6 YA Thrillers Too Good to Put Down
by Eileen Cook
As a reader, there are few things more enjoyable than turning the page and being utterly shocked by what comes next — even more so if what was revealed had been hiding in plain sight the whole time. We quickly become part Sherlock Holmes, part Dr. Freud as we try to understand not only what happened, but often, more importantly, why it happened.
These six YA thrillers are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats and turning the pages to see what comes next.
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Vanishing Girls
Nick used to understand everything about her sister, but ever since Dara was in an accident she hasn’t been the same. It’s not just the scars on Dara’s face, it’s everything about her. When Dara goes missing on her birthday, Nick assumes she’s pulling a prank. But it’s not just Dara that’s missing. A nine-year-old has also disappeared and Nick becomes convinced that the two are connected. She has to find her sister before something terrible happens to her.
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Need
A new social media site promises to grant the needs of teens at Nottawa High. Students rush to join, but Kaylee suspects that it might be too good to be true. That's disappointing because Kaylee has something she needs too. Her younger brother has to have an organ transplant or he could die. Kaylee has to decide just how far she’s willing to go to get what she wants and also figure out who’s behind this new site. What are they getting for granting those wishes?
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Damage Done
Julia Vann is starting over. She has a new identity, a new school, and a new boyfriend. What she doesn’t have is a clear memory of the last few minutes at her previous school. Few could blame her for blocking the memories of her brother being involved in a school shooting. But what if she actually remembers far more than she’s admitted to anyone? And does someone now know her secrets? Her family’s attempt to hide is about to be blown wide open and what really happened is about to become public.
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Criminal
Nikki knows her boyfriend can be trouble, but she loves him. Dee’s the one thing in her life that’s going right. When she goes along with him for what should be a simple robbery, but ends up in murder, she feels she has no choice but to stand by him. She refuses to betray him, even if they both end up in jail. But Nikki begins to suspect that Dee hasn’t been completely honest with her about what he’s done or his motivations. She has to determine how far she’ll go to protect him, especially if it means risking everything else in her life.
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The Name of the Star
Available from:Jack’s back! It’s contemporary London and the city is shaken by a string of murders reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper crimes from the 1800s. Rory Deveaux has enough to worry about without getting caught up in a crime spree. She’s moved from Louisiana and is trying to fit in at her new boarding school — but she’s the only witness to one of the crimes. She has to figure out why she seems to be the only one who can see the prime suspect, and do it before she becomes Jack’s newest victim.
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Tease
When a local girl commits suicide after reportedly being bullied, the public wants someone to pay. Sara and her best friend are assumed guilty and the pressure to explain what really happened grows every day. Sara has no idea how she ended up public enemy number one or how her life got so far off track. She’s not supposed to communicate with her best friend, so how will she get through this? As Sara tells her story to her counselor, lawyer, and the police, her role in what happened becomes clearer and more disturbing.
