I like a good dystopian fiction book as much as the next person, but for those readers who prefer their science fiction to be of the non-dystopian variety, take a look at these recommended titles:
Erebos by Ursula Poznanski
When sixteen-year-old Nick Dunmore receives a package with a mysterious computer game called Erebos, he hopes it will explain his classmates' strange behavior. He is quickly drawn into the cryptic world of the game, where players must obey a strict code. Erebos watches its players and begins to manipulate their lives in frightening ways. It soon becomes clear the game has a deadly agenda. When Nick sets out on a dangerous mission, reality and the virtual world begin to blur.
The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
Michael is a skilled internet gamer in a world of advanced technology. When a cyber-terrorist begins to threaten players, Michael is called upon to seek him and his secrets out. Book 1 of the Mortality Doctrine series.
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
Sixteen-year-old Mila discovers she is not who--or what--she thought she was, which causes her to run from both the CIA and a rogue intelligence group.
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Cassie Sullivan, the survivor of an alien invasion, must rescue her young brother from the enemy with help from a boy who may be one of them. Book 1 in the 5th Wave series.
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
To everyone at Meridian High School, fourteen-year-old Michael Vey is nothing special, just the kid who has Tourette's syndrome. But in truth, Michael is extremely special--he has electric powers. Michael thinks he is unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor has the same mysterious powers. With the help of Michael's friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up with their abilities, and their investigation soon brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric teens--and through them, the world. Book 1 in the Michael Vey series.
Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars by Nick James
In 2095 when a fifteen-year-old slacker discovers that he has the power to control Pearls, fragments of space debris that are a dying Earth's most important energy source, government forces work to capture him. Book 1 in the Skyship Academy series.
The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Seventeen-year-old Prenna, an immigrant who moved to New York when she was twelve, came from another time and she and the other travelers must follow strict rules to avoid destroying the new life they have worked so hard to get, as well as the one person Prenna is desperate to protect.
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Austin Szerba narrates the end of humanity as he and his best friend Robby accidentally unleash an army of giant, unstoppable bugs and uncover the secrets of a decades-old experiment gone terribly wrong.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This classic book chronicles the off-beat and occasionally extraterrestrial journeys, notions, and acquaintances of galactic traveler Arthur Dent. After Earth is demolished to make way for a new hyperspatial expressway, Arthur Dent begins to hitchhike through space. Be sure to check out the rest of this hilarious series.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story. Book 1 in the Lunar Chronicles.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Teenaged Amy, a cryogenically frozen passenger on the spaceship Godspeed, wakes up to discover that someone may have tried to murder her. Book 1 in a trilogy.
Railhead by Philip Reeve
In a world of drones and androids Zen Starling is a human thief, but mostly he just likes to ride the Interstellar Express, the sentient trains that travel through the K gates from planet to planet, something only the Guardians understand--but now the mysterious Raven wants him to steal the Pyxis, an object that could either open up a new gate, challenging the Guardians, or put the entire gate system, and the universe itself in danger.
Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Seventeen-year-old Jeth Seagrave, the leader of a ragtag team of teenage mercenaries, skirts the line between honor and the law in an attempt to win freedom for his sister and himself in the form of their parents' old spaceship, Avalon. Also read the sequel, Polaris.
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
When seventeen-year-old Davy Hamilton tests positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, everyone believes it is only a matter of time before she murders someone. Also read the sequel, Unleashed.
