Here Are 24 Young Adult Mystery And Thriller Books You'll Consume In One Sitting
1.Hold Back the Tide by Melinda Salisbury
Release date: Jan. 5
What it's about: Dripping with the atmosphere of the Scottish Highlands, this paranormal thriller stars Alva, a girl who lives in perpetual fear thanks to being raised by the father who killed her mother. But Alva's certainty about everything starts to fade when she encounters creatures unlike anything she's ever seen before, and danger comes from unexpected directions. Is she still dealing with the devil she knows? And if not, how is she supposed to get out alive?
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
2.The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe
Release date: Jan. 26
What it's about: Nora's been so many girls in her short life, each one carefully crafted by her mother for another sweetheart con. But Nora is the first girl she's been since the horrific things she had to do to break free, and Nora is the girl she wants to stay, especially since she's finally found a real family in her sister; her ex, Wes; and her girlfriend, Iris. When she, Wes, and Iris are trapped in a bank robbery, it threatens not only her safety but also the new life she's so carefully crafted and hopes to maintain. And Nora isn't about to let anyone get away with that, even if it means using every trick up her sleeve and from her past to stop it.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
3.The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Release date: Feb. 2
What it's about: Delilah is perfect, or at least that's what Logan believes. It's why his favorite occupation is digging into her life, and why he literally watches her every move with a camera aimed at her house. But when he witnesses her killing her stepfather, he finds out that Delilah can do wrong after all. Now he wants to make her pay, but Delilah isn't having it. She just got rid of one controlling, abusive man in her life, and she isn't about to suffer another...
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
4.The Project by Courtney Summers
Release date: Feb. 2
What it's about: There's no one out there crushing souls quite like Courtney Summers, and her newest is proof she's at the top of her devastating game. The Project stars Lo Denham, an aspiring journalist whose life is shrouded in mysteries: How did she survive the car accident that killed her parents? Why did a young man just jump in front of a train after recognizing her? And how did her beloved big sister, Bea, disappear so wholly and completely after joining up with the Unity Project, a benevolent cult led by the enigmatic "messenger of God" Lev Warren? When Lo embarks on her own investigation of the project, partly to rise in the ranks at work and partly to find her sister, she finds stories and lives that intertwine in ways she could never have imagined, and connections that may give her no choice but to follow in Bea's footsteps.
Get it from Bookshop, Target, or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
5.She's Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
Release date: March 30
What it's about: Veronica hasn't yet found that thing that'll make her photography sing until she meets Mick, the camera-shy model's daughter. As the two girls get closer and closer, Veronica and her subversive artist BFF, Nico, slowly pull Mick out of her shell. But when they pull too far, Veronica watches the girl of her dreams turn into someone she barely recognizes, all while a body count piles up around them. The girls want nothing more than to be together, but will the danger that seems to follow them everywhere tear them apart for good?
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
6.The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky
Release date: April 13
What it's about: Being a scholarship kid at Manhattan Prep isn't easy for Rachel, and when she finds herself turning full reject, she finds solace in the pranksters of the Mary Shelley Club. But things there don't go quite as expected either, and when the pranks turn deadly, keeping up with the others may become a matter of life and death.
Get it from Bookshop or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.
