Guest post written by It’s Only A Game author Kelsea Yu
Kelsea Yu is a Taiwanese Chinese American writer who is eternally enthusiastic about sharks and appreciates a good ghost story. Kelsea’s novella, Bound Feet, was a 2022 Shirley Jackson Award nominee. Over a dozen of her short stories and essays appear in magazines such as Clarkesworld, Nightmare, Fantasy, and PseudoPod, and in various anthologies. Kelsea lives with her husband, children, and a pile of art supplies in the Pacific Northwest.
It’s Only A Game is a twisty, fast-paced YA thriller, a dangerous game becomes all too real when Marina and her friends are framed for murder.
When I first set out to write the idea that would eventually become my debut novel, It’s Only a Game, I picked up every young adult thriller I could get my hands on. I was initially reading to understand the genre and to find comparable titles for pitching, but that quickly turned to reading for enjoyment. There’s something so inherently accessible about thrillers—between fast pacing, high tension, and the promise of answers to be revealed, they’re easy to pick up and hard to set down. I love that rush of trying to guess along the way and the satisfaction of turning the last page after the mystery has been solved.
I’ve read so many amazing YA thrillers that there’s no way I can include them all in one article, but I’m excited to share a few recent reads (and one beloved reread!) that I absolutely adored. I hope you’ll consider picking them up! And if you’re up for a YA thriller featuring a group of gamers who are blackmailed into playing a dangerous video game with real life consequences, my book, It’s Only a Game, will be out on July 9 this year!
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell
Mara Racette, a relative newcomer to the Blackfeet Reservation, hasn’t had the warmest welcome. But she’s hopeful when a local girl invites her to a traditional Blackfeet giveaway to honor her missing sister—until a girl from the giveaway is found murdered.
Told through the perspective of four Blackfeet teens as well as snippets from a true crime podcast, Looking for Smoke is a deeply moving novel that brings attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. Cobell crafts a compelling, masterful story full of complex characters you’ll find yourself rooting for and twists that will keep you guessing!
Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R.X. He
Ella Moore is the queen bee of Sierton High. When she’s murdered at her own party, the prime suspect is Dawn Foster, the new girl at school and the last person to hand Ella a drink before she died. As Dawn investigates Ella’s past in an attempt to clear her own name, she discovers just how many people hated Ella—some of whom have no qualms about letting Dawn take the fall for Ella’s death.
Told through dual perspectives, Perfect Little Monsters is a clever, page-turning book that reminded me of Mean Girls (one of my favorite movies) in the best way. He’s writing sucked me in immediately and kept me riveted through the ending, which was a stunner—especially when paired with the author’s note.
That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally
A teen wakes up bruised and shivering on the side of a dirt road with no memory of what happened to her—or even of her own name. After being picked up by a local officer, she’s brought home by a man who’s been searching frantically for her—a man who claims her name is Mary and he’s her father. In another town, Drew searches for his girlfriend, Lola, who’s been missing for weeks—and whom everyone in town thinks he murdered.
Told through Mary’s and Drew’s perspectives, That’s Not My Name is tense, impossible to put down (I read it in one day), and hard-hitting. I was completely blown away by Megan Lally’s mastery of plots, reveals and twists—and that ending will stick with me for a long, long time.
Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
Once-popular Jo-Lynn Kirby is now an outcast at school—so, when her ex-best friend Maddie comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo figures it’s another cruel prank…until Maddie goes missing. Jo agrees to fake-date her ex-crush, Hudson Harper-Moore, as a way into her old clique to investigate Maddie’s disappearance—but being back on the inside means confronting the secrets and betrayal that ruined Jo’s reputation and broke her friendship with Maddie.
I fell hard for Jo—she’s a force of personality with a voice that absolutely leaps from the page. She feels real, complicated, and relatable. I loved every moment of her journey, from her initial, prickly determination not to rely on anyone to her slow discovery of the joy in connection and reconnection—both with herself and others—as she’s forced to work through past traumas. Not Like Other Girls brought tears to my eyes—emotions that only intensified with the deeply personal author’s note. A masterfully written mystery!
