There are some really amazing series written for teens today that set teen characters against corrupt governments, post-apocalyptic societies and the harsh realities of being torn from family and friends to live lives that they believe are good. If you enjoy books with an exciting dark side, no matter how old you are, read on...
One fantastic trilogy that I’ve read recently is The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner, opens a new window. Book No. 1 is the trilogy’s namesake, and The Maze Runner follows Thomas, who wakes up in the middle of nowhere (the Glade) with no memory of life before that moment. He falls into the company of a group of boys who inform him that they have no memories either, that every morning they try to find a way out of the Glade through a maze full of dangerous creatures and that every night they are locked in the Glade until the next day.
Book No. 2, The Scorch Trials, finds the group out of the Glade but into another ordeal in a scorched wasteland inhabited by zombie-like people called Cranks. They must cross this land, called the Scorch, and arrive at a safe haven within two weeks in order to be free.
The trilogy’s final book (kind of, there’s a short prequel as well) is called The Death Cure. Thomas and the rest of the group are in the custody of a government faction called WICKED, which is attempting to eradicate the Cranks and the disease that they carry, the Flare, with the forced help of the group from the Glade. Thomas and the others, however, have very different plans.
The prequel, The Kill Order, is the story of a small group of people who lived through the origination of the Flare and who would do anything to stop its spread.
A film version of The Maze Runner is currently in production.
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