The Dystopia Chronicles Book I - Left Leaning Logic: Diversity Via Conformity

American War by Omar El Akkad The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The dystopian novel that launched a bestselling trilogy and an epic film franchise, The Hunger Games is an action-packed ride set in a brutal, totalitarian future. In a sadistic form of population control, the Capitol live-broadcasts a reality competition in which teens fight to the death for the entertainment of the elite and the horror of the citizens every year. And when a year-old named Katniss watches her sister get selected for the event, she volunteers to take her place.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Harassment and assault are all fair game, as the boys chug drug-laced milk and set to work. When the droogs scale up their attacks, Alex ends up with a lengthy prison sentence, where he finds solace in reading the Bible—not for its moral messages, but for its violent scenes—and undergoes a controversial form of aversion therapy.

What makes The Man in the High Castle so unsettling is that it could have happened. The novel opens 15 years later, chronicling American life under totalitarian rule. Dick includes fantastical elements, of course, including a novel within the novel that describes an alternate universe in which the Allies won the war. The genius of High Castle is that the golden alternate universe, so similar to our own, is no utopia. The Allied powers conquer, racism still reigns and life is better for some and worse for others. The result is a sobering reminder that everything comes with a cost, even in a more alluring timeline.

Gabrielle Zevin is masterful at taking mundane thought experiments—What if a teen who had it all got amnesia? What if death meant living your years backwards until you returned to the world as a baby? It demonstrates how devastating even the most mundane changes to a culture can be. And in telling the story from the perspective of a retired woman regaling readers with her teen exploits, it demonstrates how all things ebb and flow, even misguided totalitarian policies. You just have to push back when the tide comes in.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The plot behind Philip K. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace North America has consolidated under one privatized government, comprised of a web of companies with their own acronym: Meanwhile, a herd of monster hamsters roams the massive irradiated chunk of what used to be the northeastern U. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell The compelling thread in this book is the structural implication that the dystopic future has already been set in motion by the events of the present—and the past. Multi-POV narratives can be challenging to sustain, even when all the characters are in the same story; accomplishing that with six separate, barely-connected narratives is almost a magic trick.

Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro plays a litany of tricks on his readers with Never Let Me Go , most notably sneaking a dystopian science-fiction premise into this literary meditation on mortality.

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Never Let Me Go is a melancholy coming-of-age story with a cast fated since birth to never see an advanced age, and its dystopia is one all-too-familiar: The Giver by Lois Lowry Chances are, you first read The Giver in school. Set in what appears to be a utopia, the novel introduces a young boy named Jonas who lives in a pain-free society.

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When they cross paths with a couple of other hybrid people like themselves, their quest for knowledge leads everyone down a dangerous path. Perhaps in future books we'll get to explore the flipside, but I thought it was a great start for a series to see the world through the eyes of the people who were fighting to have some shred of control within their own bodies. There were several moments as I read in which I found myself asking the questions, "What would it feel like? What would I do? What's Left of Me did have a character body-sharing experience similar to The Host but the story itself was not the same.

There were no aliens and no body snatching in WLoM. However, I found myself perfectly content with the condition of the people in this story happening because of a genetic occurance. I've never quite read about hybrids like these.

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Two enthusiastic thumbs up for a promising start to a great series concept. Book 1's adventures left me wondering what's in store for installment number 2. I can't wait to find out! This book was provided from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. View all 16 comments.

Apr 08, Sarah Maas rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Brilliant, heartbreaking, and absolutely unforgettable! I adored this book. Sep 21, Mitch rated it it was ok. And after going through the entire book trying to figure out the point to this unique premise, the only thing I got out of it is, thanks to some sort of government conspiracy, hybrids are bad.

Normally with dystopians, I can sort of figure out some of the backstory, why the author set up her world the way it is, and think of some possible reveals in the sequel, but Hybrid Chronicles , I got nothing. And that really bothers me. I can replace hybrid with various supernatural creatures like mutant, alien, leprechaun, etc. Be nice, share your body? Nope, just be happy the good guys are gonna take out said garden variety dystopian government in the sequel.

View all 9 comments. Jun 07, Giselle rated it liked it Shelves: Imagine never being alone in your head, always having someone else tag along wherever you go, never ever getting any privacy. Kat Zhang has created this alternate world where humans are born with two souls until one takes over and "settles". Except, Eva and Addie never did. Eva and Addie, two completely different personalities are sharing one body - or more like, Eva is stuck in Addie's head, as Eva has not been able to take control in years.

