8 Must-Read Summer YA Thrillers

The Devil You Know, by Trish Doller
One of the best things about Trish Doller is that her books are so different from each other, and yet her main characters always share one underlying trait: a strength the rest of the world may not recognize as such. The other best thing is that she’s hugely sex-positive. Those two things come together in her newest release and first psychological thriller, in which 18-year-old Cadie hooks up with a guy at a party and soon finds herself on an adventure with the potential to turn deadly.

Damage Done, by Amanda Panitch
You know those books that are so twisted, you don’t want to say a word about them because you want readers to experience every shocking nuance without a single piece of information? Panitch’s debut, about a girl who has reinvented herself after a tragedy, only to find herself in every bit as much danger as before, is exactly that book for me. So if you love psychological thrillers that’ll mess with your head, bump this one to the top of your list.

Pretending to Be Erica, by Michelle Painchaud
Violet’s not your average teen con artist (whatever that may look like); she was almost literally born to be Erica Silverman, heir to a painting that could keep Violet and her foster father financially secure for good. But now that Violet/Erica has got an approximation of a real teenage life, complete with friends, a boyfriend, and a doting mother, she’s not quite sure anything’s worth giving that up. Which doesn’t mean she has a choice in the matter, especially not if her father has anything to say about it. You know a thriller’s good when you’re terrified to finish it because you’re not sure there’s any possible ending that could leave your heart intact, but thankfully Painchaud nails it in her teen con artist debut.

Charlie, Presumed Dead, by Anne Heltzel
When two girls discover at Charlie’s funeral that they’ve been sharing a boyfriend, all hell breaks loose. Lena’s been the public face of Charlie’s romantic life for three years, Aubrey, a secret for one. But both are hiding dark secrets about themselves and their relationship with Charlie, and everything slowly unravels as they join forces around the world to learn the truth behind his death. Gloriously twisted with an ending that’ll make you pick up your jaw only long enough to call for a sequel.

Daughter of Deep Silence, by Carrie Ryan
Only three people survived a violent attack on a cruise ship, and two of them are lying about what happened—but the third is lying about everything else. When Frances and her new friend Libby escaped to a lifeboat after the attack that left Frances’ parents dead, they thought they’d find rescue together. Only Libby doesn’t survive, leaving it up to Frances to assume her life and get revenge against the people who destroyed both their families. Fans of TV’s Revenge will recognize the story Ryan deftly YA-ifies here.

Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls, by Lynn Weingarten
June and Delia haven’t spoken in months, but June’s never as sorry for their silence as when she learns Delia has committed suicide. Desperate to learn what drove her former best friend to her death, June begins to look into Delia’s darker side and discovers secrets, loves, and lies she never knew about. As her quest shifts from understanding Delia’s actions to uncovering whether Delia’s death was a suicide at all, she falls down a rabbit hole of deceit that raises chilling questions about those around her.

The Fixer, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Scandal shifts to high school in the newest thriller by The Naturals author Barnes, about a girl named Tess who follows in her older sister’s footsteps to become the “fixer” at her high school, i.e., the girl who can make all your problems go away…for a price. But when her life and her sister’s collide on a case, the stakes might get too high for Tess to recover.

Survive the Night, by Danielle Vega
Okay, I have to be honest—I might be too chicken to read this, ever. But I really wish I had the guts for it, and isn’t that basically just like reading it? Julie lies dead in pieces in a New York City subway, found only when Casey stumbles upon her body during Survive the Night, an underground rave. And so begins the hunt for Casey and her friends, who are now trapped and facing an unknown enemy and oh God yeah I am definitely terrified of this book, but read it and tell me how it goes?