YA Thriller Books

The best young adult thrillers & teen fiction mysteries.

Fan Mail, an Emotionally Explosive Coming-of-Age Thriller by Joseph Lewis

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The Bottom Line: An emotionally explosive and life-affirming coming of age story wrapped within a simmering crime thriller. Fan Mail is a coming of age story centered around the lives of seven brothers – two biological, and five adopted – in the Evans family. Several of the boys are sophomores at WIsconsin’s Waukesha North High School, where a car bomb wreaks havoc in the school …

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The Serpent Underneath, a Brilliantly Nuanced Dystopian Thriller by Julie A. Fragoules

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The Bottom Line: Fans of Margaret Atwood and Suzanne Collins will relish this under-the-radar dystopian thriller featuring a fascinating post-apocalyptic America and an enigmatic anti-hero.  In a world devastated by socio-economic collapse, survival in America is a daily struggle. Eighteen-year-old Haven Segreti, recruited from her family’s isolated compound, is forced to serve as a member of a government “pack” – a unit of elite teens trained …

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Oversight, an Ingenious YA Science Fiction Novel by Dennis Batchelder

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The Bottom Line: YA sci fi fans should flock to this ingenious tale of reincarnated teenagers vying for control of their world. Highly recommended.  Told from the point of view of a 17-year-old computer geek, Zelly, Oversight begins with one of the more provocative statements in recent memory: “Ying wants me dead before I turn nineteen.” Zelly and Ying attend “bootcamp” together, a sort of …

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River of Wrath, an Epic Coming of Age Thriller by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

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The Bottom Line: The dynamic duo of Weis and Astor make magic together. A rising body count, a dark pact among unlikely friends and a wholly evocative world propel this small town mystery to epic heights. Highly recommended. Until three unsolved murders rocked tiny St. Benedict, Louisiana, the town hadn’t had a single murder since 1942. As River of Wrath opens, local sheriff Kent Davis …

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Discovery of the Five Senses, a Satisfying Young Adult Superhero Novel by K.N. Smith

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The Bottom Line: Recommended for young adults, is a truly fresh superhero story that generates plenty of innovative suspense.  Danville Heights is an idyllic small town. People are friendly, the land is fertile and lush, the homes are charming and the community is quiet. But a nearby forest grove holds secrets that will lead to a high-stakes adventure for a group of local boys. Having …

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The Lincoln Highway, an All-American Mystery by Amor Towles

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The Bottom Line: The cross-country quest at the heart of the novel defies genre, but will delight fans of unconventional crime thrillers. In 1954, Emmett Watson is releases from a juvenile work farm after accidentally killing another boy. His father has died, and the family ranch is being repossessed. His young brother Billy urges him to take them west in search of the mother who …

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The Body in the Road, an Engrossing Teen Suspense Thriller by Donna M. Zadunajsky

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The Bottom Line: This engrossing teen suspense thriller puts the fictional town of Craven Falls on the map. Fans of Natalie D. Richards’ small town mysteries may fall for this tale of a teen who makes an unfortunate turn. Seventeen-year-old Ohio girl Sara Nelson is deathly afraid of her psycho boyfriend, Brad. Fearing for her life, she takes her Grandmother’s car in the middle of …

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Where the Briars Sleep, a Terrifying Gothic Horror Novel by Emma Beavan

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The Bottom Line: Jane Eyre meets The Haunting of Hill House. A terrifying gothic horror novel that readers won’t soon forget. Set in the early 1800s, author Emma Beavan delivers a deliciously twisted tale of three sisters and the family secrets that threaten to haunt them all. After the passing of their stepsister, Sarah, sisters Rose and Maggie are happy to be back at their estate and returning …

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Shadowspell Academy: The Culling Trials, by Shannon Mayer and K.F. Breene

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The Bottom Line: Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games. Sadly, there’s no audiobook version, so fans will have to devour this book the old fashioned way. We’re not in Texas anymore, Bluebell. In the opening chapter of Shadowspell Academy, the compelling farm girl known as Wild says, “My family got kicked more often than most.” That turns out to be the understatement of the year. …

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Skyward, a Promising Sci-Fi Thriller Series by Brandon Sanderson

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The Bottom Line: The brilliant first entry in a promising new YA adventure series. What do you get when you cross Star Wars with Top Gun and The Hunger Games?  The answer is Skyward, a sci-fi military thriller that even Tom Clancy fans may love. In the action-packed Skyward, a girl dreams of becoming a pilot in a dangerous world at war for humanity’s future. …

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