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2025 Challenge - Advanced HARD > 49 - A Dystopian Book with a Happy Ending

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message 1: by L Y N N (last edited Dec 03, 2024 09:45AM) (new)

L Y N N (book_music_lvr) | 4906 comments Mod
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


message 2: by Ellie (new)

Ellie (patchworkbunny) | 1756 comments 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.


message 3: by Karen (new)

Karen Witzler (kewitzler) | 129 comments I was looking around and found two possibles - but would not know unless I read them...

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Appleseed by Matt Bell


message 4: by Dubhease (new)

Dubhease | 647 comments Possibly The Giver would count.


message 5: by Chelsea (new)

Chelsea (chelseanotchels) | 55 comments 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."


message 6: by Nadine in NY (new)

Nadine in NY Jones | 9694 comments Mod
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.


message 7: by Jennifer W (new)

Jennifer W | 1825 comments 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.


message 8: by Dubhease (new)

Dubhease | 647 comments 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.


message 9: by Laura Ruth (new)

Laura Ruth Loomis | 238 comments I can think of a couple with epilogues making clear that the evil dystopian system falls, such as (view spoiler)


message 10: by Nadine in NY (new)

Nadine in NY Jones | 9694 comments Mod
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


message 11: by GailW (new)

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


message 12: by Nike (new)

Nike | 67 comments The problem with this prompt is that I really don't want to know in advance how it ends!


message 13: by Deb (new)

Deb | 51 comments I think Ready Player One and V for Vendetta may work for this prompt.


message 14: by Meghan (new)

Meghan (molacher) | 15 comments 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!


message 15: by Karen (new)

Karen Witzler (kewitzler) | 129 comments Thanks. I will pencil in Seveneves.


message 16: by L Y N N (new)

L Y N N (book_music_lvr) | 4906 comments Mod
Deb wrote: "I think Ready Player One and V for Vendetta may work for this prompt."

Yes, Ready Player One definitely works!


message 17: by Bea (new)

Bea | 650 comments 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.


message 18: by Gina (new)

Gina (ginanicoll) | 29 comments 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).


message 19: by Jennifer (last edited Dec 07, 2024 05:23AM) (new)

Jennifer T. (jent998) | 231 comments A Better World by Sarah Langan

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


message 20: by Theresa (new)

Theresa | 2379 comments 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.


message 21: by Denise (last edited Dec 12, 2024 01:36PM) (new)

Denise | 374 comments 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.


message 22: by Elspeth (new)

Elspeth (elspethm) | 29 comments 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


message 23: by Dea (new)

Dea (maidmirawyn) | 202 comments It's dystopian-ish because (view 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.


message 24: by Laura Ruth (new)

Laura Ruth Loomis | 238 comments Anyone know if Starhawk's City of Refuge would qualify?


message 25: by Ami (new)

Ami (iluvbooks72) | 1 comments Jennifer wrote: "A Better World by Sarah Langan

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?


message 26: by Kim (new)

Kim | 215 comments 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!


message 27: by Denise (new)

Denise | 347 comments 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.


message 28: by Katherine (new)

Katherine Kemme | 13 comments 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.


message 29: by Nadine in NY (new)

Nadine in NY Jones | 9694 comments Mod
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...


message 30: by Jamie (new)

Jamie | 117 comments It's kind of dystopian-lite, but Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend would work for this prompt, I think.


message 31: by Lisa Marie (new)

Lisa Marie Kemmerer (readingwithlisamarie) | 177 comments What about The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure by James Dashner.....would any of these fit this prompt??


message 32: by Ron (new)

Ron | 2712 comments 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.


message 33: by Rachel (new)

Rachel A. (abyssallibrarian) | 643 comments 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.


message 34: by Michele (new)

Michele Olson | 117 comments 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?


message 35: by Lisa Marie (new)

Lisa Marie Kemmerer (readingwithlisamarie) | 177 comments 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!!


message 36: by As You Wish (new)

As You Wish | 29 comments 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.


message 37: by LeahS (last edited Feb 02, 2025 08:25AM) (new)

LeahS | 491 comments 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.


message 38: by Josie (new)

Josie Lacey | 82 comments Does anyone know if Cinder by Marissa Meyer would work for this?


message 39: by Chelsea (new)

Chelsea (chelseanotchels) | 55 comments 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.


message 40: by Patricia (new)

Patricia | 14 comments I just read The Dreamers & I think the ending is happy enough for such a book. I do recommend it.


message 41: by K.L. (new)

K.L. Middleton (theunapologeticbookworm) | 852 comments 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.


message 42: by Heather (new)

Heather (hpduck) | 12 comments 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!


message 43: by Trish (last edited Feb 23, 2025 11:18PM) (new)

Trish (trishhartuk) | 265 comments 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?


message 44: by Jessica (new)

Jessica (zumbajess) | 179 comments I listened to Internment by Samira Ahmed


message 45: by Sherri (new)


message 46: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie | 19 comments 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.


message 47: by Sasha (new)

Sasha  Wolf (sashajwolf) | 172 comments 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) (bluebelle-the-inquisitive) | 49 comments 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


message 49: by Ellen (new)

Ellen Marcolongo | 38 comments I am going to re-read The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry . I read it in 2016. Plus, it's available on Kindle Unlimited :)


message 50: by Denise (new)


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