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Dystopia

Sweet Tooth

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Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Deep Woods by Jeff Lemire
Format: Book, eBook, Graphic Novel
Who it’s for: Adults

An “affliction” has wiped out most of the population, and all the children born after the onset of this sickness are human-animal hybrids, like our hero, Gus, a young human-deer hybrid. Gus was raised in the woods, in isolation, by his father, who told him it was unsafe to ever leave the woods, but when his father dies, and hunters encroach upon the woods, Gus has little choice but to take the help of a mysterious drifter named Jepperd, who offers to deliver Gus to “The Preserve” where he promises Gus will be safe with other hybrid children.

So begins this graphic novel series, recently adapted into a TV show by Netflix, that is part Bambi, part Mad Max, part Island of Dr. Moreau, part The Road. Join Gus, AKA Sweet Tooth, for his love for candy, and Jepperd, AKA Big Man, for his large stature, on their epic quest across a post-apocalyptic America.

Find Sweet Tooth in the catalog

Or on Hoopla

The City of Ember

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The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Format:  Book
Who it’s for:  Kids and Teens

Ember is a city in everlasting darkness and is only lit by its progressively unpredictable electric system.  Other systems are falling apart as well, and stores of food and necessities that have lasted hundreds of years are dwindling.  The city was only meant to last 220 years, and now it has been 241.  But the messages the “Builders” left have been misplaced and forgotten.

Lina Mayfleet finds the messages, but not before her little sister chewed them to shreds. Now she and her pal Doon Harrow must decipher the few disjointed messages before the city falls to pieces.  Their determination leads them to discover long-overlooked mysteries about the creation and purpose of Ember, and what the “Builders” envisioned.  They want to spread their findings with the people of Ember — but only if the shady mayor and his guards don’t stop them first.

Find it in the catalog!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

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Title: Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Format: book on CD, e-book, book
Who’s It For: Teens and Adults

 

Lena always thought it was a good thing to have the cure. Sure, she was a bit nervous. She knew the procedure would leave a three-pronged scar behind her ear. Her sister Rachel once thought she was in love. After she was cured, Rachel accepted her arranged marriage. Wasn’t that a good thing? One night, Lena slipped out to a concert after curfew with her best friend Hana. And she also met Alex. Alex said he was safe.  He had the scar. Was it wrong to care about Alex? Or was Lena just delirious?

And Delirium is the first book in a series! 
Find it here. 

Renegades Series

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Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

What if superheroes were real? The Renegades are an organization led by the heroes who saved the world from anarchy, and made up from prodigies who are humans with extraordinary abilities. The Renegades are champions of justice and peace, a symbol of hope and courage to most – just not the ‘villains’ who they overthrew to gain power.

Nova is a prodigy on a mission for vengeance. The Renegades weren’t there for her when she needed them most, and therefore she wants to show the world who they truly are. As she infiltrates the ranks of the Renegades, she learns that not everything is as it seems and that it’s hard to paint anyone as all hero or all villain.

Book 1: Renegades
Book 2: Arch Enemies
Book 3: Supernova

Find it in the catalog

Arc of a Scythe Series

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Arc of a Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

In a distant future, disease, hunger, and war are things of the past – humanity has conquered death. A benevolent AI called the Thunderhead holds all human knowledge, watches over the population (literally), prevents crime, alerts the ambu-drones in case of accidental ‘death’ (leaving a person ‘deadish,’ which is reversible), and generally prevents poverty and other issues in society. Scythes have taken on the responsibility of culling the population to sustainable levels. If killed by a Scythe, death is permanent. The only area in which the Thunderhead does not intervene is Scythe business.

Teenagers Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a Scythe. They are trained to glean compassionately. But there is a new order of Scythes in the Scythedom – those who take pleasure in killing and don’t appreciate the restrictions placed on them. The conflict between the traditional Scythes and the new order follows Citra and Rowan throughout the trilogy. The dichotomy between the Scythedom and the Thunderhead is an important angle to the story as well. Another teenager, Grayson, becomes an important part of the Thunderhead’s story in the second book.

Citra, Rowan, and Grayson travel around the world over the course of the trilogy, leading to a final confrontation in the Land of Nod between the old order and the new, and the Thunderhead and Scythedom.

For fans of Shusterman’s Unwind and Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, or anyone who enjoys a good trilogy (all three books have been released – no waiting years for the next installment)!

Series Order:
Book 1: Scythe
Book 2: Thunderhead
Book 3: The Toll

Find all the books in the catalog.

Pacifica

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Title: Pacifica by Kristen Simmons
Format: Book
Who’s It For: Teens and Adults

Perhaps Ross Torres started it.  Tall, athletic, good-looking, the son of the President of the United States, Ross wanted for nothing.  And yet he was curious about the Shorelings rioting down at the docks.  Ross persuaded Adam, his best friend and the vice-president’s son, to slip out of the Torres’ political party. They’d ditch Ross’ bodyguard and see the riots firsthand.

Marin Carey was transporting jars of tar in her backpack through the crowds of the riot.  Her friends and the children they’d taken in depended on Marin.  She had to sell the addictive substance to afford food and water.  Surely she would find a buyer among the crowds at the docks?

The Shorelings rioted because their land was being confiscated.  What else did they have left?  Many hoped to win the lottery and to be transported to Pacifica, a land somewhere out among the rising waters.  However, Marin had been raised at sea.  She’d never seen unoccupied land or an ocean unmired by floating trash.  Was Pacifica real?

The Limpieza, the police, pushed against the growing masses at the docks.  “Curfew! Go home!”

In the confusion, Marin’s bag of contraband was jostled and the jars broke on the ground.  Phew!  She had to get away from its dizzying smell.

“Adam!  Let’s go!” shouted Ross as blood dripped from his black hair.  Marin stumbled into Ross and Adam.  As the police raised their billy clubs, the three fled from the growing threat.

Would Ross, Marin, and Adam solve the mystery of Pacifica and stop the riots?

I was intrigued by this tale of teen friendship, loyalties, and love.  Also, I found the issues of trash, recycling, and resources very real.

Would you like to read it?