It’s the first summer after the lockdown and everything is opening once again. This time last year we were stuck inside binge-watching Tiger King; now everyone’s outdoors binge-reading books. Popular summer binge-reads usually include thrillers, action/adventure, and suspense but taking the summer by storm across all age groups is our newfound obsession for YA thrillers. Well into summer, even pool floats and popsicle molds won’t go out of stock as quickly as YA thrillers!
So why not hop onto the YA thriller bandwagon to see what all of the buzz is about. But don’t let the name fool you! While there is plenty of chills and thrills, YA thrillers also introduce beloved themes such as love and romance, friendship, and coming of age.
Hear me out here: YA isn’t just for kids!
Take it from someone who isn’t a young adult herself; who in fact, belongs to a different generation altogether. If you crave the rush of thrilling suspense, you might just be a young adult at heart!
So…ready to get started? We recommend these 5 books that will teleport you into the jostling world of YA thrillers and leave you begging for more.
Brace yourselves!
1. 14 WAYS TO DIE BY VINCENT RALPH
Author Vincent Ralph has aptly written this page-turning thriller for the social media age, and it’s perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying.
“An unsettling but easy-to-read blend of social media savvy and gritty gumshoe work.” — Kirkus Reviews
It’s been ten years. Jess lost her mother to the Magpie Man. The infamous serial killer is still at large and planning to kill again. Star of a YouTube reality series, she plans to leverage her platform to catch him. But fame comes with a price; all eyes are on her and she can trust no one. Will she catch the Magpie Man, or will he find her first?
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2. The Girl in the Headlines by Hannah Jayne
Author of riveting reads Truly, Madly, Deadly and See Jane Run, Hannah Jayne once again demonstrates her literary genius through this twisty thriller.
“[T]his is a propulsive…story rife with true-crime TV tropes and plenty of red herrings.” — Kirkus Reviews
Andrea McNulty (Andi) has a near-perfect life: a high school field hockey star, a doted-upon big sister, the beloved daughter of two happy parents. But when she wakes up covered in blood in a motel room the morning after her eighteenth birthday, she’s unable to recall the events from the previous night. The headlines say she killed her parents. Terrified and on the run from the police, Andi teams up with Nate, the sympathetic boy working the motel’s front desk, to find the real murderer. But while the police are getting further from the killer, the killer is getting closer to Andi—closer than she could ever have imagined.
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3. The Perfect Place to Die by Bryce Moore
The Perfect Place to Die by Bryce Moore is an ideal read for fans of crime and horror alike. Stalking Jack the Ripper meets Devil in the White City in this terrifying historical fiction debut about one of the world’s most notorious serial killers, H. H. Holmes.
“[This] novel will appeal to readers excited about an account of gruesome historical events steered by an intrepid young woman. ” — Kirkus Reviews
Once resigned to a quiet life in Utah, Zuretta’s life takes a dramatic turn as she leaves home to find her missing younger sister Ruby, who vanished during her trip to Chicago for the World’s Fair. It’s the 1890s and Chicago is a dangerous place for a woman to be traveling alone. Lost and unsure, Zuretta unknowingly plays with fire when she takes up a job at The Castle hotel – a mysterious place where her sister worked right before she disappears. Soon, Zuretta realizes the danger she’s put herself in as women are disappearing at an alarming rate at The Castle. Will Zuretta make it out alive?
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4. Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
Every relationship has its secrets and Sawyer’s are buried deep. Here’s a heart-pounding thriller by Hannah Jayne, Truly, Madly, Deadly will leave readers chilled to the core.
Sawyer Dodd had it all: perfect grades, star position on the team, and Kevin is the perfect boyfriend. But when Kevin dies suddenly in a car accident, Sawyer is stunned. Until she opens her locker and finds the note: You’re welcome. Someone knew that Sawyer and Kevin weren’t the perfect couple that they seemed to be. And that someone will do anything to protect Sawyer.
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5. The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto
A fast-paced teen revenge-thriller from the author of Dial A for Aunties, Jesse Q. Sutanto, The Obsession will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
“Set against a Northern California private school backdrop, the sensational plot is riddled with twists that come at a furious pace…A suspenseful page-turner.” — Kirkus Reviews
Logan’s a stranger to Delilah, but he thinks they are meant to be. Logan believes no one knows Delilah like he does. And he makes sure of it by learning everything he can. He stalks and watches her through a hidden camera. To him, he’s purely being “romantic”. What he fails to see is that there’s more to Delilah than meets the eye.
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We think we have you covered for the rest of your binge-reading season with these five YA thrillers! And because the thirst for thrill is real, we’ve teamed up with Sourcebooks, and they’re hosting a giveaway contest here. Enter to win all five of these gripping reads along with some really cool bookish merchandise!