So, you can imagine my excitement about some amazing YA dystopian and apocalyptic books hitting shelves soon and that have hit shelves recently. Filled with drama, action, and relatable characters just trying to get through it all, I’ve picked three of my upcoming favorites, and one newly-released dystopian treasure. So, read on and make room on your shelf for these books that will surely stay with you, like The Hunger Games and Divergent series did for me, and welcome some new dystopian and apocalyptic worlds. What other young adult dystopian novels are you loving recently? Do you plan to pick up any of these new and upcoming books? Let us know at @BookRiot and let me know what you think at @AuroraMiami on Twitter. In the book, the shadow of Godolia’s tyrannical rule is completely taking over, with the help of giant mechanized weapons known as Windups. Yet this is nothing new, for war and oppression are everyday constants for the people who reside in Badlands, who live under the leadership of their cruel Godolia overlords. Main character Eris Shindanai is a Gearbreaker, a young rebel who specializes in taking down Windups from the inside. But, suddenly, one of her missions goes wrong, and she finds herself in a Godolia prison. While there, Eris meets Sona Steelcrest, a cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot. Which could mean that she just met a pure enemy. At the start, Eris doesn’t trust Sona, yet she has a deeply embedded secret. She has intentionally infiltrated the Windup program and hopes to destroy Godolia from within. As time passes, Eris and Sona must work together in this dangerous mission. What they might find is that they’re each other’s hope and friend…and maybe even something more. This book features a dark world and the relationship between Eris and Sona is one for the books, which makes for an enjoyable read. In another world, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara is also living a lonely life. The city she lives in is one of eight levitating around the world, built for people who protected the planet, but who now need protection themselves. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend some time in pods, conducting business virtually as needed, to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey does not mind the isolated life, her sister Celia hated it. But who knew she’d take a boat and disappear one day? Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope, thinking her sister is gone forever. Yet, as she retraces some steps related to her vanishing, she realizes there are some secrets that abound. And she has her own secrets as well. Full of intriguing twists and turns, this original and eerie tale will have you quickly turning pages. Realizing that they are now stuck with only each other, they explore a new and haunting world with no parents, no friends, and no school. As they do so, they realize that they can be themselves instead of playing the parts everyone expects of them. Hannah doesn’t have to be an overachieving ballerina, and Leo can be more than a laid-back guitarist. And, at the same time, they really get to know each other’s true selves. Together, they search for answers amid crushing isolation, but while their empty world may appear harmless, secrets and danger just might await them. Haunting and full of thought, this is a great one to pick up and immerse yourself in.
