Valerie Ettenhofer
Staff Writer

In a not-too-distant past, “Twilight” and supernatural romance were topping the box office. Now, a different type of story is enchanting teens and adults alike.

Dystopian literature is commonly a subgenre of sci-fi that involves a nightmarish futuristic world. The group includes such English class standbys as “1984” and “Brave New World.”

So what makes “The Hunger Games” and other dystopian sagas so popular among audiences who may have slept through English class?

For one, these books tend to have strong female leads that inspire women to take control of their own lives. “Hunger Games” heroine Katniss Everdeen has much more determination and take-charge attitude than her “Twilight” counterpoint, and has her own successful franchise to show for it.

A slew of dystopic novels featuring powerful women have been torn off the shelves of bookstores everywhere, and some have been optioned for movie rights before being released as a book at all.

Each of these young adult novels also introduces a semi-complex mythology that often comes along with easily digestible moral lessons, usually about preserving individuality and freedom. These non-controversial values attract readers across the political spectrum that can all agree on right and wrong when examining a more clear-cut version of the future.

Still, many YA books dare to ask the big questions. “Unwind” by Neal Shusterman involves a world where abortion was outlawed and replaced by the option to make your child a full-body organ donor at any time.

“Uglies,” a 2005 book by Scott Westerfeld that may have helped restart the subgenre, describes a world where everyone undergoes extreme plastic surgery at the age of 16. When readers accept the premise, they accept that some miniscule version of the problem exists today and begin to ask “what if” questions.

The genre does tend to fall into the love-triangle cliché in an attempt to appeal to younger girls and romantics. Series like “Delirium” by Lauren Oliver and “Matched” by Ally Condie both revolve around issues of controlling or outlawing love.

A stand-out among many is “Divergent,” which centers around a young woman named Tris who lives in a society divided into societal groups based on the predominant or preferred traits of its people.

“Divergent” has a broad appeal and an intriguing premise that has led to a much-anticipated film adaptation starring Shailene Woodley [“The Descendents”]. Like “The Hunger Games,” it is an adrenalized story with room for visual creativity and moments of realistic drama alike.