
Excellent Dystopian Listens Like The Hunger Games
By Tirzah Price | October 8, 2020
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Four
- A Divergent Collection
- By: Veronica Roth
- Narrated by: Aaron Stanford
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Fans of the Divergent series by number-one New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth will be thrilled by Four: A Divergent Collection....
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very dissatisfied. I wanted a story not this
- By linda on 12-06-15
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Four
- A Divergent Collection
- Narrated by: Aaron Stanford
- Series: Divergent, Book 0.5
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Release date: 07-08-14
- Language: English
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Perhaps the second-most popular dystopian YA series in recent years, this trilogy imagines a bleak future set in the wreckage of what used to be Chicago along the dry bed of Lake Michigan. The survivors of a global fallout have organized themselves into five different factions—Amity, Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, and Dauntless—each embodying a value they cherish above all else. This effectively defines each faction’s role in this society and allows them to work apart, but together, to survive. Each year, teens are tested and sorted into their future homes, and Beatrice Prior is no exception. But she’s utterly shocked when she finds a new home in Dauntless, and as she begins to see her city and her own fears in a new light, she uncovers a sinister plot to overthrow their carefully balanced world. The trilogy is narrated by Emma Galvin, with Aaron Stanford voicing the prequels and in-between short stories.Books in Divergent series: Four (Book 0.5), Divergent (Book 1), Insurgent (Book 2), Allegiant (Book 3)
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Matched
- Book 1
- By: Ally Condie
- Narrated by: Kate Simses
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted the Society’s choices. And when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, she is certain he’s the one - until she sees another face flash for an instant....
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Giver Goes Green
- By FanB14 on 12-26-12
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Matched
- Book 1
- Narrated by: Kate Simses
- Series: Matched, Book 1
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Release date: 11-30-10
- Language: English
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If you are fascinated by the controlled order of a future society and loved The Giver, then definitely pick up the Matched trilogy! Cassia has complete trust in the Society to regulate everything in her life—her meals, living quarters, education, and even who she will marry and how long she will live. But when another person’s face flashes for a moment on her Match ceremony screen before settling on her intended’s, Cassia begins to have doubts about how Society manages to know what's best for her. She connects with Ky, whose appearance on the screen was only supposed to be a rare glitch, and as she falls for him, they begin challenging everything they’ve ever been taught about Society and life...even if it means escaping into an unknown land. The trilogy is narrated by Kate Simses and Jack Riccobono.
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The Grace Year
- A Novel
- By: Kim Liggett
- Narrated by: Emily Shaffer
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. That’s why they’re banished for their 16th year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage....
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Excellent narration and great message
- By Sara Madison on 10-09-19
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The Grace Year
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Emily Shaffer
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Release date: 10-08-19
- Language: English
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If the survival aspect of The Hunger Games appeals to you, The Grace Year should be your next listen. In the County, women are banished during their 16th year to a compound in the woods, where they are expected to release their magic before returning home to become docile wives, mothers, and workers. Tierney just wants to survive her Grace Year unscathed, but it’s clear to her that the dangers in the woods are greater than she could have imagined. She was warned about poachers and the importance of following the guidelines, but no one warned her about the brutality of the other girls. When Tierney stumbles across a shocking secret about the Grace Year, she must pick between survival by any means necessary, or exposing the truth and upsetting her world. Emily Shaffer delivers a powerful performance of this book, which has already been optioned for film by Elizabeth Banks!
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Legend
- By: Marie Lu
- Narrated by: Mariel Stern, Steven Kaplan
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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What was once the Western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, 15-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles....
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Very Interesting Dystopian!
- By Tabitha on 07-21-12
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Legend
- Narrated by: Mariel Stern, Steven Kaplan
- Series: Legend, Book 1
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Release date: 11-29-11
- Language: English
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In this series, set on the West Coast of the United States, the Republic rules all. June is a military prodigy, and Day is a notorious criminal, one of the Republic's most wanted. When June's brother is murdered, the Republic wastes no time in pointing fingers at Day, and June decides to hunt him down and exact revenge. But Day didn't do it, and furthermore, he's got his own shadowy motivations for doing the things that are labelled as crimes. What ensues is an elaborate cat-and-mouse chase that will bring Day and June face to face, and force them to dismantle the lies and illusions they've been told in order to fight for the truth. Steve Kaplan and Mariel Stern narrate the first three books, and Nile Bullock steps in for Stern in Rebel.
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War Girls
- By: Tochi Onyebuchi
- Narrated by: Adepero Oduye
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies. In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs, and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs....
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The Mecha Story Set In Africa I've Always Craved
- By Mehmed Mitchel-EL on 06-16-20
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War Girls
- Narrated by: Adepero Oduye
- Series: War Girls, Book 1
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Release date: 10-15-19
- Language: English
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Set in 2172, this series is about two sisters, Onyii and Ify, living in a war-torn Nigeria. After climate change and decades of civil war and unrest, the world is nearly uninhabitable. Only the luckiest of people can escape the horrors on land and live in the safe havens of the sky colonies. Onyii and Ify want to be among the lucky few, and they want to stay together. And that means doing whatever it takes to see their dream realized, even if they have to fight their way through. This is an action-packed story about sisterhood and survival with a sci-fi feel, perfect for listeners who enjoy seeing how advanced technology and robotics may look in the future. Currently, only the first book is available, but a sequel is on its way!Books in War Girls series: War Girls (Book 1)
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We Set the Dark on Fire
- By: Tehlor Kay Mejia
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society....