I found this very thought provoking as well as fascin Imagine never being alone in your head, always having someone else tag along wherever you go, never ever getting any privacy. I found this very thought provoking as well as fascinating. For someone who has always been especially curious to know how Siamese twins live, I found myself quite taken by this premise.

The simple thought of never being truly by yourself is scary, having to share every single thing with another self. It's intimidating to say the least. I wish it had gone deeper, however. Since this book takes place in the Americas where souls eventually settle, meaning one leaves, or dies--however you want to look at it--we don't necessarily observe how those who do keep both souls--hybrids--actually live out their lives. So many scenarios come into play when you question this way of living, I was a little bit let down to see this not explored further.

Another world building issue that became a pretty big factor in my not truly loving this novel is how we never really get the motivation behind the whole plot. To realize the dangers of being a hybrid, to feel the intensity this novel tries to evoke, I need to be able to understand why hybrids are treated as a threat and a danger to society. The minute explanation we do get--that hybrids, being constantly on the outs with themselves, can become unstable--is weak and unconvincing of the threat these people make them out to be.

As far as characters go, the ones we meet in this novel are all fairly well developed and enjoyable.

What's Left of Me

I was especially impressed with how different, yet how fitting both of the main characters were. Since Eva isn't in control of their body, she narrates mostly by going over what Addie is doing, referring to things as "ours": Our hands, our face, we walked, etc. I was sometimes thrown off by it, but it's a unique way to position a story and also a great method to get us to understand a bit more profoundly what it means to have to share a body with another. This psychological aspect is extremely enticing, leaving us with a sense of curiosity and wonder. As much as I enjoyed Eva's considerate personality, never blaming Addie for her selfish ways, I found Addie herself to be a little less pleasant.

While I understand that it must be extremely hard to live this kind of life, she can come off as very self-centered, because of which I can't say I particularly liked her. With a very intriguing start, What's Left Of Me soon loses its flair around the half way mark when things start to slow down exponentially. Due to the lack of world building I mentioned, I never got a big feeling of restlessness or foreboding from this novel, making their foray into the hospital a little long-winded. What it comes down to is a novel that has a highly thought-provoking plot with fascinating character relationships and a promising start to a series.

With a little more world building, a little more answers behind the hybrids, the severity of it all would have been much more poignant, turning it into a stronger, more compelling novel. It is definitely a series that I will continue as, for the most part, it did keep my attention fully. As well, I'm sure we will get some further examination into what I'm dying to know in the next installments.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads View all 11 comments. The first time I saw this I wasn't really that interested. Although the premise does sound intriguing it wasn't that enough for me to be very excited about this one. So when I saw this in Edelweiss I wasn't really planning on requesting it, however my fingers have their own minds and took the liberty to click it and started typing why I wanted a review copy.

And to my surprise I actually got approved. Then comes the glowing reviews from my GR friends and I was like, maybe I should thank my finge The first time I saw this I wasn't really that interested. Then comes the glowing reviews from my GR friends and I was like, maybe I should thank my fingers for requesting this, this could only be so good. And so I read it and boy I couldn't thank my fingers more because this book is just great, really great!

The originality of this book is one of the major aspects that made this book so good and very intriguing. The concept of this book was definitely a first for me; I never encountered a book with the idea of a world where people lived with two souls. That idea although made me interested also made me anxious to read it; wouldn't it be difficult? How can I like the MC if there are two personalities in them? How could there be a romance in this one? Can the author pull it off? But all those worries soon fade away as I find myself gradually being devoured by the author's writing! Kat Zhang is an amazing writer and she definitely pulled this one off!

Her writing was simple but gorgeous and the pacing was comfortably fast. The world and the characters she created were all very well thought and written. The world-building is one of a kind and although I had some little issues with it view spoiler [I wish there were more further explanations as to why the government think the hybrids are very dangerous.

I wasn't really convinced with what they let the citizens think about it but hide spoiler ] I can wait for them to be resolve more in the following books. The characters were my favorite part of this book. I loved how she wrote them especially the relationship of the sisters, Addie and Eva. The relationship and the emotional struggles they had were very realistic and heartbreaking. I saw the conflicting feelings each shared with one another.

