YA fiction has become big business in publishing, in Hollywood, and among readers who do not fall into the category of ‘Young Adult’ at all. Many recent YA books have had a dystopian or fantastical element, and often one where teenagers are the specific targets of institutional persecution – often with fatal outcome. Why is dystopia so attractive? This talk gives a perspective on what YA fiction is about, and what themes could work in a teaching situation: gender, society, capitalism and the entertainment industries.