My favorite Y.A. thrillers are the ones that provide unexpected answers to big, terrifying questions about our world, our future and our fears. These stories are the perfect space to inspire social change as they show readers what real monstrosity looks like and how to fight it. I also love how they manage to electrify audiences while folding in beloved Y.A. tropes, like swoon-worthy high school romance, found family and, of course, young people forced to fix problems left to them by older generations.
Here are a few of my favorite Y.A. thrillers, each of which takes the stress of teenagehood to a whole new level.
‘The Cousins,’ by Karen M. McManus
Though she’s known for her series “One of Us Is Lying,” my favorite novel from Karen M. McManus’s impressive catalog is her 2020 book, “The Cousins.” The novel is about three cousins who one summer are unexpectedly summoned to work for their wealthy but scornful grandmother, a matriarch who previously shunned her family. At the request of their parents, the cousins bend to their grandmother’s will for a chance to reclaim their inheritance and figure out what happened all those years ago that caused the rift in their family. Parts of this book rendered me speechless. This is a story steeped in generational secrets, filled with sharp and witty dialogue, and it features a unique and unforgettable twist.
‘The Red Palace,’ by June Hur
Eighteenth-century Korea is the backdrop for this bloody historical thriller. “The Red Palace” follows a young nurse as she attempts to uncover the truth behind the murders of four women. Hur is known for her stunning female-centered historical Y.A. novels, and this is arguably her darkest book yet. It’s a story about the violence that society so often sweeps under the rug, but a closer look reveals many additional layers: “The Red Palace” is also about relationships — both distant and dear — and the family we choose. If slow-burn romances, well-paced plots and historical fiction set somewhere other than the West interest you, this book might just be your new favorite read.
‘The Girls I’ve Been,’ by Tess Sharpe
The protagonist of “The Girls I’ve Been,” Nora, was raised by a con artist mother and brought up in a world of violence and deceit. It’s a life Nora has tried to escape, but when she finds herself in a bank robbery-hostage situation at the start of the book, she must tap into her past, and her index of false identities, to get everyone out of the situation alive. Y.A. often features strong female characters, and Nora is no different. While I loved Nora’s resilience, I admired even more the way Sharpe stressed the importance of giving survivors of all kinds of abuse the chance to love and be loved.
‘Death Note,’ by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
This genre-bending manga offers readers an imaginative take on the Y.A. mystery thriller by showcasing an untraditional hero-villain dynamic. When 17-year-old Light Yagami gets hold of a notebook (the titular death note) that allows him to kill others by simply writing their names inside, he jumps at the chance, killing high-profile criminals in secret to rid the world of evil. Light begins to feel invincible until he finds himself under the scrutiny of the genius detective L. The story quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse, leaving readers at the edge of their seats anticipating whether or not Light will be caught. This story completely blew my mind and forever changed what I thought about thrillers as a genre. (I’d recommend “Death Note” for readers ages 14 and up — it sounds darker than it is, and it doesn’t get too graphic.)
‘Grown,’ by Tiffany D. Jackson
In this harrowing thriller, Tiffany D. Jackson manages to craft a story that is not only deeply heartfelt and relevant but also incredibly entertaining. The narrative follows Enchanted “Chanty” Jones, a 17-year-old aspiring musician whose dreams come true when she captures the interest of the musical superstar Korey Fields. Korey seems to be Enchanted’s ticket to stardom, but nothing is as it seems. The novel explores important topics, including the dark corners of the music industry, the adultification of Black girls and the consequences of abuses of power. This is a book that is filled to the brim with shocking twists and turns, but in “Grown,” Jackson also centers Black girls in conversations about abuse, discussions they are so often erased from.
‘We Were Liars,’ by E. Lockhart
Before it became a BookTok obsession, “We Were Liars” was long a cult favorite in the Y.A. thriller space. I picked up this strangely structured yet beautifully written thriller shortly after it was published in 2014 and inhaled it in one sitting. The story follows the tortured mind of a teenage girl, Cady Sinclair, and the many secrets both she and her entire family harbor. I adored the unconventionality of this story, from the prose to the big revelations at the end. Lockhart’s lyrical thriller continues to enthrall readers years after its initial release, marking this novel as a future classic in the genre.
Faridah Abike-Iyimide is the author of “Ace of Spades,” an international best seller.
