Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
A near-future dystopian world that eerily resembles our modern world, this short novel follows the impact of constitutional bans on reproductive healthcare on four women in a small Oregon town. This quiet book never fails to leave me emotional and chilled without really knowing why.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
In what can only be described as a historical fantasy, Rebecca Kuang explores colonialism, academic pressure, and how things are lost in translation. In 1800s Oxford, a group of unlikely students attend the world’s most prestigious school, called Babel. There, scholars use translations engraved onto silver bars to create power. But as the characters fall deeper into this toxic, scholarly world, their views on the empire they are fueling and the effects on their lives blur between compliance and rebellion.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A classic known as “that books about burning books”, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a dystopian world where the censorship of books comes not from the government, but society. Following the journey of a fireman, or a person who burns books, this book explores how society censors itself, choosing comfort over knowledge, and the effects of those choices.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
A highly awarded novel, The Hate U Give follows Starr, a Black teenager who goes to a predominantly white school. Starr is split by the roles she plays: who she is at home in her mostly Black neighborhood and her mostly white school. When she witnesses the horrific murder of one of her closest friends by a white police officer, Starr is forced to confront the everyday racism that follows her between communities, and how she can use her voice to speak out.
You Know Me So Well by Nina LaCour and David Levianth
A short novel about queer love and the quick connections queer people make. Who knows you best? Over the course of San Francisco’s Pride week, senior Katie and junior Mark quickly become friends, bonding over their shared queer identities and struggles with love and their friends, highlighting how queer people often connect quickly through mutual experiences.
The Humans by Matt Haig
Haig is known for books like The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time, though this is his best in my opinion. A heartfelt novel about an alien who must infiltrate humans to remove a mathematical breakthrough while posing as a human, The Humans is a clever dissection of human nature and asks the question, “What does it mean to be human?”.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky
The Perks of Being A Wallflower is a teenage, coming-of-age novel that explores themes of mental health, friendship and love, and queerness while finding a chosen family. An epistolary novel (a novel told through letters), this book follows an introverted freshman named Charlie as he navigates high school.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
A classic middle-school dystopian read, The Hunger Games follows the journey of Katniss Everdeen as she is thrown into government-sponsored games called the Hunger Games, where representatives from the 12 Districts fight to the death for survival and glory.
1984 by George Orwell
A dystopian novel set post-atomic war, George Orwell combines his own experiences and fears into a world ruled by totalitarian regimes and constant surveillance. You may have noticed the “Big Brother Is Watching” signs that appear around the school in the fall (courtesy of the AP Literature students), which are a reference to 1984. The signs highlight a key point: Big Brother Is Watching. Always. 1984 explores the fear of living under constant surveillance – real or imagined – and how authoritarian leaders control the populus.
Dune by Frank Herbert
You might know the title from Denis Villeneuve’s recent adaptations – Dune Part One and Dune Part Two – starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, but the book is an incredible read. A dense, complex book, Dune follows a cast of characters in a very-far future universe that is post-AI revolution, where “thinking machines” have been banned and humanity has evolved and exists on planets across the universe. The movies, while an excellent adaptation, leave out much of the complex details of the characters, their motives and actions, and the general timeline. Immersive, commentary about the dangers of the blind worship of charismatic leaders and resource extraction, as well as capitalistic-feudalism, Dune is a classic sci-fi/fantasy novel that (in my opinion) is worth everyone’s time.
