What to read next in YA dystopian fiction? Our intrepid fangirl Sarah Kloth reviews some of her favorites.
Those who grew up with Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Shadow Children series are sure to LOVE Joey Graceffa’s Children of Eden. Graceffa’s debut YA novel is a story of a dystopian future where we have ruined the earth and now everyone has moved to Eden, a safe haven from the poisonous land, where strict population control is in place to save the human race. The story follows Rowan, a second child, through her life being hidden away in a world where second children are illegal. Rowan will uncover the truth about Eden and the truth about her family, all while making a few friends along the way. Children of Eden is a perfect combination of Among the Hidden, Uglies, and Delirium. There are so many surprising twists in the story that there is never a dull moment. You will be re-hooked at the end of every chapter.
Synopsis:
“Rowan is a second child in a world where population control measures make her an outlaw, marked for death. She can never go to school, make friends, or get the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden. Indeed, her kaleidoscopic eyes may very well give her away to the ruthless Center government.
Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron Al-Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world.
As an illegal second child, Rowan has been hidden away in her family’s compound for sixteen years. Now, desperate to see the world, she recklessly escapes for what she swears will be only one night of adventure. Though she finds an exotic world, and even a friend, the night leads to tragedy. Soon Rowan becomes a renegade on the run.”