USA Today points out that the trend in teen books is toward a darker view of the world. Mockingjay, the last in a trilogy by Suzanne Collins, is set in a future in which teen-agers are forced to fight to the death on TV.
More examples: the Uglies series, in which every young person has to have plastic surgery in order to achieve a standard level of beauty, and the Maze Runner series, in which teen-agers have their memories taken away.
More evidence of the same trend: TV series with a dark feel, like Vampire Diaries, Dexter, and ones with a black comedy tinge, like Nurse Jackie.
Maybe it's a reflection of the harder economic times--when things are bad we want to read about and see times when things are even worse so our reality will seem better by comparison.
If you're a writer inclined to explore dsytopian possibilties , this could be your time!
(You'll find a supportive approach to writing any kind of book in my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other online and offline booksellers.)