Finally, it’s fall and that crisp chill in the air is the perfect excuse to spend the days wrapped up in a blanket with hot cider or chocolate and a book or Kindle in hand. These YA dystopian series have enough books out or are complete so you can binge-read. So lean into hibernation mode and enjoy some fantastic series fiction.
Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness
Chaos Walking series
(image credit: chaoswalkingconfessions.tumblr.com)
Patrick Ness is the author of the lesser-known cult-classic series, Chaos Walking, which contains three books and is complete. The first novel is The Knife of Never Letting Go and submerges the reader in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world that is an outright gritty horror. Young Todd has just come of age but is forced to make a run for it on foot with only a map and his trusty dog when he finds a patch of Silence in the world of Noise. The Silence is caused by Viola, a girl who has crash landed on New World. Todd, Viola, and Manchee the dog try to make sense of their dystopian world while escaping the evil Mayor. Riveting action and a brutal post-apocalyptic atmosphere permeate this addictive trilogy which has accompanying stories. This YA dystopian series is rooted in strong characters who make unimaginable sacrifices to find out the truth.
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
The Selection Series
Seeking breathtaking romance, radical political manoeuvring, and riveting power moves? Kiera Cass’ The Selection series is led by America, a young woman who is chosen to go to the capital of the country and compete in a reality TV series Bachelor style to help the young prince choose a wife, the queen. America knows the desolate reality of life in this former version of the United States: not enough medicine, food, money, or opportunities. So she plans to buck the royalty. But she didn’t plan on falling in love with Prince Maxon, and she still has feelings for her revolutionary-minded best friend from home. America’s transformation into a confident woman capable of leading a country is fun and compelling to witness. The series contains four books and novellas and short stories and is complete.
The Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
The Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
Scott Westerfeld’s incredibly binge-worthy Uglies Trilogy explores fascinating ideas, like aesthetic perfection and murky medical ethics. Fearless protagonist Tally has never questioned the operation that all citizens must undergo at sixteen to eliminate their aesthetic flaws and make them over from an “Ugly” to a “Pretty.” She believes she is doing the right thing for herself, her family, and the country. Until she meets Shay, who is not so quick to be persuaded and tries to recruit Tally to join her in the forest, the Rusty Ruins, to escape the totalitarian government. Tally’s transformation over three books shows her maturing as a citizen and revolutionary. The Uglies Trilogy is complete and contains three books and one book of short stories. This YA dystopian series is one you can definitely binge-read over a long, autumn weekend.
The Walking Dead Series of graphic novels by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore
The Walking Dead graphic novel series
Can’t get enough of The Walking Dead TV show? Well, for fans who are devastated that the series is ending soon, get ready to get comfy on your couch: the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel is still going strong at 159 issues. The graphic novel series, on which The Walking Dead was based, should keep you busy for a while. The comics follow survivors in a post-apocalyptic world where no one can be trusted, not when there flesh-eating zombies on the loose. Filled with a macabre sense of dark humor and illustrated with stunning graphics, The Walking Dead graphic novel series makes an excellent fall and winter epic reading project. And if you want to read more unputdownable graphic novels, check out this blog’s article on top graphic novel dystopian and post-apocalyptic series.
The Undergrounders Series , Norma Hinkens – 3 book series, complete
If you like gripping apocalyptic tales, gritty heroines, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love my fast-paced, end-of-the-world sci-fi dystopian thriller trilogy. The year is 2069. Sixteen-year-old Derry and her brother live in perpetual fear of capture. They survive underground on a post-apocalyptic earth overrun by gangs and clones, and hunted overhead by mysterious hoverships. When her brother goes missing, Derry’s only hope of finding him is to strike a deal with a group of cutthroat subversives. Desperate to save her only sibling, she leads a daring raid to uncover the secrets behind the Sweepers’ hoverships, but she soon finds out the world she knows is a lie. Keeping her brother alive may require trusting her enemy and opening her heart to someone scarcely human. Think of The Undergrounders as a young adult sci-fi adventure series meets prepper survival fiction. A binge-worthy read for all ages!