ultimate 2010s school bus dystopia

[BREAK GLASS IN CASE OF SOCIETAL COLLAPSE]

Dystopia-core library books you inhaled in middle school on the bus so you could talk about them during lunch period.

Or: books that had an entire generation of kids convinced they were going to develop powers and be thrown in a government camp

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created by KnightOwl

last updated December, 2025

65

Comments

burst through door, almost falls over MAXIMUM RIDE, PLEASE

11

MAXIMUM RIDEEEEEEEE literally my entire personality in middle school

3

God Maximum Ride absolutely ruled

5

Cinema in book form, even tho James Patterson can't write for shit

2

It didn't have to be well written she was a girl with wings I can do the rest in my head šŸ™‚ā€ā†•ļø

2

still waiting for mine tbh

1

OH MY GOD this is unlocking so many core memories, why were those books so good

4

Because we read with child eyes and less aware of our dystopian world

1

the CHOKEHOLD these had on meeeeeeeeeee

4

the crush I had on Max and Fang (a bisexual awakening) give me more angry women and emo men!!!

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We really thought we were going to develop powers and be thrown into a government camp šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ Sadly, we only developed anxiety šŸ™ƒ(or is it a superpower?šŸ¤”)

12

yeah I definitely thought one day i would wake up and have super powers 😭😭

6

I actually did get powers but Theyā„¢ļø just haven't found me yet

6

This list is bringing me back to sleepaway camp where I’d make my mom check out a bunch of books from the library and I’d read them all within the first week 😭 thank you for creating it

6

YESS THE EXACT VIBES 🤌

2

It’s a little earlier in time but… as an older girl, may I suggest Animorphs?

6

ANIMORPHS my beloved

7

šŸ’ÆšŸ’ÆšŸ’Æ

4

CONSIDER IT DONE! šŸ‘¦šŸ¼āž”ļøšŸ¦Ž

3

YASSS!!!

2

These books defined my adolescence!!! I love it!

6

Eee I'm so glad you like it!

2

School bus dystopia! Omg I can see the glitter gel pens now

3

the silly bands!!!

6

THE SILLY BANDS

5

omg omg omg the chokehold that the Numbers series by Rachel Ward had on me - I still think about this book. big recommendation for this list - this is a whole throwback 😭

3

Book Recc: Darkness Falls trilogy by Jessica Sorensen

2

Added!

3

Book Reccs (from my gf lol) -The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare -Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

1

Thank you btw!! Love this list and the nostalgia it brings 🄹

1

omg, love this šŸ˜‚šŸ˜­ these books were my whole identity at some point šŸ˜…

2

Ahhaha this brings back some mems

2

what does it say about me that i only read 2 books of this list, and only one of them as a teen? šŸ˜” i was more of a warrior cats kinda girl

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The host is the superior Stephanie Meyer book! I’m still waiting for a sequel 😭

2

wow the uglies..... totally had blocked out that series in my mind. I feel like that series may be a more spooky read in today's glp1, black Friday botox sale, bbl landscape. amazing list.

1

Amazing list!! I'm a bit ashamed to say I've read almost all of these and then some (enclave, partials, birthmarked, the declaration). I don't even understand how I wasn't fed up with this genre

1

I personally devoured the Unwind series by Neal Shusterman at this age but idk if anyone else did.

1

Yes yes! This book really put the fear in me for sure

2

So many memories 🄲🄲

1

Oh wow! What a trip down memory lane. Pretty sure I abandoned most of these series before the conclusion… is it too late to go back and finish them?

1

ps may i ask if your usn (KnightOwl) is at all related to the knight owl picture books…….

1