07 Aug Chills and Thrills: Venturing into Thriller Novels
With horror becoming more and more of a popular genre, it is always a good idea to learn more about the sub-genres it spawns! Thrillers are a very specific kind of horror– focusing on suspense and mystery elements to create a tense and atmospheric experience. It is very important to note that thrillers often overlap with other genres, including detective fiction and other mystery sub-genres. However, a mystery may not always be a thriller, and a thriller may not always be a mystery. The most important tell is the suspense and tense atmosphere created by a thriller storyline. In Teen Central, we have many thrillers ready for perusal!
No Accident by Laura BatesSeven teens. One plane crash. One deserted island. They were returning home from a basketball tournament, but their only worry now is survival– and finding who is targeting them.
Seasick by Kristin Cast & Pintip Dunn
Naya Morgan and Yana Bunpraserit used to be best friends. However, even in the face of their rocky relationship, they go together on a cruise with the other top graduates of their small town. Expecting a relaxing trip to Bermuda, no one is ready when one of their classmates wind up dead– and they are stuck on the boat with a killer.
The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst
Claire has always been paranoid– about everything, really. It is not until she arrives at a new summer camp that any of her eccentricities are validated. The lodge is burned down, and there is no sign of other campers, besides two other late arrivals. After finding a dead body in the woods, the girls quickly realize something is very wrong at this summer camp.
Stay Dead by April HenryMilan lives a privileged life– a senator father and a business savvy mother will make that happen. However, after her father dies, Milan finds it hard to find the point in things. Her mother, now in the senate seat, takes her home from the boarding school she has just been expelled from. During the flight, something goes horribly wrong– and they crash at the top of a freezing mountain. Entrusted with a key in her mother’s final breaths, Milan must now make it down the mountain– and avoid more than just nature’s natural deadly risks.
Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore
It’s spring break– and the place to be is a trip to a private beach lodge with the most popular students. Eva and her best friends certainly never imagined they’d be here, but Eva wants the chance to reconnect with Colton, and Miles needs the distraction. However, when someone turns up dead, secrets are overturned, and Eva feels like the only person she can trust is Colton– especially as everything they know about their classmates is turned upside down.
I Hunt Killers by Barry LygaJasper Dent knows killers– his serial killer dad made sure to teach him when taking him on tours of the scenes of his own killings. With a new killer in town, Jasper needs to clear his own name– and keep the police out of his own business.
Dark Parts of the Universe by Samuel Miller
Manifest Atlas is supposed to just be a harmless game. Enter an intention, follow the map, and discover what you will. Willie thinks the Game is telling him he will die. The Game leads Sarai to her step-father’s bleeding corpse. Bones doesn’t want any part in this Game, but he can’t just leave his friends in this alone– even as Manifest Atlas shows them more about their small town.
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards
When a freak snowstorm cancels Mira’s flight home for Christmas, she has no idea what to do. In her desperation, she hitches a ride with a group of college students who also need to get to their own destinations. However, as the snow continues to fall and the drive drags on, Mira realizes these people don’t actually know each other– and that one of them may want this ride to end in disaster.
The Girl In Question by Tess Sharpe
Nora knows her days are numbered, with her stepdad, Raymond, now out of prison. In order to enjoy the days she has left, she plans a trip with Wes and Iris– her best friends. Amanda, Wes’ girlfriend, wasn’t even supposed to be there, but she tagged along at the last minute. And now, she’s being held hostage because Raymond thought Amanda was Nora. In the woods, with only light survival training and backpacking supplies, the three friends have to fight for their lives and save Amanda’s– before Raymond can get to them.
The Darkness Rises by Stacy Stokes
Whitney can see death. It’s not a looming figure in dark robes– it’s a cloud that hangs over people. Sometimes she can save people from it, sometimes she can’t. Last year was the first time she has ever regretted saving someone– when they turned around and shot up her school. A year hasn’t made it any easier to process, and all she wants to do is pull away from everyone. However, someone knows her secret, and they plan to get their revenge for her role.
-Written by Ajax T, Teen Central Library Assistant
