If you are fascinated by the controlled order of a future society and you're a fan of The Giver, then definitely pick up the Matched trilogy! Cassia has complete trust in the Society to regulate everything in her life—what she eats, where she lives, her education, who she will marry, and even when she will die. But when another person’s face flashes for a moment on her Match ceremony screen before settling on her intended’s, Cassia begins to have doubts about how Society manages to know what's best for her. She connects with Ky, whose appearance on the screen was only supposed to be a rare glitch, and as she falls for him, they begin challenging everything they’ve ever been taught about Society and life ... even if it means escaping into an unknown land. The trilogy is narrated by Kate Simses and Jack Riccobono.

If the survival aspect of The Hunger Games appeals to you, The Grace Year is a can't-miss listen. In the County, women are banished during their 16th year to a compound in the woods, where they are expected to release their magic before returning home to become docile wives, mothers, and workers. Tierney just wants to survive her Grace Year unscathed, but it’s clear to her that the dangers in the woods are greater than she could have imagined. She was warned about poachers and the importance of following the guidelines, but no one warned her about the brutality of the other girls. When Tierney stumbles across a shocking secret about the Grace Year, she must pick between survival by any means necessary, or exposing the truth and upsetting her world. Emily Shaffer delivers a powerful performance of this book, which has been optioned for film by Elizabeth Banks.

In this series, set on the West Coast of the United States, the Republic rules all. June is a military prodigy. Day is a notorious criminal, and one of the Republic's most wanted. When June's brother is murdered, the Republic wastes no time in pointing fingers at Day, and June decides to hunt him down and exact revenge. But Day didn't do it, and furthermore, he's got his own shadowy motivations for doing the things that are labelled as crimes. What ensues is an elaborate cat-and-mouse chase that will bring Day and June face to face, and force them to dismantle the lies and illusions they've been told in order to fight for the truth. Steve Kaplan and Mariel Stern narrate the first three books in Legend, and Nile Bullock steps in for Stern in the gripping finale, Rebel.

Set in 2172, War Girls is about two sisters, Onyii and Ify, living in a war-torn Nigeria. After climate change and decades of civil war, the world is nearly uninhabitable. Only the luckiest of people can escape the horrors on land and live in the safe havens of the sky colonies. Onyii and Ify want to be among the lucky few, and they want to stay together. That means doing whatever it takes to see their dream realized, even if they have to fight their way through. Narrated by Adepero Oduye, this is an action-packed story about sisterhood and survival with a sci-fi feel, perfect for listeners fascinated by how advanced technology and robotics may look in the future. Nkeki Obi-Melekwe narrates the epic sequel, set five years after the war's end, with the sisters living worlds apart and drawn together to fight a new threat: a mysterious deadly virus.

Kyla Garcia narrates both books in this fiery duology about Dani, a young woman enrolled in the premier school for young women, which trains girls to become society wives—either mothers and caregivers, or partners who run households. Dani is triumphant at finally making an advantageous match, just as she is asked to spy for a rebel organization. Not only that, but she finds herself falling for her biggest rival, another student named Carmen. As her carefully planned future begins slipping from her grasp, Dani tries to balance the demands placed upon her and her own desires. Because Dani has a secret: Her pedigree is a lie, and if her past is discovered, her whole family could be in danger. This is an excellent dystopian duology with great LGBTQ+ representation.

In this dystopian novel with Mad Max vibes, Nalah is the leader of the Las Mal Criadas, an all-female crew who own the streets of Mega City and inspire respect and awe wherever they go. Nalah has worked hard to get her girls to the top of the street game, fighting to forget a painful childhood marked with abandonment, but now she wants more out of life than endless challenges, violence, and throwdowns. When she accepts a job from Mega City's top boss, she thinks it's a ticket to a better life—but soon the Las Mal Criadas find themselves outside of the city, facing uncomfortable truths about who really has the power. Is Nalah willing to risk the family she has created to fulfill her dreams? Marisol Ramirez narrates this fierce thriller.

