49 - A Dystopian Book with a Happy Ending

[L Y N N]

A Dystopian Book with a Happy Ending

Dystopian is not one of my favorites. But perhaps Parable of the Sower? It wasn't a happy happy ending, but at least somewhat upbeat...

I'm depending upon you to have all the answers!!

Listopia is HERE

[Ellie]

PS are determined to spoil endings for us this year, aren't they? I can only think of one so far, but there must have been some happy endings during the big YA dystopia trend.

[Karen]

I was looking around and found two possibles - but would not know unless I read them...

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Appleseed by Matt Bell

[Dubhease]

Possibly The Giver would count.

[Chelsea]

Karen wrote: "I was looking around and found two possibles - but would not know unless I read them...

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Appleseed by [author:Matt Bell|18..."

I would say Seveneves ends on a hopeful/optimistic note, though I don't think it's actually dystopian from my recollection; it's more of a disaster hard sci-fi book. That said, I think that "hopeful" is all you can really ask for in a dystopian rather than outright "happy."

[Nadine in NY]

Don't MOST dystopians have a somewhat happy ending? At least the YA versions, they usually involve a group of teens banding together to take down the evil overlords. I used to read this type of book a lot.

[Jennifer W]

Nadine, I was thinking the same thing. Yes, people are lost along the way and the characters are physically and emotionally scarred, but usually the bad guys are taken down.

[Dubhease]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Don't MOST dystopians have a somewhat happy ending? At least the YA versions, they usually involve a group of teens banding together to take down the evil overlords. I used to read this type of boo..."

I would argue that neither the Hunger Games nor Insurgent end happily.

[Laura Ruth]

I can think of a couple with epilogues making clear that the evil dystopian system falls, such as (view spoiler)[ The Handmaid's Tale and its sequel, The Testaments. Also Jack London's book The Iron Heel, but can't really recommend that one - London could write a wolf's POV convincingly, but not a woman's. (hide spoiler)]

[Nadine in NY]

Dubhease wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Don't MOST dystopians have a somewhat happy ending? At least the YA versions, they usually involve a group of teens banding together to take down the evil overlords. I used to ..."




yeah those would be exceptions

[GailW]

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, IMHO, is fabulous. It ends happy-ish and has a great twist.

[Nike]

The problem with this prompt is that I really don't want to know in advance how it ends!

[Deb]

I think Ready Player One and V for Vendetta may work for this prompt.

[Meghan]

Karen wrote: "I was looking around and found two possibles - but would not know unless I read them...

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Appleseed by [author:Matt Bell|18..."

Yes, Seveneves would work for this - it is a long (and sometimes very dark) one!

[Karen]

Thanks. I will pencil in Seveneves.

[L Y N N]

Deb wrote: "I think Ready Player One and V for Vendetta may work for this prompt."

Yes, Ready Player One definitely works!

[Bea]

Gail W wrote: " A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, IMHO, is fabulous. It ends happy-ish and has a great twist."

Thanks, Gail W, I am going with this one.

[Gina]

Has anyone read The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker? I haven't read it yet but from reading reviews it seems like it could fit (view spoiler)[because it sounds like the virus causing the illness goes away (hide spoiler)].

[Jennifer]

One of my top books this year. It ends on a happy-ish note and is a fantastic book.
A Better World by Sarah Langan.

A Better World

[Theresa]

I am quite sure that the 3rd book in the Everland trilogy by Wendy Spinale, which series is a dystopian steampunk retelling of chidrens classics and fairytales, has a happy ending, even a HEA one. Last book is Ozland - will come back and confirm it is once I read it in January.

[Denise]

I love dystopians, so this one is a hard one for me because I tend to grab the good ones soon after they come out! I guess I'll try The Light Pirate.

[Elspeth]

I *love* the Kindled series by Claire Kent. I've read them all, but maybe I can re-read one! The first is Last Light or Haven

[Dea]

It's dystopian-ish because (view spoiler)[it's short term (hide spoiler)], but 96 Miles, a middle grades book, ends well. Bonus: if you're not really into dystopian fiction, it's short and a quick read.

[Laura Ruth]

Anyone know if Starhawk's City of Refuge would qualify?

[Ami]

Jennifer wrote: "

One of my top books this year. It ends on a happy-ish note and is a fantastic book.
A Better World by Sarah Langan.

A Better World"

One of the genres listed for this book is Horror. I do not care for horror at all. Is there much horror or should I choose another book?

[Kim]

Denise wrote: "I love dystopians, so this one is a hard one for me because I tend to grab the good ones soon after they come out! I guess I'll try The Light Pirate."