And how they struggled in doing and choosing things they wanted for their own but not wanting to hurt or be selfish to the other one. I love how Zhang showed that with all the hurting, Eva and Addie really care and love each other. Through the different circumstances and obstacles thrown to Addie and Eva we were able to see the two differently - how they take and handle things, how they talk and think, their expressions and mannerism.

So as the story went on, when they shift it wasn't really confusing. She wrote the sisters in a way that we could really see them separately, two entirely different and unique characters, sharing one body. They were never left on the sides and I liked how they contributed on the development of the main character. There's a very light touch of romance in this one and it surprised me that it was actually fine with me.

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Because I am a major sap and I love romance! It's one of the things I always consider when reading a book but throughout the course of the story I was just so busy thinking of how they're gonna overcome their problems and obstacles. So when this one sweet moment came I was just like, aww. It made me really smile and for some reason I was pretty satisfied with it But I hope it would be more apparent in the next book.

With original plot, great world-building, and well written characters this book promises a definitely wonderful and engaging reading experience. This book did not disappoint. I highly recommend this. This review is also posted at Book Overdose View all 19 comments. My half-star complaint is for the somewhat anticlimactic end see below. Why did I love this book so much? Because the concept was actually mind-blowing. To be born with two souls and to become the dominant soul and to have the other naturally fade away - I can't even imagine how it feels to lose a part of myself like that.

The prologue had me hooked, and the rest of the story sure didn't disappoint. But what made the book so great was that Zhang let Eva be the n 4. But what made the book so great was that Zhang let Eva be the narrator, even though she was the recessive soul. To let herself just fade into the background but never totally fade away is so heartbreaking, knowing you could never BE.

But instead of feeling resentment, Eva supported Addie in places where Addie fell short - but with reminders and words of encouragement rather than taking action. The bond that Addie and Eva have and the dialogue that goes on between them is just indescribable. Zhang did a truly amazing job putting readers there, making us sympathize with both Addie and Eva. Both girls had their strengths and their weaknesses, and they compliment each other very well.

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I'm really curious to see what direction Zhang plans to take this series. Of course, readers would naturally want things to work out with Addie and Eva where both will be able to have their time in their body. But we already see how different the two are and how this can cause a problem in their future if they were both to survive view spoiler [i. Ryan hide spoiler ] Jackson gives us a hint, but you're left to wonder if both girls can truly be happy and how certain arrangement will be made.

And for those, like me, who have to have romance in their books, don't expect too much of it in this one. There is a love interest, but there's not much, and when there is, it's pretty subtle. But it actually didn't bother me in this book. But Zhang did a good job pacing the book, first sucking us in by the intriguing concept and later keeping us on the edge with anticipation about what's going to happen next. My half-star criticism is I felt the end was a bit anticlimactic. The ironic thing is I had made a comment that I would be pissed if this book ended with a cliff hanger.

So what's my problem? I'm not sure, but I felt something was just missing. And I think I expected more from Jackson - where's his other half, why he was in the Underground, even a possibility of a connection not necessarily romantic but some kind of understanding with Addie.

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And Ryan and Eva? They went from a passionate kiss, to avoiding each other, to the last scene of I guess content. But I kind of felt the transitions were kind of choppy. But I can't wait to see what Zhang has in stored for the sequel. View all 18 comments. Oct 31, Alz rated it did not like it Shelves: A lukewarm attempt at alternate universe fantasy vaguely dressed up as scifi, and increasingly disappointing as our heroine s blunder through a not particularly scary and very generic Secret Medical Government Institution toward an uninspired and predictable end.

Imagine every D-grade movie you've ever seen about someone different being singled out by the government and taken away to a shady institution for "correction". Said person somehow manages to do enough sleuthing to uncover the Terrible A lukewarm attempt at alternate universe fantasy vaguely dressed up as scifi, and increasingly disappointing as our heroine s blunder through a not particularly scary and very generic Secret Medical Government Institution toward an uninspired and predictable end. Imagine every Evil Medical Institution Clichee you can, from Nurse Ratched to the single doctor left with a conscience, from the innocent little girl patient who inspires feelings of fondness and protection, to failed "experiments" and vague pseudo-science and magical drugs.

That is this book. Only 10x more boring. I think this was trying to be a character-driven book, which was why it was kind of interesting for the first 80 pages or so--the concept of two sister souls struggling for dominance and one receding into the background, a passive passenger fearing constant threat of exposure and condemnation, is interesting. But it all goes downhill from there since neither Eva nor Addie have distinct enough personalities to remain interesting--they sounded like the same person, only we only hear Eva's POV since it's told from her first-person perspective; Addie's thoughts and actions aren't any different except oh noes, she doesn't like the boy that Eva likes or oh noes, Addie understandably doesn't want to risk discovery of their being a hybrid.

