Young adult science fiction is some of the most action packed fiction that exists. Almost every single on this list is a wild ride through a new and interesting world, whether that be the dystopian future of our world, as in the ever-popular Hunger Games, it's distant past seen in Westerfeld's alternate history epic Leviathan, or distant planets like the landscape of Frank Herbert's Dune. That's not to say that these books are simply glossy, popcorn action books. Many of these novels tackle some surprisingly deep issues. Suzanne Young's The Program is an emotionally gripping tale about the power of memory and the ethics of manipulating those memories.

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Sign in. The ReadDown. Our favorite science fiction tends to use the future to illuminate and discuss issues in our present. An important read for any age.

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