Thanks, Denise! This is one of those prompts where I need to rely on other people's suggestions, to avoid spoilers. I checked the GR synopsis on this one, and it says right there, that it's a "hopeful" story, so I'm following your lead. Again!

[Denise]

The Light Pirate is on the Listopias so I’ll go with that maybe. I can double it up with climate fiction for another challenge.

[Katherine]

I'm gonna cheat a smidge on this prompt, or at least define the prompt my way and say "post-apocalyptic." Plenty of dystopian novels are after an apocalypse, and I've had more luck finding "LIGHT HEARTED POST-APOCALYPTIC" than any dystopian with happy endings.

sorry for yelling, I just hope someone zooming through the replies can pick out a different Google prompt to find a book they need.

[Nadine in NY]

Katherine wrote: "I'm gonna cheat a smidge on this prompt, or at least define the prompt my way and say "post-apocalyptic." Plenty of dystopian novels are after an apocalypse, and I've had more luck finding "LIGHT H..."




Great search term, thanks. Book Riot has a nice list: https://bookriot.com/lighthearted-pos...

[Jamie]

It's kind of dystopian-lite, but Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend would work for this prompt, I think.

[Lisa Marie]

What about The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure by James Dashner.....would any of these fit this prompt??

[Ron]

I've read the Hunger Games books so many time so going with:

Mockingjay

It helps knowing how this one ends already and it's positive.

[Rachel]

I'm really struggling with this one, especially since I'm trying to find a standalone. I already have a ton of series on the go and don't really want to commit to another one, but most dystopian I've found are series.

[Michele]

I have been listening to Red Rising by Pierce Brown, and wondered if I should stop until the new year. Does it fit this prompt, even as happy for now?

[Lisa Marie]

Well, I am really struggling with what to read for this prompt. I feel like The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure by James Dashner all would fit this prompt.

I have decided to read a book from the LISTOPIA for this prompt:

*The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

HAPPY READING!!

[As You Wish]

I have just finished Zombie Apocalypse Running Club, and it surprised me with a happy ending. I was using it for the Run Club prompt, but there you go.

[LeahS]

I read The Archipelago of Another Life for ATY and I think it can fit here. It is set in a real-life dystopia, Siberia in the time of Stalin's rule, and features the pursuit of a prisoner escaped from a gulag. A very good book with at least a hopeful ending for some.

[Josie]

Does anyone know if Cinder by Marissa Meyer would work for this?

[Chelsea]

Josie wrote: "Does anyone know if Cinder by Marissa Meyer would work for this?"

Probably not unless you're planning to read Scarlet, Cress, and Winter, too.

[Patricia]

I just read The Dreamers & I think the ending is happy enough for such a book. I do recommend it.

[K.L.]

As You Wish wrote: "I have just finished Zombie Apocalypse Running Club, and it surprised me with a happy ending. I was using it for the Run Club prompt, but there you go."

I just picked this one up from the library this week. It looks like an interesting book.

[Heather]

I just remembered that Warm Bodies has a happy ending! And I'm already planning to re-read this one for a different challenge (52 in 52) so I think I'll go ahead and just do this one for the happy ending dystopia!

[Trish]

I'd recommend Liberty's Daughter by Naomi Kritzer. YA dystopian set on a seastead off the coast of California, but definitely has a more positive ending. I read it last year as it was nominated for the Lodestar YA award.

I like the author in general, as she tries to see the positive side of people.

I read Ready Player One a while back. Has anyone read Ready Player Two? Would that work here?

[Jessica]

I listened to Internment by Samira Ahmed

[Sherri]

I read The Light Pirate

[Stephanie]

Big vote for The Last Murder at the End of the World! I just finished it and thought it was incredible. Was surprised to see somewhat mixed reviews on Goodreads, but it was a 5 star for me.

[Sasha]

I ended up using The Big Time by Fritz Leiber for this. It's about a time war, set in a "recuperation station" where the soldiers in the war go for r&r. It's dystopian in that, at the point the action takes place, Hitler has won WWII and taken over North America. It's a mystery plot, so I don't want to say too much about the ending, but I think it qualifies as happy by the standards of a mystery story. It's also quite short, so might suit someone who doesn't want to spend too much time on this prompt. I listened to the audiobook, which is superbly narrated and really adds to the atmosphere. The only caution I would add is that there is sexism and homophobia typical of the periods the characters represent.

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine)]

I saw The Grace Year on the listopia. I would say that doesn't have a happy ending. But I think in a dystopia, happy might be relative.
A couple of recs. The Erasure Initiative and Moongazer

[Ellen]

I am going to re-read . I read it in 2016. Plus, it's available on Kindle Unlimited :)

[Denise]

I read Death of the Author