Their emotional dichotomoy in the beginning was interesting but like everything else it turned lukewarm and soggy, and by the end of the book it was cold and flat. Not to mention their incredible stupidity--if they KNOW that they have to watch themselves and have been pretending to be "settled" only one soul for some years now, and kept it secret to themselves for that long, you'd think they'd be OUT of the freaking habit of referring to themselves as "we" and "us".

And it gives them away more than once. It's a good thing the institution they end up at is so technologically inefficient and behind the times, too, since despite the fact that they have all these dangerous kids squirreled away there and are performing questionable experiments upon them, they have crap security and apparently no cameras or microphones ANYWHERE in the vicinity, except for one kid's plot device room--and this is the one kid they probably have to worry about least.

They always find each other with their magic glowing discs that the lax security never notices. It's things like this that continued to ruin the book--impractical, implausible, nonsensical things. The dystopic elements and length of time although it doesn't seem THAT long ago make some allowance for propaganda and rewriting history to mess with the information we receive--take nothing at face value, anyway--but it's frustrating beecause it comes off as token background developed after the fact, as if the story of two-soulled people was a cool premise and then backstory was backward-engineered to try to make it more plausible.

There's a second Big Reveal later on, but it's also both predictable and implausible, as well as based on more ill-explained magical pseudo-science. There's no tension, no driving thrust of the story, and ultimately everything is so predictable that even the plot twists and action are like reading a map of clichees. I would not read the sequel. This book was a waste of time. View all 3 comments.

This was the perfect novel to bust me out of my bad book reading funk. The majority of last several books I've read had been frustrating, time-consuming, and often, disappointing. Happily, that is far from the case with What's Left of Me. Though this debut novel is far from being free of all errors, Kat Zhang's first novel in the Hybrid Chronicles manages to be innovative, engrossing, unique, and affecting. I absolutely could not, and did not want to, put it down; this was another one-day read for me. With shades of The Golden Compass, Never Let Me Go and Unwind , all three of which are among my favorite-ever books, this novel is sure to entertain and engage, all the while making its rapt readers think.

This is one of those rare YA novels that could, and does and will, hold a wide appeal for readers of different ages and genre preferences. There's a lot to recommend about this novel. It's action-packed and also contemplative; it's filled with remarkable, highly individual characters and strong characterization; it's a fresh, innovative concept coupled with great storytelling. I love it wholeheartedly, even with its issues. The few things that missed with What's Left of Me only slightly detract from the overwhelming good about it. There are some sections that could use some tightening, some periods where the fluid pacing gets a bit stuck, but on the whole, this is a great book.

One I would easily and happily push on my fellow bloggers, friends, and family. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, with some key plot points left too vague and undetailed the surgery, the tech, the drugs, etc. The dystopian elements of the world shown are bare, and sketched in only slightly more as the story progresses, but I I often harp on worldbuilding, especially with fantasy and dystopian novels, and while What's Left of Me left some principle explanations missing in action, the characters and the plot of the novel more than made up for the lack. The other characters are almost uniformly remarkable and well-rounded, highly individual even in their twinned souls, but it was the two main characters that meant the most to me.

A few other quibbles: I found the main antagonist of the novel to be rather weak, and sadly one-dimensional in his presentation. I wished for more of a presence for him, felt that would have added more of a sense of tension to the atmosphere of the book, and for what he represented for the hybrids, but that never materialized. I also thought that the "twist" revealed at the end was a bit too open-ended and an obvious lead to buy the next book and it felt superfluous to the already-engaging plot of the novel.

But like I said, these are minor complaints in the face of all the awesome shown and revealed here in What's Left of Me. This is a great novel; entertaining and horrific at the same time. It's one that I will be buying a finished copy of as soon as it is available, because rereads of What's Left of Me are going to be necessary. I'm very impressed with Zhang's storytelling ability, as well as her obvious talent for innovative, creative plots and for crafting real, flawed, human characters. I can't recommend this one highly enough. I have to note that the cover is completely perfect.

Two people in one body? This is not one to miss, for many reasons! View all 5 comments. Jun 09, Thalia rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Read the review on my blog: Apr 08, Erin Bowman added it Shelves: I have been fortunate enough to read this upcoming debut early, and I am so very grateful! The novel follows Addie and Eva, two souls living in one body. Souls are expected to settle at a young age, picking one to dominate while the other fades into oblivion.

