dystopian

REVIEW: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

REVIEW: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Dear Ms. McCafferty, Thanks to the Hunger Games, dystopian has become the new black in the young adult genre. Luckily, I have yet to get tired of the subgenre, which is good because it’s shaping up to be a flood for the next year or so. I was a little hesitant to pick up your(…)

REVIEW: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

REVIEW: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Dear Ms. DeStefano, It’s safe to say that dystopian and post-apocalyptic books are the new black in YA. We have The Hunger Games to thank for that, in part, and I suspect this is only the beginning of an oncoming wave. Your debut novel, Wither, stands firmly on the dystopian side of the spectrum. It(…)

REVIEW: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

REVIEW: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Dear Ms. Oliver, I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels. Your sophomore effort falls into the second category. It’s good timing since we’re in the middle of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian wave in the YA genre, courtesy of the Hunger Games. In the future dystopian world of Delirium, love has(…)

REVIEW: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

REVIEW: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Note: This review contains spoilers. I would also expect any potential comments to contain spoilers as well. Readers wishing to avoid spoilers will want to skip this. But for the people who’ve already read the book, as well as the spoiler-loving seekers, come on in. Let’s discuss.

REVIEW: Tangle Girls (anthology edited by Nicole Kimberling)

REVIEW: Tangle Girls (anthology edited by Nicole Kimberling)

Dear Readers, Back in July of 2008, I reviewed Tangle XY, an anthology of short speculative m/m stories. Earlier this year, Blind Eye Books, the publisher of Tangle XY, came out with Tangle Girls, an f/f anthology. As with Tangle XY, some (not all) of the stories are multicultural, and many have fairy tale or(…)

REVIEW: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

REVIEW: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Dear Ms. Collins, The Hunger Games was my favorite novel of 2008.   For me it had the perfect combination of a great heroine, fast-paced plotting, and gripping tension.   And considering the cliffhanger ending, I’ve been looking forward to Catching Fire since I finished last page of that book. To refresh readers, and to bring people(…)

REVIEW: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

REVIEW: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Dear Ms. Collins, I have no doubt that many people will compare this book to the Japanese novel, Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. How can they not? Both books take place in dystopian futures and feature oppressive governments that require children to compete in a last man standing survival game. And while it’s true there(…)