6 cli-fi, eco-dystopian and eco-thriller novels for 12, 13 and 14-year-olds

Cli-fi (climate fiction) and eco-dystopian stories are a growing genre of literature that not only entertain but raise awareness about the importance of protecting our planet. From harrowing tales of survival in a world ravaged by climate change to stories that shed light on the consequences of human actions on the environment, these books offer a unique and imaginative perspective on the challenges our planet faces.

Cli-fi books can provide students with a deeper understanding of complex environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, while also encouraging critical thinking and reflection on their own actions and choices.

Eco-dystopian novels explore dark and cautionary visions of potential environmental futures. These eco-thrillers can challenge tweens and teens to think critically about the ethical implications of our current environmental practices and the potential repercussions for future generations.

These exciting and thought-provoking books, picked from both the middle grade and young adult categories, combine elements of fantasy with pressing environmental themes and would be an excellent choice for any 12, 13 or 14 year olds that are looking for their next read.

 

 

War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson

On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life changes forever when he loses his hearing in a boating accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other - even stranger - changes taking place when a new wind farm appears off the island’s coast.

We sent this gripping eco-thriller to our Macaw subscribers in March 2023.

 

Reek by Alastair Chisholm

We are huge fans of Alastair's sci-fi adventures and were very excited to discover that he's written this super accessible, dyslexia-friendly thriller for older readers told over just 150 pages. 

Sparrow lives in the world after the Reek. The atmosphere is toxically polluted, and Axel Brodie, the tech billionaire behind Zephyr Industries, is cashing in as the only supplier of clean air. Sparrow is struggling to help her family survive until her brilliant inventor friend, Miriam Fenn, comes up with a new form of technology that could break Zephyr’s stranglehold on the air supply. Who will triumph in this battle to breathe?

 

The Girl Who Broke the Sea by A. Connors

After she gets kicked out of school for her destructive behaviour, Lily agrees to an unusual fresh start: going with her mum to live at Deephaven, an experimental deep-sea mining rig and research station located at the bottom of the ocean. Lily quickly discovers that all is not right in her claustrophobic and isolated new home - the head scientist has disappeared just as he was on the brink of a shocking discovery. In the darkness of the deep, something is stirring ... something dangerous.

This exhilarating eco-thriller was sent to our Macaw subscribers in March 2023.

 

Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North by Antonia Maxwell

Though technically a middle grade novel, this is a fantastic story that wouldn't be out of place in any secondary school library. 

The last ice cap has melted, and the world is on the brink of collapse. A deadly force―Terra Electrica―has been unleashed. It feeds on electricity. It is infecting civilization.

In this chaotic, rapidly changing reality, 12-year-old Mani has lost her family and community to the Terra Electrica. Armed only with some ancestral wisdom and a powerful, ancient wooden mask she was never meant to inherit so soon, she suddenly finds herself responsible for the fate of the world.

 

 

The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros

Dylan was six when The End came, when the electricity went off for good, and the ‘normal’ 21st-century world he knew disappeared. It's not entirely clear whether this was an environmental or technological disaster, but we felt this novel was far too good to exclude from this list on a technicality!

Dylan is now and he and his mam have survived in their isolated hilltop house above the Welsh village of Nebo, learning new skills, and returning to old ways of living. But they each have their own secrets, which emerge as, in turn, they jot down their thoughts and memories in the Blue Book of Nebo.

 

 

Giften by Leyla Suzan

Ever since The Darkening, survival has been a struggle. The people of the Field toil on parched earth, trying to forge a life amid dwindling resources. As one of the Giften, Ruthie is a saviour to her isolated community: her hands hold the rare ability to raise food from dead soil. In the City lurks a dark army, intent on hunting Giften to harness their power. One way or another, a battle is coming...