The way dialog is handled between these two girls is fascinating, often treated like an internal monolog.

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Where most people wou I have been fortunate enough to read this upcoming debut early, and I am so very grateful! Addie and Eva share an even tighter bond, and their relationship in this book is simultaneously beautiful and claustrophobic. They are never one without the other. Aug 29, TheBookSmugglers rated it it was amazing Shelves: From birth, the two souls have shared the same breath and heartbeat, occupied the same flesh, inseparably intertwined.

The girls are twin souls, hybrid souls - and like everyone else born in the world, they grow together sharing their every thought and feeling with the other. As the years pass, they also fight for control of their shared body, learning who is stronger and who is weaker. Because in Addie and Eva's world, by the age of 10, a dominant soul is meant to emerge, the recessive soul meant to simply fade away, as though it never existed.

Addie and Eva are different, though, and as the years pass, Eva refuses to disappear. The neighbors talk, the kids at school stare, and the government doctors step in. At the age of 12, after tests and treatments and thorough examination, Addie is declared "normal" and Eva is no more. Except that Eva did not disappear, and still lives and breathes. Addie and Eva, Eva and Addie are Hybrid.

After years of ceaseless war between normal, single soul Americans and invading monstrous Hybrids, fear of Hybrids is pervasive and without compare. This is Addie and Eva's greatest secret, and if they are to be discovered and revealed as a Hybrid, they will be imprisoned, killed, or worse.

So one day, when a strange girl at school named Hallie begins to relentlessly seek out Addie, Addie and Eva are terrified that she knows their secret. But that's when Addie and Eva learn that Hallie is just like them, a secret hybrid - but Hallie's other soul, Lissa, has the control and ability to move and talk on her own. Eva, who has been a passenger for so long, who has only ever been able to talk to Addie in her mind, will do anything to learn how Hallie and Lissa coexist.

Even if it means risking their greatest, most guarded secret. The debut novel from author Kat Zhang, What's Left of Me is a new entry in the sci-fi dystopia YA realm - an overpopulated, largely bland and somewhat homogenous landscape with a few amazing, brightly shining exceptions. Whenever I find a new novel of this particular subgenre, I am wary, but try to be cautiously optimistic - yes, there are many bland Not Dystopias that seem to use a pale, halfbaked totalitarian society as a mere backdrop for contrived insta-romance.

It was with trepidation that I began What's Left of Me ; it was with complete and rapt exhilaration that I finished the book. What's Left of Me is an original, harrowing, and unforgettable novel, and I loved every second of it. The thing that first caught my eye about Zhang's debut novel was the conceit of two different souls born into the same body, living together until one emerges dominant and the other dissolves. In Eva and Addie's case, though, the two souls remain occupying the same flesh - which seems impossible, doesn't it?

How could you live with two completely different entities within, knowing each other's every thought and experience? How could two souls live together and have one fall in love? The very idea of Hybrids is fascinating, but more importantly, Zhang delivers in the execution of this unique concept brilliantly, through clever writing and the characterization of Eva. What's Left of Me is narrated by Eva, Addie's repressed soul who has clung tooth and nail to life - or whatever small semblance of life she can have as a secret observer to Addie's life, communicating only with Addie.

From the time they were children, both accepted and loved by their family and society in the years before they were due to Settle, Addie was always the dominant one, quicker and stronger than Eva in controlling their body. And, through Eva's perspective, we see just how isolated she is, how cruel her very existence is - Addie gets to walk and talk and live, while Eva is a secret that no one can ever know about.

Not her parents, not her brother, no one. Yet for this, Eva isn't resentful or bitter - but when she is given the chance to move and live like Addie, it makes sense that she desperately clings to that possibility, regardless of the risk involved. At the same time, even though the book is narrated by Eva, we also learn and feel for and understand Addie, too - who must love and resent Eva's existence, keeping her from being "normal" but at the same time her greatest confidant and an inseparable part of her. It's amazing to read the kind of quiet symbiosis the two souls have achieved - at one point, Addie and Eva fight and stop talking to each other, and as a result, Addie forgets where her hairbrush is, or to turn off her alarm because Eva is the observant one that reminds Addie to do these things each day.

