Some dystopian novels really lean into the ‘everything-is-pointless, humans-are-terrible’ take on the end of the world. Which, let’s face it, makes total sense. But others push in the opposite direction, making a case for hope and love even at the worst of times. They argue that you still have something if you have love, friendship, and kindness. Romance in dystopian novels can give characters the drive to fight for a better world, to try to counteract the lasting remnants of whatever great tragedy they now live in amongst. It gives them purpose. Love at the end of the world is not frivolous or pointless, these books argue; it’s the point of it all! It shows that even in the end, there’s still something good left.
If you’re in the mood for a YA dystopian book with romance elements, you’ve come to the right place! Check out these romantic YA dystopian novels to prove that love really can persevere, even when everything else comes crashing down.
6 Romantic YA Dystopian Novels
All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown
In the aftermath of a virus that killed off a majority of the world’s population, teenage Andrew managed to survive. But then he’s wounded by a bear trap and in need of help. He stumbles upon Andrew, another teenage boy, surviving on his own in a stocked-up isolated cabin, who lets him stay while he heals from his injuries. When strife nearby sends them fleeing in search of safety elsewhere, the two set out on a journey together to find a rumored safe zone. As feelings between the two grow, they both worry over whether they can truly trust each other after everything they’ve survived thus far.
Want by Cindy Pon
For a can’t-miss sci-fi dystopian romance combination, Want is what you need. Set in a future Taipei where toxic smog kills off those too poor to purchase suits that filter the air, Jason Zhou and his friends are fed up with the class divide and are determined to do something about it. Targeting Jin Corp, the corporation that makes the suits, Zhou goes undercover as a rich person to get in with the heir to the Jin Corporation, Daiyu Jin, and gain access to their buildings. But as he gets to know Daiyu more, Zhou’s surprised to find his determination wavering as he develops some less-than-ideal feelings for her.
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Coldwire by Chloe Gong
As environmental dangers increase, the privileged in society move to living in upcountry, a virtual reality world, leaving those without the means to access it behind in downcountry to live with the consequences humanity has wrought. In upcountry, however, an ongoing war forces Eirale and Lia to attend the Nile Military Academy, although at different times. Newly graduated, Eirale joins the military in downcountry, but is framed by an anarchist for the assassination of a government official, and is then forced to work with him and his anarchist group. Lia, now in her last year at the academy, is in a competition with Kieran for valedictorian. Unfortunately for Lia, though, they’re paired up for their final project, a mission that sends them into upcountry in search of answers. The two storylines converge as both Eirale and Lia seek out the same information from both sides of the world.
Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid
Living not only under the thumb of the Caerus corporation but also with the threat of terrible flooding, Inesa does her best to get by with her brother, running a taxidermy shop and laying low. That is, until the debt her mother racked up puts her in the literal target of Caerus, forcing her into the Lamb’s Gauntlet, a live-streamed battle in which she’s hunted by Melinoe, an assassin made into a weapon more than a woman. As Melinoe pursues Insea, though, they both reckon with the pasts they’re both running from and find an unexpected connection in each other.
Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho
Now that the demons unleashed by the portals of hell opening across the world are tamed by the security company Vanguard, the world has gone back to a sort of normal state. Jasper, a retail worker at Here For You Discount Mart, where a demon portal sits in aisle nine, struggles with amnesia after ending up with a head injury. He’s back to work, now, but he’s confused by the behavior of one of the Vanguard guards, a woman named Kyle. When both Jasper and Kyle have dreams about an impending demonic event on Black Friday, they try to work together to stop that from happening and figure out why the portals popped up in the first place.
Legend by Marie Lu
A list of romantic YA dystopian novels wouldn’t be complete without one of the many excellent genre-powerhouses from the 2010s. In Legend, flooding and volcanic eruptions devastated the United States. In the aftermath, a Republic formed around dictator Elector Primo. Fifteen-year-old Day is one of the dissenters of the Republic, escaping capture while simultaneously trying to keep his family safe. From another point of view, June, also 15, is nearing graduation at an elite school. When June’s brother is murdered, she suspects Day is the culprit and sets out to get revenge against the fugitive. But as their paths cross, the truth of June’s brother’s murder turns out to be very different than what she’s been led to believe.
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