Three Books
I’ve been reading a ton of teen thrillers lately, and I have say I may like them better than a lot of the adult fiction out there. For so long teen lit was limited to the horror and romance of the 80s and 90s with authors like Lois Duncan, RL Stine, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Christopher Pike, Francine Pascal and Ann M. Martin. Not that the 80s teen fiction is bad, it’s not because I love it but, young adult fiction as exploded and in a good way. There are so many genres and it’s not so white-centric any more.
Head to your local library, chat with the teen librarian and see what’s available because there are many excellent titles in teen literature now.
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
I’m having a moment with Jessica Goodman. I read her first book They Wish They Were Us and loved it. I recently finished her second book and devoured it. She has a third book coming out in May about camp counselors, so of course I ordered it. I can’t stop talking about her books. I’ve been recommending them to every teen who is looking for teen suspense/teen thrillers. But let’s rewind and talk about They Wish They Were Us. It’s Gossip Girl meets The Secret History! I couldn’t put this one down. Head to your local library or bookstore and I mean run because I promise you will love it. She’s the Gillian Flynn of teen thriller fiction.
A slightly older title, like circa 2012. I am a sucker for Teen Vampire Lit (and movies and tv shows). Give me The Lost Boys, Vampire Diaries and Buffy (the movie and tv show), no Twilight and I’ll be there. Drain You is a retro paranormal teen vampire love story that has lots of Lost Boy vibes and takes place in Sunny LA. I love the 80s/90s references to Nirvana, The Babysitter’s Club and Sassy magazine. Looking for a blast from the past vampire teen novel, this is for you.
Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
This is the first book I’ve read by Kate Alice Marshall. Upon finishing this one, I ordered all her books for the teen collection at my library. Another spooky teen read, if you’re into ghost stories, go get this book, stat! An excellent camp fire ghost story, I get a lot of Are You Afraid of the Dark mixed with The Blair Witch Project vibes from the book. A story about small town folklore, lost girls and ghosts - this is probably my favorite teen book at the moment. I have yet to read the other two books that are out but you better believe I pre-ordered her next book - it’s inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.