Little touches like that add a believable dynamic to the girls' complicated relationship. What's Left of Me also weaves the nature of these conflicted dual souls into the writing of the book - we can see Eva and Addie's relationship change as the pronouns start to shift, from me and mine to us and ours. Addie begins to vocalize the forbidden "us" in reference to herself and Eva; Eva does not feel guilt for her existence and feels tactile things and emotions of her own volition.

This is incredibly, mind-blowingly effective, and I love the careful even-handedness of this narrative development. On the dystopia-meter, What's Left of Me also delivers. The xenophobia that characterizes the novel - the intense fear and hatred of the Other in the form of Hybrids is palpable and exceptionally well done in this book. Addie and Eva's world is truly a dystopian one, and their society guards terrible secrets - what happens to those children who don't Settle and emerge with one Dominant soul? Why are there Hybrids in the first place?

There's so much more, too - there's a Golden Compass sort of horror and reveal at what exactly is being done to children Hybrids taken in by the government. There's the characters of Hallie and Lissa, and her older brother Devon and recessive soul Ryan - who comes to mean something very important to Eva. There are nefarious and conflicted doctors alike, and, most of all, there are other, much larger reveals about the nature of this future America and its place in the rest of the world.

In short, allow me to summarize: What's Left of Me is a dazzling, utterly memorable first novel, and in the running for one of my top ten favorite books of the year. This is the stuff of great science fiction dystopia, YA or adult alike. Absolutely, wholeheartedly, emphatically recommended. View all 4 comments. Feb 21, Rose rated it liked it Shelves: I know what you're thinking: Explain yourself this minute! You said you really liked this book, why are you giving it only 3-stars?! XD First things first, I have to give it to Kat Zhang; her narrative kept me reading through this book from beginning to end, and I liked the premise of the story.

For a good while, it kept me engaged in the toggle between Eva and Addie's personalities. The beginning of the novel was VERY good. I also think that, despite the minimal focus on the romance which was a GOOD thing in this book , I still felt like it wasn't quite vetted out as much as I would've liked to see.

I do think that this will appeal to quite a bit of people, though. The concept of it, by far, is one of the most intriguing premises I've come across in the past year in YA fiction. The idea of twin souls sharing one body isn't new, but the fact that they have to compete for existence where it means that one of them may potentially be erased is heartbreaking, especially if those souls "complete" each other in a sense.

Addie and Eva, in their initial interactions are shown to be souls that care for each other and never want to pull apart despite sharing one body and Addie being the dominant figure. I found that bond compelling in parts of this novel as I read through it. I also found that the measure this society can recognize this phenomenon fascinating, and that they would take an active stance against erasing multiple souls to be jarring, especially with such a close bond to consider.

But the question my mind tried to figure in this collective book was - why? Why did the society see the hybrids as a threat? Why were they so adamant about ridding of them? If a society is to be believed, there has to be a motivation behind the impending threat. Even if it's just to establish them as an abberation, I would've expected a little more expansion on that than what this book offered. Heck, even Dan Wells - with his work on "Partials" - showcased the divide between the societies in the world that he created.

Using techniques drawn from Janice Radway's classic study Reading the Romance and from scholars of utopian studies, I interviewed THG fans and read Internet commentaries on the series to understand how a single political fiction could become a universal allegory for contemporary politics despite a polarized political environment. I argue that "neoliberal populism," a seeming oxymoron, unites fans of this series, despite their many real political disagreements. Following Radway's lead, I chose the most popular recent dystopian text and sought to understand what fans liked about it.

The first book in the series sold more twenty-seven million copies, and the films rank among the highest ticket sales in U. Roemer explains that readers "placed Bellamy's ideas and narrative episodes within the contexts of key events in their lives, events that represented crucial paradigm shifts or had become icons of strong beliefs. Such imagined worlds are especially significant for young readers; as Carrie Hintz and Elaine Ostry argue, they "may be a young person's first encounter with texts that systematically explore collective social organization.

In an episode of the leftist Intercepted podcast, describing Trump's blending of reality television TV with the presidency, host Jeremy Scahill intoned darkly, "we are now all part of Trump's Hunger Games. Rafaela Baccolini argues that dystopian fiction's "function is to warn readers about the possible outcomes of the present world and entails an extrapolation of key features of contemporary society. The series departs from contemporary conditions by portraying a strong state in control of an extractive economy in an allegory to ancient Rome—thus the society's name, Panem, taken from the Latin phrase panem et circenses bread and circuses.