7.Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
Release date: April 6
What it's about: Jane Austen gets a mysterious spin in this series opener about murder mysteries inspired by her books. First up is, of course, Pride and Prejudice, starring a Lizzie Bennet who happens to be a 17-year-old lawyer-to-be determined to prove her talent by solving a murder that's rocking London's high society. She's positive that the wrong person has been arrested for the crime, and she's going to find the real killer, no matter who may try to get in her way โ even if that person is Fitzwilliam Darcy, the prickly heir to the law firm of her dreams who gets increasingly compelling as the case goes on.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
8.The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
Release date: April 20
What it's about: Set in 15th-century Joseon (modern-day Korea), this chilling historical mystery will definitely make you think twice before entering the woods. After all, it's in the woods where Hwani and her sister were found unconscious after being kidnapped, and where 13 other girls have now disappeared. Hwani's father, a detective, is on the case, but when he, too, goes missing, Hwani herself will have to pick up the trail, find him as well as the girls, and revisit memories best left forgotten.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
9.The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He
Release date: May 4
What it's about: Cee knows two things: She's been trapped on an island for three years with no memory of how she got there or why, and somewhere beyond it, she has a sister. That sister is Kasey, who lives in an eco-city that protects its residents from being ravaged by the climate change destroying the Earth in exchange for them limiting their carbon footprints by spending a third of their time in pods. Kasey hasn't forgotten Cee either, and when the three-month marker of her sister's disappearance hits, Kay decides it's high time she set out looking by retracing Cee's steps. But she has no idea where they'll lead, and whether the secrets they were both keeping will catch up with them before they can ever be reunited.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
10.Ace of Spades by Faridah ร bรญkรฉ-รญyรญmรญdรฉ
Release date: June 1
What it's about: Don't be daunted by this larger-than-average hardcover, because pretty much nothing will stop you from tearing through this obscenely absorbing and nuanced dual-POV thriller about two Black kids in an otherwise all-white private school who find themselves targeted by a mystery creeper named Aces who seems determined to air every single one of their secrets. Now previously under-the-radar Devon is doing everything he can to remain safe after being outed, and queen bee Chiamaka is petrified that her deepest secret will get out and ruin her life forever, forcing them to work together to figure out who's behind the mask.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
11.You're So Dead by Ash Parsons
Release date: June 15
What it's about: If a Fyre Festivalโinspired thriller sounds absolutely hilarious to you, push this book to the top of your list. It's set in the Caribbean at a festival for influencers, which includes the famous Peach Winter. But it's Peach's sister Plum who steals the invite and brings her friends, only to find that the promised event full of magic is actually a disaster of epic proportions, especially when the other illustrious guests start to die. By the time Plum and her friends realize this is actually a murder plot and her sister was intended to be one of the victims, they're already stuck, unless they can figure out who's behind it all in time to save their own lives.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
12.The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
Release date: June 15
What it's about: It's a privilege to even get to discuss a Stevie Bell book that goes beyond the three set at Ellingham, but now that our favorite YA detective since Charlotte Holmes has solved the case of the century, we get to see her move on. In this case, the next step is Camp Sunny Pines, formerly known as Camp Wonder Falls, which is notorious for an unsolved gruesome quadruple murder that took place in the late '70s. The camp has a new owner set on making a podcast about the case, and what would be more interesting than bringing in the very girl who solved the Ellingham murder-kidnapping? But the dangers didn't disappear along with the age of disco, and this time, she may not make it out alive.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
13.That Weekend by Kara Thomas
Release date: June 21
What it's about: Kara Thomas nails it again with the story of Claire, the seemingly lone survivor of what was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway with her two best friends, Kat and Jesse. Now they've disappeared, and she's woken up on a hiking trail covered in blood and devoid of any memory of what's transpired. But then, maybe it's better she doesn't remember...
