I Recommend 5: YA Thrillers

I haven't done one of these in a couple of months but it seemed only right to use the month of October to recommend some edge of your seat, full of plot twist thrillers. I haven't read loads of thrillers, and a lot of the Adult thrillers I have read are the super popular ones that everyone will have heard of. I have, however, read quite a few YA thrillers over the years that I have really enjoyed and not heard too much about. I decided I would share five of them in the hope that you might find a great spooky season read. 

These are not necessarily books that I have rated 5 stars, as it takes a lot for me to give a thriller such a high rating. However, I have chosen books with interesting stories, some good plot twists and will keep you hooked until the last page.

1. Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

This was one of the first thrillers I ever read, way back when I was still in school, and I still think about it sometimes. It follows a girl who, while researching for a school project, finds her own picture on a missing children's website. I still remember getting this book from my school library and just completely devouring it. I'll be honest, I don't remember loads about it, other than it has lots of twists and I never knew what was coming, and my opinion may be different now, but 10+ years ago I absolutely loved this book. 

2. Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman

I picked this one up back in 2016 and remember I just couldn't put it down. This is about a girl who goes to a camp for bereaved teens after her sister dies and while she is there she receives texts from someone pretending to be her dead sister. This is another one that I just couldn't predict anything that happened. From what I remember, it was a bit Pretty Little Liars, with the anonymous messages, meets We Were Liars, with the creepy, not sure who to trust atmosphere. 

3. One Of Us Is Next by Karen M McManus

This is a more recent release and definitely more popular than the other books I have mentioned. This is the sequel to One Of Us Is Lying, which is also a really good thriller that I would recommend, but I actually preferred the second book. The sequel follows a mostly new set of characters but is set in the same school as the first book. This involves a game of truth or dare, controlled by an anonymous person, that turns deadly. I love thrillers involving games, so I was completely hooked the entire time. This is another one that completely threw me with the plot twists.

4. There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

This is probably a bit more of a horror than a thriller but I'm including it anyway. This is essentially a slasher film in the form of a YA book. It takes place in a small town in which high school students begin to die one by one in pretty gruesome murders. It is very creepy, a bit graphic, and nothing like you would expect from the author of the Anna and the French Kiss books, but I really enjoyed it. It definitely isn't for everyone and has received some very mixed reviews. As someone who hasn't really read any horror and had nothing to compare it to, I really enjoyed it and was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it.

5. Follow Me Back by AV Geiger

This one is a bit of a strange recommendation from me. I gave this book 2.5 stars, so obviously it wasn't a favourite of mine. However, that rating was due to the way one aspects of the story was portrayed and probably not something that would bother a lot of people. Putting that to the side, this was exciting, creepy, everything you would want in a thriller. It follows a girl with agoraphobia and a pop star who decides to troll her on Twitter. It is an interesting story, a lot of the twists I didn't see coming and it was a thriller that I think a lot of people would enjoy. My issue with this was the fact that I HATED the way fans were portrayed, but if that isn't something that would bother you I would definitely recommend giving it a go.

Those are five YA thrillers that I would recommend picking up and giving a go if you are looking for something a bit creepy over the next week or so. They aren't quite as intense as a lot of adult thrillers, but definitely a good place to start if you are not typically a thriller reader. 

What is your favourite YA thriller? Have you read any of the books on my list?

Sophie :)