The two things I love the most in fiction are great dystopian and/or apocalyptic stories and coming-of-age narratives, so imagine my giddiness when those two things come together. Here are some of my favorite novels that fit right in the middle of that Venn diagram:

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

Before you get any further into this review, let me just say that I would call The Other Valley dystopian-lite. It has a lot of the bones of dystopian fiction–big brother, role-based societies–but it's definitely not as heavy on the genre as other books. That being said, it has the *feel* of a dystopian novel and is one of the my favorite new books of this year. It's a genre-defying novel that puts ideas of destiny, free will, obligation under a microscope. Somehow Alexander-Howard has told the story of a complex, dystopian-adjacent society through the eyes of a teenage girl without losing the magical, awkwardness of adolescence.

The High House by Jessie Greengrass

The High House is solidly on the apocalyptic side of the sub-genre and is, in my opinion, highly underrated. This novel follows 4 people thrust together after an apocalyptic climate event that floods mot o the earth. It's told through a series of brief moments narrated by each of the different inhabitants of High House. While it tells a heartbreaking stroy of disaster and loss, it's also a joyful look at love, family, and growing up in a changed world.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee

This book is a wild mix of everything I love. It's got fantasy, specifically King Arthur lore, dystopia/apocalypse with some major Mad Max vibes, but ultimately it's a story of a woman coming into her own power. I was obsessed with this book right from the very start. It reads a little like Spamalot mixed with an apocalyptic version of Legendborn. This book made me feel things, like hope, and we we all could use a little bit of that.

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

I cannot say enough good things about Lily Brooks-Dalton. Good Morning, Midnight is one of my all time favorite pieces of apocalypse fiction and while it doesn't quite lean into the coming-of-age story The Light Pirate certainly does. This book is completely devestating and overwhelmingly cathartic all at the same time. Wanda is a truly magical character and her story captivates at every turn. It's a stand-out sophmore novel from one of my favorite authors and one of the best pieces of fiction of the last 10 years.

Severance by Ling Ma

Oh, Severance... remember how you spent me into a spiral January 2020? I sure do. If you read one book from this list, please let it be this incredible novel. Severance is a cynical, heart0felt satire that questions the core of American culture and millennial life under late-stage capitalism. It's a story about zombies and the end of the world, but it's mostly a story about a woman finding her way through capitalism, materialism, identity, immigration, motherhood, routine, memory, and nostalgia.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

I doubt I can say anything about Feed that hasn't been said much more eloquently by someone else in the 22 years since it was first published. This is the only teen book that I'm including in this list. I specifically wanted to highlight "adult" coming-of-age stories, because very few of us find ourselves at age 18, but Feed is so quintessential to the genre that I had to call it out.

PS: Want to experience Feed in all of it's stress-inducing glory, might I suggest the audiobook?

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Honestly, I was worried that not including Never Let Me Go would lead to some sort of discourse, so here you go. If you've been on the book internet for any small amount of time, you've probably heard 100 people talk about this one, so I won't add much more to that noise. Yes, it is worth reading. Yes, it is worth the hype.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Hot take, Parable of the Sower is the most important piece of dystopian/apocalyptic fiction of the last century, if not ever. It's better than 1984, Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale–all of which I love, please don't yell. The Parable of the Sower takes those stories and puts the experiences of a 15 year old Black girl front and center, and then tells a story not about saving the world, but embracing a changed world. It takes the "finding paradise" trope and turns it into something completely unqiue, all while crafting one of the best "coming-of-age" stories in all of literature.

PS: There is a graphic novel adaptation, that is so horrifyingly detailed that I had to take breaks after reading certain scenes.

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