She wants a nice, safe, predictable life, unlike the one her mom had. Lena Haloway lives with her aunt and uncle in Portland, Maine, and can’t wait to turn eighteen and have the Cure performed. In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces anyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Or so she thinks until she meets Prince Maxon and realizes maybe the life she’s always dreamed of is her future.

She’s already found love with the boy next door. But for America Singer, this isn’t something she wants. A chance to escape a rigid caste system, live in a palace, and compete for the heart of a prince. Dystopian stories allow people to imagine what it would be like if things were different than they are today-it’s fun to imagine living in a society where there are strict rules governing behavior, or where people have superpowers, or where technology has advanced so far that people can fly through space without having to worry about gravity! The Selection by Kiera CassĪmerica, a violinist, is one of thirty-five girls that’s given the chance of a lifetime. The dystopian romance genre has been a popular one for decades now, and it’s easy to see why. Often, these characters must make decisions about how they want to live their lives in this new world order.

The stories in these books feature characters whose lives are drastically altered by their experience in the fictional world.

Stitch by samantha durante