citra and Rowan train to become a Scythe, where only one of them can succeed and the other will die. A dystopian novel at its best.

Cinderella is my favourite fairy tale and this YA novel definitely turns the fairytale on its head. The original Cinderella story has happened 200 years prior to the start of this story and the kingdom is run by a cruel king where women have almost no rights. Each year the teen girls of the kingdom must attend the royal ball, where the men of the kingdom choose their wives. Girls who aren't chosen often disappear and are never seen again. This year Sophie must attend the ball. She dreads this night because she is in love with her friend Erin, but knows that will never be allowed. She attends the ball but escapes and goes in a quest to not get caught and discover the truth of her homeland.

Dystopia at its best. Day is in the fight of his life to find his brother the cure for the plague. In his pursuit he breaks into a lab to get a vial of the cure. He encounters the police and in the end is believed to have killed an officer. The officer's sister seeks to find Day and get justice for her brother. They end up finding each other but things don't go to plan for either of them.

A great new dystopian-esque novel to check out. It’s 2045 and society has been decimated by the Fly Flu, which continues to kill people. Fly swarms are to be feared and time is to be questioned. A teen girl and her dog set out to find answers she has long been seeking to understand and along the way meets up with other “lost” kids. Both gripping and adventurous, this sometimes-to-close-to-reality story is definitely worth checking out.