Q: What Are You Reading? A: Young Adult Thriller

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So you want to write young adult thrillers? It’s time to read some! But what stories are considered thriller? According to StoryGrid, thriller has a protagonist “negotiating a complex world, struggling at the limits of human experience, and triumphing (usually) over seemingly overwhelming forces of antagonism?” Check StoryGrid for more information. The plot combines the genres of action, horror, and grim. The excitement of death, damnation, injustice, and justice is common.

What stories are considered young adult? Some resources are available about the differences between adult fiction and young adult fiction. Check them out here, here, and here.

Some examples are One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, The Hunger Games by Suzanna Collins, and This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. Check out a list of more young adult thriller titles here.

Upcoming young adult thriller titles can be found here, here, here and here.

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This blog post is part of a series called Q: What Are You Reading? by Suzanna Anderson on Operation Awesome. Please note that this book list is not comprehensive. This list is a starting point, an introduction to Young Adult Thriller titles. Suzanna reads a book and usually finds at least ten more books to read. Use this list as inspiration to check out titles at your local library, support your local bookstores with purchases, or wherever you get your books. Please do read, share, and write reviews (if you want to). Comment below what you’ve read and what you’re excited to read next!

What are you reading?