YA Suspense
Jane M. asked for recommendations for her kid who was looking for suspenseful YA books to get immersed in. She let me know that mildly dark themes were okay. Below are my picks, which include spy stories, historical fiction, heirs, thieves, and dystopias.
Are you looking for recommendations for you or your loved ones? Email me at lisasbookblog@gmail.com, and I’ll come up with custom suggestions.
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (started in 2000)
After his uncle is killed, Alex takes over his role as a British spy. In the first adventure, Stormbreaker, Alex follows clues his uncle left about an extraordinary computer.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (2011)
A world where people spend their much of their waking life in virtual reality space? Who would’ve imagined? This book is like a video game itself, where the characters have to find the Easter Eggs and conquer various levels of challenges.
The Paladin Prophecy series by Mark Frost (started 2012)
Will’s family always told him not to stand out. But the same day he thinks someone might be following him, he learns he’s scored off the charts on a standardized test, which leads to an invitation to a full-ride to a swanky private school. Supernatural forces seem to have an interest in Will and his family, and the school’s history may lead to answers.
Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel (2013)
When Peggy’s life begins to unravel, she receives an offer that might be a lifesaver: impersonate a lady-in-waiting at the palace of King George I. Life undercover is stressful, especially as she discovers that the people who are helping with the deception may not have told her the whole truth. Suspenseful and fun.
Fake ID by Lamar Giles (2014)
Edgar Award winner Giles spins a great mystery in Fake ID. Nick is in the witness protection program. He knows he should stay under the radar to maintain the second chance he’s gotten. But when his friend Eli is killed, most likely because of the conspiracy he was investigating, he has to find out the truth.
Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (started 2020)
Avery receives the unexpected and odd news that she is the sole heir of a fortune. She meets the family of the deceased patriarch — feuding daughters and four attractive grandsons — who are all obsessed with puzzles and games. She’ll have to find the clues and solve the mystery to inherit the fortune.
Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (2023)
The Quests are a family of thieves, and Ross Quest has been training for the job since birth. She’s starting to want something different from her life when she receives an invitation to the Thieves’ Gambit, a competition between the best young thieves in the world. The winner gets a valuable prize: one wish. Ross dismisses the idea until her mother is kidnapped and the ransom is a billion dollars. When she enters the competition, she knows she has the skills to succeed, but she’s unsure of what to make of her competitors, some of whom are old enemies and others seem to want to be friends. How can Ross trust anyone when there can only be one winner and one wish?