I Didn’t Choose to Live in a YA Dystopian Novel 

It was fifth grade, and tears rolled down my cheeks as I closed the soft final pages of Lois Lowery’s “The Giver.” In this moment, dystopian novels claimed a permanent place in my heart. What I didn’t realize was cherishing this genre also meant I would one day recognize that I lived in a real-life iteration of my favorite novels. But this time, there were no pages to slam shut.

On Dec. 18, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the United States would hold its first “Patriot Games” in the fall of 2026 to celebrate the semiquincentennial anniversary of the country.

For those who’ve read or watched Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” franchise, the introduction of this four-day event in which one male and female-identifying high school student from each state compete against one another for athletic prowess was eerie.

Collins also created a televised game for her fictitious world with contestants of a similar age as those proposed for the Patriot Games, except her Hunger Games require the fatal elimination of fellow competitors in order for a victor to arise. This bloodlust is used as an annual reminder to the citizens of Panem of their failed rebellion preceding Collins’ original trilogy and the power of the Capitol in determining their fate.

While the U.S. may be far away from reaching the same level of atrocity during its sporting event, the same cannot be said with certainty about the current state of American politics and civil life.

War brutalities are overwhelmingly common, neighbors — even children — are being kidnapped and murdered on the street and the international policy of one of the world’s most wealthy, influential and militarily powerful nations is said to be guided by its leader’s whims.

Every time a social media user opens their phone, the algorithm submerges its user into the ever ebbing waves of unresolved political injustices. Civil unrest and uncertainty lives in every air particle as the top 1% push the overconsumption of media into the faces of civilians’ in hopes they’ll be too distracted to look up and notice the destruction they caused.

Events which seem better fit for the back cover synopsis of a dystopian novel are the news we live every day.

Unfortunately, it’s nothing new for the dystopian genre to allegorize discontent within society and use it as a vehicle of advocacy, highlighting inequities unseen by privileged members of society. Though they’re works of fiction, dystopias are often based on true injustices going widely unrecognized until they’re brought into the mainstream.

Themes surrounding the loss of freedom, class disparity and government corruption seem to connect with every American generation since the early twentieth century who’ve picked up books of this genre because they have been issues seen throughout history.

Gen Z, however, has had the unique experience of growing up during the YA, or Young Adult dystopian craze of the 2010s in which ample amounts of literature and film in this genre were released. At the same time, the Obama-era of “Hope” in American politics coincided with the mass production of narratives centering political and social reform crafted specifically for teenage audiences.

And unlike the generations before them, Gen Z has been able to acquire more information about communities beyond their own — only needing the click of a button to have a world of information at their finger tips.

While there’ve been negative effects of growing up as the first generation of true “digital natives,” it’s been a great tool for the 66% of Gen Z who say their main form of activism takes place on social media. But, what may have started online has found its way to the physical world as over half of Gen Z has taken part in a protest or rally within their lifetime.

The internet gave Gen Z children better access to the bank of inequities in this world, but it’s the stories they grew up with ingraining within them the ability to recognize corruption and power-hunger in civil and governmental institutions. Dystopian novels helped educate them on responding to those who may want to control them and how to empathize with people who differ from them.

Kiera Cass released the first novel in her series, “The Selection,” in 2012, introducing the world to the angsty love triangle between America Singer and two pinning young men. Additionally, she showed how blind trust in leadership can lead to mass suffering and the dissolution of reality.

Young artists learned the power of their imagination in “The Unwanteds” by Lisa McMann when children who expressed any creativity were taken from their homes to meet a fatal end. Despite certain doom, they refused to let their voices and talent be silenced, displaying the true impact art can have on directing change.

Lois Lowery’s “The Giver” created a world of black and white and taught the young generation how to see all the colors and notice a more complex underlying picture, as Jonas did. Like him, once we learn how to see the color, we must help others see past their current perception of the world to see the beauty of every shade.

The dystopias of a 2010s childhood gave insight into what could hurt a nation or people, but they also gave the public a path to see a brighter tomorrow. 

The protagonist of these tales naturally cannot become the savior of the story without starting as an underdog. It’s the unrelenting ability to get up after setbacks and learning to lean on those with a shared idea for the future, where dystopians often get to end with the creation of a new, balanced world. 

Gen Z was given this body of literature as children to escape into worlds filled with hope and endless childhood possibilities. Now, these pieces of literature may be used as resources and blueprints to escape from a world which has seeped out of the pages and become reality.

Complex human truths have always been found in books. Even if they can’t depict a complete solution, they open minds of all ages to the many different ways injustice could look and be dismantled. The possibility for lasting change is at the end of our fingertips, if only we choose to crack open a book.