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

“Best friends don’t label each other as crazy or rat each other out to adults.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Unquiet Riot

Riley is not a psychopath.

It’s just that he was born unable to feel emotions. Is that person embarrassed or insecure? Suspicious or curious? It’s confusing when someone says, “Please don’t hate me,” but their face says, “You should definitely hate me for occupying the same planet right now because I wrecked your car.”

Riley’s life is filled with mind-numbing boredom until Henry arrives at his school. Henry’s amazing! Henry believes the world is populated by robots posing as humans. He believes the shadows in his room are monsters escaping from the electrical wires, and he sleeps with knives under his mattresses. For Riley, visiting Henry’s world is like being a tourist in a foreign land.

When police question Riley about Henry’s disappearance, Riley lies about their dangerous game and scrambles to save himself from being named accessory to mass murder. If Henry talks, Riley loses.

When someone feels nothing, do things like loyalty, friendship, and trust really matter?

Exhilarating and mind-bending! What I love most about Unquiet Riot is the slow unfolding of the friendship between the boys and the way Henry’s mental illness becomes revealed a little at a time. I worried for him. Riley is a great unreliable narrator who is witty and scary. This is the kind of authentic novel that really shows how factors like bullying, mental illness, and lack of teacher and parental involvement can allow an environment for a mass school violence event to occur.

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!

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.

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, is missing. Police initially believe she ran away—until they locate her abandoned cell phone along the highway. No one knows she met someone online, someone older, a musician named Quentin Brock who has a cool band named Acid Mozart. He seems to be romantic, cute, and funny. He seems to be the perfect guy.

By the time he reveals his true colors, Grace is trapped in another state with no way out.

She doesn’t even have shoes.

Wow! Junior Missing hooked me from the first page and never let me go!

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. I loved seeing her journey and choices as she befriends the neighbor girl. 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.

If you’re looking for a twisty YA thriller that brings all the chills, this one is definitely a page-turner! In fact, Khristina Chess is on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she has so many suspenseful novels.

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.

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.

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