I love to read. I love to read young adult dystopian novels. The societies are broken and most people want to fix them. Everyone agrees that a broken society needs to be fixed and that there’s nothing wrong with wanting something better for your people (doesn’t that sound a lot like “real” life?). The problem begins in how people view the solution. Oppressors often have one thing in common: they think the solution lies in control. Their thinking says: control the people and control the problem. Like the Emperor in Star Wars, President Snow in the Hunger Games or Janine Matthews in Divergent. Thankfully we have heroes whose job it is to fight against “the system”.
I’m reading a new series I highly recommend. It’s called The Seeds Trilogy by K. Makansi (which happens to be a mother and two daughters team! How cool is that?) In the third book The Harvest, Remy prepares to face down the system that is trying to control the people. As she marches toward the big battle she reflects on fear. She says, “I’m scared but ignoring that fear would be foolish. Instead I embrace it.”
Often we’re afraid to look at our fears. I remember being afraid of the dark as a kid. I’d lie in bed and see things moving in the shadows. But if my parents turned on the light I’d see it was a sweater or something equally non-threatening. As I grew out of that fear I started to trust that when I turned the lights on it would be OK….so I didn’t need to be scared now. In facing her own fears Remy says:
“When I comprehend my fear I can say: I see you. I know you. Fear doesn’t like being called out, being recognized, being brought to light. It shrinks back when it’s seen, leaving only knowledge and power behind. This is our greatest weapon against it.”
K. Makansi, The Harvest
In so many dystopian novels the bad guys try to control the people from without. But heroes find their strength within. The hero faces loss and pain and disappointment and self-doubt and goes on. That is where the true power lies, in the facing and the overcoming. I think this is why I like dystopian novels so much. Because if I can be strong like Leia, fierce like Katniss and brave like Tris then I can stand strong and hold my head high when I face my…