Neal Shusterman is a master at writing vividly realized dystopian realities, and Scythe is no exception. In a near-ish future, hunger, illness, and death have all been eradicated—humans have the ability to reset themselves to age 25. Even fatal accidents can be reversed, thanks to the omnipresent Thunderhead (think the cloud, but with all the power on the planet). To keep the population under control, and remind everyone of the threat of mortality, Scythes randomly "glean" people. Citra and Rowan have just been chosen as Scythe apprentices, and have also just become the latest pawns in an epic struggle among Scythedom that no one, not even the Thunderhead, can stop. Greg Tremblay narrates this Audible exclusive trilogy about the price of a perfect world.

Set in futuristic Taipei, Cindy Pon’s Want series envisions a reality where environmental damage is rampant and the rich have manufactured special suits to protect themselves from the plagues and disease brought on by pollution. Zhou is among the poor, who must suffer without protection, and when his mother dies as a result of the city's horrible conditions, he decides to exact revenge. He sets his sights on bringing down the CEO of Jin Corporation, the company that manufactures the protective wear. As Zhou infiltrates the world of the protected mega-rich, he begins to suspect Jin Corp of manufacturing the very pollution their suits are made to protect against. To complicate matters, Zhou realizes he is falling for Daiyu, the CEO’s daughter. How far is he willing to go for vengeance? Roger Yeh narrates this "positively chilling" (The New York Times) dystopian thriller, joined by narrator Kim Mai Guest in the second volume, Ruse.

Some dystopian stories are powerful because they're set far in the future, in worlds that feel distant from our own. Others, like this novel by Kosoko Jackson, draw their power from situations that are all too familiar. In this moving exploration of racism, police brutality, state surveillance, and justice, a teenager and aspiring journalist finds himself trapped in Baltimore in the wake of a protest. The city is testing out a new security measure: a Dome that traps the entire city inside its impenetrable walls. Narrator Kevin R. Free brings his usual dynamism to this story about fighting back against powers that are too big to face alone.

Seasoned narrator Adjoa Andoh expertly portrays the diverse cast of this chilling and creative dystopia, which takes place on three continents. Alderman's world feels very much like our own—with one crucial difference: suddenly, teenage girls find that they have immense physical power and strength, and can cause pain and even death with a mere touch. In the wake of this global phenomenon, the lives of three characters intersect with far-reaching, and potentially devastating, consequences.

In a future North America ravaged by climate change, everyone except Indigenous people have lost the ability to dream, which has led to mass delusion and death. The government begins hunting and torturing Indigenous people for the power their dreams possess. Frenchie is an Indigenous teenager who, after losing his family, begins traveling with a group of teens and elders on the run from the government. Though Dimaline paints a bleak picture of the future, the story is about the love that grows between Frenchie and his found family, and about the power of culture, history, and hope. Meegwun Fairbrother gives an unforgettable performance that highlights the tension, danger, and high stakes of this acclaimed YA listen.

Narrators Barrett Leddy and Andrew Gibson capture all the fear, angst, confusion, and, eventually, love, shared between two teenage boys trying to survive in the wake of a devastating pandemic. Andrew is traveling down the East Coast in search of survivors when he stumbles upon Jamie, holed up in a remote cabin. As the two boys face a string of dangers in a bleak and hostile world, they slowly come to trust each other and realize that the only way to survive in a dystopia is to make a new world—together.

In this creepy dystopian mystery, three best friends are stranded on their remote island boarding school, under a strict quarantine due to a deadly plague called the Tox. The Tox has killed teachers, transformed students into unrecognizable versions of themselves, and made the world outside the school's fence too dangerous to venture out into. Rory Power is at the top of her game with this layered novel of secrets, silence, and the limits of friendship. Eileen Stevens and Jesse Vilinsky take turns narrating, and their pitch-perfect performances ratchet up the tension and sense of foreboding doom.

Sabaa Tahir's beloved epic fantasy is set in a dystopian world modeled after Ancient Rome. Under the absolute rule of the Martial Empire, arrest means death. When Laia's brother is arrested, she risks her life and goes undercover at the military academy in an attempt to save his life. While there, she meets Elias, a soldier and star student with secrets of his own. Narrators Fiona Hardingham and Steve West capture the harsh realities of this brutal world and the bravery of the protagonists in performances that will have you eagerly pressing play on the sequel.