Cherry Heaven

Title: Cherry Heaven
Author: L.J. Adlington
Publication date: 2008
Number of pages: 458
Genre: Young Adult fiction, dystopian fiction, science fiction
Geographical Setting: the New Frontier (on another planet, not Earth)
Time Period: the future
Series: sequel to The Diary of Pelly D

Plot Summary: In the New Frontier, people are supposed to be able to live in peace, no matter what the genetic ID stamp says on their wrist. Kat and Tanka have arrived from the war-torn City Five to start over. Their new peaceful home is amongst an old cherry orchard but there is a terrible past in their new home. They don’t believe in ghosts but something or someone has come to show that the New Frontier may not be the perfect society.

Subject Headings: dystopia, science fiction, war, racism, genetics, future, orphans

Appeal: story is told in alternating fashion between Kat’s experiences and Luka’s narration; in this future, humans have already populated a new planet and have been genetically altered to have developed gills, people can breathe underwater and enjoy time in water; themes of racism, totalitarianism and slavery.

If you liked Cherry Heaven, you might enjoy: Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, Bernard Beckett’s Genesis, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, John Wyndam’s The Chrysalids

Uglies

Title: Uglies
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publication date: 2005
Number of Pages: 425
Genre: Young Adult fiction (grade 6 and up)
Geographical Setting: United States, location is unclear, near a large city Time Period: future
Series: yes, first in trilogy

Plot: In the future, people have learned ways to avoid war and destruction of the earth by the wastefulness of human beings. Their cities care take care of them, every need can be fulfilled. At the age of sixteen, each citizen gets an operation to turn them from an Ugly to a Pretty. But Tally, soon to be turned pretty, begins to question if the equality of the pretty world comes at too high of a price.

Subject Headings: science fiction, authoritarianism, individuality, conformity, free will

Appeal: futuristic society including “hoverboards” and “hovercars,” operation that re-sculpts the body and face/features to create “ideal” of beauty including light skin and symmetry of the face, dystopian image of the future, disquieting vision of our current society (known as the “Rusties” in the future): the wastefulness of the Rusties with their natural resources compounded by a virus that destroys all petroleum leads to their demise, fast-moving first book of a trilogy and cliffhanger ending.

If you liked Uglies, you might enjoy: Lois Lowry’s The Giver, M.T. Anderson’s Feed, Rodman Philbrick’s The Last Book of the Universe, Ned Vizzini’s Be More Chill, Ellen Dee Davidson’s Stolen Voices, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New Word