The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy
When Lauren O’Brian moves to a new town, she’s relieved to leave her past behind—painful memories that her summer hookup, Robbie Crestmont, helps her forget. Then she learns that Robbie’s ex-girlfriend mysteriously drowned at his lake house over a year earlier. Lauren knows what it’s like when everyone assumes the worst of you…but when she finds shocking evidence that might implicate Robbie, she must decide who to trust—the boy she’s growing closer with or the town that’s convinced he’s a murderer.
The One That Got Away with Murder is as clever as the title suggests. Lundy keeps readers guessing throughout—and wondering, alongside Lauren, just how far we can trust the Crestmonts. With complex characters, precisely timed backstory reveals, and a satisfying ending, this book was a stunning read!
Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz
Izzy Morales and five friends join Izzy’s best friend, Kassidy, in a 1920s-themed getaway at a glamorous historic mansion. There, they party in vintage dresses and expensive jewelry—until Kassidy’s boyfriend turns up murdered. Investigators consider everyone a suspect—and no one can leave the estate until they find the killer.
With comps like One of Us is Lying and Knives Out, this book has a lot to live up to—and Muñoz delivers! The atmosphere is stellar and there are plenty of suspicious motives to go around. Suddenly a Murder is a fun and compelling locked room mystery that nods to classics like Agatha Christie while weaving in hard-hitting modern issues.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Daunis Fontaine—biracial, an unenrolled tribal member, and product of a scandal—has never quite fit in either her hometown or the nearby Ojibwe Reservation. When someone she loves is murdered in a drug-related incident, Daunis agrees to work as an undercover informant to help find the source of the meth addiction ravaging her community—a choice that will uncover more deceit and corruption than Daunis could’ve imagined and put her at increasing risk.
Firekeeper’s Daughter is one of those deeply moving, once-in-a-generation books that deserves every bit of acclaim it has received and more. Boulley expertly balances every aspect of this incredible book that is so powerful that I started crying upon starting the reread—and finished rereading anyway, tears and all.
Girls Who Burn by M.K. Pagano (Out July 16)
Addie Blackwood’s sister, Fiona, died a year ago. Since then, Addie has suspected Thatcher Montgomery, the rich boy down the street, of killing Fiona…until Thatcher’s found dead too. Addie tentatively agrees to team up with the only person she can trust, Seth Montgomery—the boy she was with during both deaths. But the more Seth and Addie learn, the more it seems their families’ pasts are tied up in what happened to Fiona, and the less Addie knows who to trust.
Girls Who Burn perfectly entwines the danger and suspense of a thriller with the emotional, wonderfully angsty tension of an enemies-to-lovers romance. With beautiful prose and fast pacing, Pagano tackles themes of loss, guilt, and class differences in this twisty, thoroughly enjoyable mystery that will leave readers breathless to the very last page.
Under the Surface by Diana Urban (Out August 13)
While on a class trip to Paris, Ruby’s best friend follows a local guy down to explore the Catacombs one night—and Ruby, Ruby’s ex-best friend, and another classmate end up along for the ride. They get lost underground—a nightmare that only grows worse when they realize someone is hunting them through the tunnels. Meanwhile, Sean, the boy who loves Ruby, races to find her from aboveground, helping the police and pushing awareness for the plight of the missing teens—before it’s too late for them all.
This heart-pounding book is a mix of survival thriller, tense teen drama, and twisty mystery, with an overarching romantic theme. I’m in awe of Urban’s skill in crafting a suspenseful, incredibly creepy and emotional story that does not let up until the very end. Five heartfelt shivers for this amazing book!
More YA Thrillers to Pick Up
- For fans of historical thrillers—The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
- For fans of The Picture of Dorian Gray—She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
- For fans of dark academia—How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
- For fans of Carrie—The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
- For fans of survival thrillers—Stay Dead by April Henry
- For fans of Rebecca—I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick
- For fans of psychological thrillers—The Half-Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno
- For fans of Get Out—Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
- For fans of Scrabble—Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
- For fans of Angie Thomas—When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
