If your teenager or young adult students are struggling with reading, or even if they aren't, enticing them with some interesting stories and plots might be an excellent idea to interest them in reading more. These chilling stories listed below might engage them and spark their love of reading as they read about mysteries, crime, lost loves, and more.
Check out our list of 26 young adult thriller books listed below and purchase some at a reasonable price.
1. Hazel's Mirror
This book is all about the main character who wants to be on the move and take off out of her town. If you have a student who is interested in moving away or moving on from school, they might connect and relate to this story.
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2. Man With the Golden Falcons
Leading a double life in secret is exciting! Your child can live vicariously through this main character as she leads her double life as a spy. This main character will be particularly interesting to students who are interested in secret agencies.
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3. Ugly Love
Many young adults thrive on reading romance novels. Even more than that, many young adults enjoy reading about unlikely love affairs between people who could not stand each other. This book will definitely entice your students to find out the ending!
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4. Rule of Three
This story centers around a teenage boy noticing a lot of technology outages in his life. It kicks off a fantastic novel that will keep your young reader motivated throughout the entire story. They will connect especially well if they are a teenager themselves.
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5. They Stay
This story is perfect for any young adult who enjoys paranormal stories. Check out this teen girl as she works to sort through clues she received from the other side and looks for her kidnapped sister. It is an eerie teen thriller.
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6. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
This story involves murder, mystery, suspense, and a whole lot of twists. Your young reader will never see the ending coming and it is sure to keep them hooked right up until the very end. Read about obsessions, investigations, and crime.
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7. Asylum
Creepy, dark, and eerie are fantastic words to describe this novel. Shocking murder, real photos from asylums, and horrifying text are all included when you read through this novel. If your teen enjoys scary stories, this is the book for them.
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8. Tainted
Follow Elle Winters as she survives a global fallout. To make matters worse, she is fighting her way through a future where humanity is not like we know it to be today. Is she a part of a secret society? How will she handle all of the changes?
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9. By The Book
This YA novel focuses more on love, romance, and early literature and less so on the horror that is traditionally included in thriller books. It is worth a read!
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10. The Inheritance Games
Read about the darkest secrets you can imagine in this thrilling and chilling story about young Avery who receives a mystery fortune from someone she seemingly does not even know. Find out why and who this mystery benefactor is today!
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11. I Am Watching You
Who is the anonymous person who committed such a heinous murder of Anna Ballard? Was it an adoring boyfriend or is this whole experience on the train just a backdrop for murder? Help Ella Longfield work through her feelings of guilt and solve this disappearance once and for all!
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12. Kat Drummond Collection
Believe in this charismatic person, Kat Drummond. You won't believe the setbacks and obstacles she will have to overcome in order for her to complete her goal and task of finding a specific person who wronged her so terribly. Root for Kat as she works through her mission.
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13. The Final Gambit
Competitive and "in the spotlight" are all words young Avery would use to describe herself. However, her deepest secret may come to light throughout all of this. Follow her story and adventure in this book, The Final Gambit where her life is anything but a game.
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14. Regretting You
This YA novel is fitting for any teen that does not get along with their parents. Your young students or teen will connect with this teenage girl and see themselves in her as she struggles to fight with her mother and go through hard times.
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15. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The title says it all! This novel will have you questioning everything and noticing a lot of things about Evelyn and her helper Monique.
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16. Where The Crawdads Sing
Can the rumors of the dead girl be true? When locals start talking about a "marsh girl", what are the towns folk to do? Looking back on childhood memories and good times, follow the protagonist and they try to figure it all out.
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17. It Ends With Us
Take a closer and deeper look into the subconscious and past history of Ryle, the neurosurgeon whom our main character falls for. Your young reader will struggle and be hopeful with Lily as she tries to figure him out for herself and answer questions about him.
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18. Thunderdog
Secrets about the family of our main protagonist are the central feature and theme of this story as we follow her to Japan to solve a total crisis. Finding her father is the center of it will not stop her from uncovering the truth about Thunderdog.
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19. Ben Archer and the Toreq Son
The Toreq are trying to destroy Earth and all Ben can do is watch from his awful jail cell on their ship. This book is for the young adult who enjoys mystery, race against the clock stories, and who wants to cheer on the main character to save the world!
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20. Heart Bones
After tragedy sticks in Beyah's life, she seeks solace in her unlikely friend Samson. Take a page out of their book as they connect over their fondness for sad things and bad people. Beyah is working through grief and loss throughout this story.
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21. The Cruel Prince
Death and loss are two prominent features in this story. After losing her family at such a young age, Jude sets out to win her place in the court and get herself into a better situation. Purchasing this book as a gift can be an excellent idea.
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22. Good Girl Bad Blood
Investigating the disappearance of her friend Jamie is all this main character cares about as she comes out of retirement one last time. Hoping to put her days of investigation behind her, she doesn't really have much of a choice! Will she find Jamie in time?
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23. The Maze Runner
Prior to the movie being released, this book was adored by YAs everywhere. The Maze Runner is the first book in a series of novels that have a shocking and surprising resolution that will keep your young reader guessing and on edge the entire time.
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24. Maybe Not
Will these roommates ever get along? Follow the relationship changes between Warren and Bridgette as they try to work out their differences and manage to finally stand being in the same room together. Will one of them eventually move out?
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25. Girl in the Blue Coat
The girl in the blue coat thought she already was making risky deliveries, but when someone requests her to find a person, her job is taken to a whole new level. Read about Hanneke as she tries to fulfill this request as quickly as she can!
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26. These Twisted Bonds
Love, lust, and loss are the pillars of this story. The impossible journey that Abriella must embark on to figure it all out is almost too much to bare. Will she be able to sort it all out and find love in the end?
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