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
14.The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
Release date: July 13
What it's about: Kicking off with one of the creepiest covers in recent YA memory (and a spot on the New York Times bestseller list), Ryan Douglass's debut stars a boy named Jake who can see ghosts, something that hasn't bothered him all that much until now. But when the ghost of school shooter Sawyer begins to haunt him, flouting the rules of death Jake has always known, Jake has no idea how to proceed. He already has enough weighing him down from all he has to deal with as a closeted Black boy at a prep school, and if he's going to get out of this alive, he's going to need to figure out how to break free of it all.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
15.The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters
Release date: July 27
What it's about: When Natasha's sister, Rochelle, is kidnapped, she doesn't know who did it, but she does know whom to ask for help: Della, a girl who's rumored to be a witch. But Della is harboring a much darker secret that could unlock everything...namely that her mother, who's been magically turned into a monster, is the most likely culprit.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
16.They'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman
Release date: July 27
What it's about: Sisters Stella and Ellie don't have loads in common beyond their talent for running, but they do want the same thing: to make sure new girl Mila never gets a chance to be a threat to their status on the track team. Then Ellie finds much-needed kinship with Mila, and finding someone to hang out with starts to supersede everything, even running itself. Until Mila disappears while on a run, making Stella and Ellie the prime suspects.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
17.The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Release date: Aug. 3
What it's about: Snakebite, Oregon, earns itself three new residents when Logan moves in with her ghost-hunting dads, one of whom used to call it home. When darkness and disappearance quickly follow, her dads become the primary suspects, forcing Logan to team up with the girlfriend of the missing boy to figure out what's going on and how to keep all of them from getting sucked in by the very same threat.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
18.A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
Release date: Aug. 3
What it's about: This one's for fans of sapphic dark academia, transporting readers to the halls of Dalloway Academy, where legends of witchcraft fill the halls and filled Delicity's brain, until her girlfriend dies. Now she's determined to put it all behind her, but the arrival of new girl Ellis, a teen author, changes everything when she pulls Felicity right back in on a research mission, forcing her to face the darkness head-on.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
19.The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins
Release date: Aug. 31
What it's about: This new book from Stephanie Perkins โ author of the bestselling There's Someone Inside Your House โ sees best friends Neena and Josie clinging to their last hangout before separating for college: a three-day hike in the woods. But when the need for some space has them deviating from the trail, they land in a world of horror they never expected and don't know how to escape.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
20.The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release date: Sept. 7
What it's about: You can finally exhale: The follow-up to last year's bestselling The Inheritance Games is just around the corner, and it's full of even more twists and turns than its predecessor. Avery's made a huge discovery, but it's only the tip of the iceberg, and she still doesn't have the proof she needs behind it, or the answer to why she was chosen to receive a tremendous inheritance. She and the Hawthorne boys, including the two who take turns tugging at her heart, still have plenty to figure out, if they can trust each other and keep their emotions in check long enough to do it. But when betrayal comes from inside the house and clues begin sending them to unexpected places, they'll all learn much, much more than they bargained for.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
21.White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
Release date: Sept. 14
What it's about: YA twist queen Tiffany D. Jackson is back to terrorize readers once again with this psychological haunted house thriller about a girl named Mari who's moving from coastal California to the Midwest with her now-blended family. Their new digs being free seems like a sweet deal, but the spectral happenings are utterly terrifying, and her new little stepsister's claim that she has a "friend" who wants to get rid of Mari is the icing on top of the creepy cake. What exactly is going on in Cedarville?
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
22.Out of the Fire by Andrea Contos
Release date: Oct. 19
What it's about: The author of the gutting Throwaway Girls returns with the story of Cass Adams, a girl who's returned from being kidnapped but has never been allowed to let the memories go. Instead, she's bombarded with notes from her captor, warning her that she's still not safe. The police are no help, but when Cass reunites with some old friends, she finally ekes out a plan to ensure her safety for good...a plan that uncovers some painful secrets that turn her world upside down.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
23.The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
Release date: Oct. 5
What it's about: European Jewish immigrant boys keep turning up dead in 1893 Chicago, and when the newest victim hits way too close to home for Alter Rosen, he feels the effects quite literally when his dead roommate's dybbuk possesses him. The only way for Alter to get free is to solve the mystery of the killer's identity, even if he has to rely on the most dangerous and charismatic person from his past to do it.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
24.You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
Release date: Nov. 30
What it's about: No thriller roundup is complete without the queen Karen M. McManus, whose newest book riffs on Ferris Bueller's Day Off with a cut day that veers all the way off the rails. Ivy, Cal, and Mateo haven't been friends in a while, but when they all need a break from Carlton High and happen to run into one another outside, they decide it's time to get the gang back together for a day of fun and freedom. When they follow another classmate to spice things up, they get way more than they bargained for when they witness his murder...and learn that the secrets they've been keeping from one another may have more than a little to do with it.
Get it from Bookshop or a local bookstore through Indiebound here.
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