Find your next great read for National Reading Month by exploring my reviews of these twisty YA thrillers that bring all the chills.
These YA thriller picks have all the elements to keep the pages turning: great main characters that you want to root for, big trouble from the start, tons of suspense and tension, and an unexpected and thrilling conclusion. Check them out today!
Unquiet Riot by Khristina Chess
“Henry used a type of camouflage—in his case, those corny jokes and the way he dressed—to hide the game. No one could be allowed to know his special ability to detect who was real and who was an agent. Not even me.“― Khristina Chess, quote from Unquiet Riot
Riley isn’t a psychopath—he just doesn’t feel emotions.
Embarrassment, insecurity, suspicion—it’s all mysterious. He’s learned to read faces, but they never match the words people say.
Then Henry arrives. Henry is fascinating. Henry is dangerous. He believes the world is crawling with robot impostors, that shadows escape from electrical wires, that knives beneath his mattress will keep the monsters away. For Riley, stepping into Henry’s world is like visiting a foreign country—thrilling, unpredictable, alive.
When Henry vanishes, the police come knocking. And Riley lies.
Now it’s a game. If Henry talks, Riley loses.
Chilling and compulsive, Unquiet Riot is a mind-bending YA thriller with a male protagonist that unravels friendship, deception, and the disturbing factors that allow tragedy to unfold. With an unforgettable unreliable narrator and a slow-burn descent into chaos, this is a must-read for anyone drawn to stories exploring the psychology of school violence.
You won’t want to miss this twisty YA psychological thriller that explores the consequences of remaining silent about bullying and mental illness. Check it out!
Junior Missing by Khristina Chess
“He kissed me again and again, and I began bargaining once more with the wind. I vowed to do better and try harder to keep this Quentin who loved me and kept me safe. The Quentin who I loved. Who loved me. Who didn’t treat me badly.“ ― Khristina Chess, quote from Junior Missing
Love shouldn’t take prisoners.
Sixteen-year-old Grace Keegan, darling of the child pageant world with a bright future, is missing. At first, police assume she ran away. But when they find her abandoned phone along the highway, the truth becomes far more terrifying.
No one knows about Quentin Brock—the older musician she met online. He’s charming, funny, and perfect. Until he isn’t. Until she’s trapped in another state with no way out.
She doesn’t even have shoes.
What makes Junior Missing so special is the gripping, slow-boil depiction of how Grace falls into the trap of an abusive relationship with an older man who takes her in—and won’t let her go. I worried about her. This is the kind of thrilling, authentic novel that really shows how someone can so easily be manipulated and hurt in this kind of situation.
Dark, gripping, and impossible to put down, Junior Missing is a slow-burn psychological thriller that unravels the chilling reality of physical and psychological violence.
Drowning Instinct by Ilsa Bick
“This is a fairy tale with teeth and claws.” ― Ilsa Bick, quote from Drowning Instinct
And speaking of twisty thrillers with inappropriate relationships, how about Drowning Instinct, with a teen girl and her teacher?
I didn't know what to expect when a friend loaned this book to me, but wow! This book has layers. The way the author wove the "drowning instinct" theme throughout the story was really well done, and I loved the complexity of the characters and the plot twists. The pacing kept getting more intense and compelling as I read further. Addictive.
I don’t want to give too much away. If you’re looking for twisty YA thrillers that bring all the chills and keep you up late at night, just read it.
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
"I am vengeance."― Mindy McGinnis, quote from The Female of the Species
I loved this book. Alex Craft is a unique female YA protagonist, and I had a hard time pinning her down. Sometimes I wanted to label her as a psychopath / sociopath based on her actions and reactions to things, but I don't think that's right.
She is a criminal. It's easy to forget that about her because she makes friends, takes care of kittens, shows compassion to other kids, and falls in love. But she also kills people. So there's that.
This was my third Mindy McGinnis novel, and I'm hooked on her. She writes compelling stories and tough, unflinching characters, and she’s one of the top authors in my list of the Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited. Alex Craft in The Female of the Species is definitely a five-star read! It is an unflinching, painful, searing, riveting, brutal YA book about rape and sexual assault that will shock you to the core.
