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
created by KnightOwl
last updated January, 2026
Comments
ohhhh this list is my absolute jam
I reread matched a few years ago and while I would not say it holds up as an adult, there is something about itā¦I get the appeal, the organization of the Society, the different colored pills and dresses.
Insert benoit blanc gif āIt makes no damn senseā¦compels me thoughā
We really thought we were going to develop powers and be thrown into a government camp ššš Sadly, we only developed anxiety š(or is it a superpower?š¤)
yeah I definitely thought one day i would wake up and have super powers šš
I actually did get powers but Theyā¢ļø just haven't found me yet
burst through door, almost falls over MAXIMUM RIDE, PLEASE
MAXIMUM RIDEEEEEEEE literally my entire personality in middle school
God Maximum Ride absolutely ruled
Cinema in book form, even tho James Patterson can't write for shit
It didn't have to be well written she was a girl with wings I can do the rest in my head šāāļø
still waiting for mine tbh
OH MY GOD this is unlocking so many core memories, why were those books so good
Because we read with child eyes and less aware of our dystopian world
the CHOKEHOLD these had on meeeeeeeeeee
the crush I had on Max and Fang (a bisexual awakening) give me more angry women and emo men!!!
This list is bringing me back to sleepaway camp where Iād make my mom check out a bunch of books from the library and Iād read them all within the first week š thank you for creating it
YESS THE EXACT VIBES š¤
Itās a little earlier in time butā¦ as an older girl, may I suggest Animorphs?
School bus dystopia! Omg I can see the glitter gel pens now
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 š
Book Recc: Darkness Falls trilogy by Jessica Sorensen
Added!
Book Reccs (from my gf lol) -The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare -Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Thank you btw!! Love this list and the nostalgia it brings š„¹
omg, love this šš these books were my whole identity at some point š
Ahhaha this brings back some mems
what does it say about me that i only read 2 books of this list, and only one of them as a teen? š i was more of a warrior cats kinda girl
I personally devoured the Unwind series by Neal Shusterman at this age but idk if anyone else did.
Yes yes! This book really put the fear in me for sure
The host is the superior Stephanie Meyer book! Iām still waiting for a sequel š
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.
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
So many memories š„²š„²
Oh wow! What a trip down memory lane. Pretty sure I abandoned most of these series before the conclusionā¦ is it too late to go back and finish them?
ps may i ask if your usn (KnightOwl) is at all related to the knight owl picture booksā¦ā¦.