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Undeveloped story and characters and setting
- By Hsin Yao Chou on 11-08-20
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We Set the Dark on Fire
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Series: We Set the Dark on Fire, Book 1
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Release date: 02-26-19
- Language: English
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Kyla Garcia narrates both books in this fiery duology about Dani, a young woman enrolled in the premier school for young women, which trains girls to become society wives—either mothers and caregivers, or partners who run households. Dani is triumphant at finally making an advantageous match, just as she is asked to spy for a rebel organization. Not only that, but she finds herself falling for her biggest rival, another student named Carmen. As her carefully planned future begins slipping from her grasp, Dani tries to balance the demands placed upon her and her own desires. Because Dani has a secret: Her pedigree is a lie, and if her past is discovered, her whole family could be in danger. This is an excellent dystopian duology with great LGBTQ+ representation.Books in We Set the Dark on Fire series: We Set the Dark on Fire (Book 1), We Unleash the Merciless Storm (Book 2)
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Dealing in Dreams
- By: Lilliam Rivera
- Narrated by: Marisol Ramirez
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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At night, Las Mal Criadas own these streets. Sixteen-year-old Nalah leads the fiercest all-girl crew in Mega City. That role brings with it violent throwdowns and access to the hottest "boydega" clubs, but Nala quickly grows weary of her questionable lifestyle....
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Entertaining and Thought-provoking
- By Misha Lee Strunk on 06-28-19
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Dealing in Dreams
- Narrated by: Marisol Ramirez
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Release date: 03-05-19
- Language: English
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In this dystopian novel with Mad Max vibes, Nalah is the leader of the Las Mal Criadas, an all-female crew who own the streets of Mega City and inspire respect and awe wherever they go. Nalah has worked hard to get her girls to the top of the street game, fighting to forget a painful childhood marked with abandonment, but now she wants more out of life than endless challenges, violence, and throwdowns. When she accepts a job from Mega City's top boss, she thinks it's a ticket to a better life—but soon the Las Mal Criadas find themselves outside of the city, facing uncomfortable truths about who really has the power. Is Nalah willing to risk the family she has created to fulfill her dreams? Marisol Ramirez narrates this fierce thriller.
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Scythe
- By: Neal Shusterman
- Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death....
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Teenage Thumbs up
- By Lila Reading on 04-01-17
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Scythe
- Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
- Series: Arc of a Scythe, Book 1
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Release date: 03-14-17
- Language: English
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Neal Shusterman is a master at writing vividly realized dystopian realities, and his latest series is no exception. In a near-ish future, death has been eradicated and humans have the ability to reset themselves to age 25. Even fatal accidents can be reversed, thanks to the omnipresent Thunderhead (think the cloud, but with all the power on the planet). But in order to keep the population under control, Scythes randomly "glean" people, to remind them of mortality. Cinna and Rowan have just been chosen as Scythe apprentices, but what they can’t know is that they've just become the latest pawns in an epic struggle among Scythedom that no one, not even the Thunderhead, can interfere in. This Audible exclusive trilogy is narrated by Greg Tremblay.
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Want
- By: Cindy Pon
- Narrated by: Roger Yeh
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Jason Zhou survives in a divided society where the elite use their wealth to buy longer lives. The rich wear special suits, protecting them from the pollution and viruses that plague the city....
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Torn, but enjoyed it.
- By Heather on 04-29-22
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Want
- Narrated by: Roger Yeh
- Series: Want, Book 1
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Release date: 06-13-17
- Language: English
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Set in futuristic Taipei, Cindy Pon’s Want series envisions a reality where environmental damage is rampant and the rich have manufactured special suits to protect themselves from the plagues and disease brought on by pollution. Zhou is among the poor, who must suffer without protection, and when his mother dies as a result of the city's horrible conditions, he decides to exact revenge. He sets his sights on bringing down the CEO of Jin Corporation, the company that manufactures the protective wear. As Zhou infiltrates the world of the protected mega-rich, he begins to suspect Jin Corp of manufacturing the very pollution their suits are made to protect against. To complicate matters, Zhou realizes he is falling for Daiyu, the CEO’s daughter. How far is he willing to go for vengeance? Roger Yeh narrates this "positively chilling" (The New York Times) dystopian thriller, joined by narrator Kim Mai Guest in the second volume, Ruse.
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Internment
- By: Samira Ahmed
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in a horrifying near-future United States, 17-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens. With the help of newly made friends, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom....
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Fifteen Minutes Into the Future
- By Mary Ellen Rainwater on 11-20-19
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Internment
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Release date: 03-19-19
- Language: English
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Soneela Nankani narrates this terrifying near-future story about what happens when the United States sets up internment camps for Muslim people. Layla Amin and her parents have just been forced into an internment camp, where they are imprisoned and terrorized by the camp director. With the help of her boyfriend on the other side, and new friends and connections made inside the camp, Layla sparks a resistance that will highlight this injustice and demand change. This standalone novel not only reminds listeners of a time not so long ago when internment camps were used in the US, but also demands we think about racism, fear, and how injustices continue to be carried out in our present. This is perhaps the most realistic and chilling novel on this list. A must-listen.
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With so many tantalizing (and frightening!) worlds and possible futures to choose from,
which dystopian series will be your next listen?
Tirzah Price is a YA writer and contributing editor at Book Riot.

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