For a twisty YA psychological thriller that you won’t be able to stop reading, be sure to add this one to your TBR pile. In fact, Mindy McGinnis is on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she has so many suspenseful novels.
Tenderness by Robert Cormier
“A smile for all the stupid people out there with bleeding hearts for serial killers.” ― Robert Cormier, quote from Tenderness
This short YA novel puts the reader inside the mind of a psychopath, Eric Poole, who killed his parents and three other girls, as well as a sociopath, Lori, who is attracted to Eric and who also has a very weak moral compass. Fate introduces them, and it seems to be destiny that reunites them when Eric is released from juvenile detention.
In a way, Eric is more relatable than Lori. We have encountered people like him in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "American Psycho." We know what to expect. He kills. He needs to keep killing. And he does. But Lori is an intriguing character who does CRAZY things. She is childlike with a poor sense of self-preservation, and her actions seem both whimsical and calculated. She seems to know the difference between right and wrong, but she's willing to embrace wrong.
If you're looking for a twisty and dark teen psychopath novel, give Tenderness a look. You'll be disturbed.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Evie Porter is a free agent who handles various “jobs” for a mysterious Mr. Smith. She’s good at her job. In fact, she’s so good that she doesn’t trust Mr. Smith and sets safety nets around her to make sure that when she’s double-crossed (not if, she knows it’s coming), she’ll be ready.
About halfway through the book, I was certain that I'd figured out who the mysterious "Mr. Smith" was--but I was wrong! The ending had a great twist and surprise. After a modest start to the narrative, I had to sit down and read the rest of the book in a single afternoon. I loved the premise, the mystery, and the conflict. I can see why people loved this one. Excellent read! Although not technically young adult, it you’re looking for a twisty thriller / mystery that brings all the chills, this bestseller is one that you don’t want to miss.
People Like Us by Dana Mele
“Fashion gets a reputation for being frivolous, but it's the one form of art I understand It has the ability to transform bodies and environments, to conceal or seduce, to break hearts or make them sing." ― Dana Mele, quote from People Like Us
This mystery has the right ingredients for a great read. A young girl is found dead, and the main character is the primary suspect. Along the way, other bodies drop, and other suspects surface. Friends become enemies, and enemies become friends.
The main character, Kay, isn't especially sympathetic, and neither are her friends. Kay's flatness makes it hard to connect with her, even with the backstory about her brother or her romantic entanglements with the other girls. I just didn't like her very much; I wouldn't care if she went to jail.
Still, this book has the pacing, plotting, and setting just right, and the author kept me guessing until the end. For readers who like mean girls in this genre, it's a quick read and offers several surprises. Don’t miss this twisty YA thriller.
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
“She believed that the way you speak is often more important than anything you have to say.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from Genuine Fraud
I picked up Genuine Fraud because I loved Lockhart’s other books so much, and the premise sounded intriguing.
Genuine Fraud is a close re-imagining of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley (another binge-worthy series of books), but with female protagonists and a plot that has been lightly shuffled, so events are in different sequence but still end up being very, very familiar when you encounter them.
Because the book opens with a bang and gives a great big story question, I definitely wanted to find out what happened and how things in the mystery were going to pan out. However, the ending felt a little anti-climactic to me. Still, Lockhart is one of those authors whose writing is worth following, wherever it goes, and I'll be back for more.
You should check this one out if you’re looking for a YA thriller that bring all the chills and surprises.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
“That's the kind of person you can get away with killing: someone everybody else wants dead.” ― Karen McManus, quote from One of Us Is Lying
This list of twisty YA thrillers would be incomplete without Karen McManus’ book, One of Us Is Lying. What a fantastic novel! I spent all afternoon reading because I had to know who did it. The story is engrossing; the characters are unique and interesting; and I was surprised by the ending. There’s a reason it’s a top-selling book in the YA mysteries and detective, thriller, and suspense categories. Check it out!
Other YA Thrillers That Will Bring All the Chills
If you are looking other twisty YA thrillers that will bring all the chills and surprises, check out the YA Thriller Books lists on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post on Binge-Worthy YA Books So Addicting You Can’t Stop Reading for other mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and just great reads. Also, check out my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic. There’s something for everyone here.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.