Attention, young adult thriller fans! This month we’re diving into one of our favorite genres: young adult thrillers, also known as YA thrillers.
There are loads of fantastic young adult thriller novels out there, and we are lucky to be living in a time when the genre is seeing a sharp uptick with runaway debut successes like Tess James-Mackey’s Someone Is Watching You. But if you’re new to the genre, you may be wondering: what exactly is a young adult thriller? We have answers.
So What Elements Make Up A Young Adult Thriller?
- An engaging teenage protagonist
- A suspenseful, high-stakes plot
- A fast-paced narrative
- Relatable themes
- Plot twists and mysteries
So strap in as we dive into these five elements that make up a young adult thriller.
RelatedWhat are the best thriller books you will always recommend?
An Engaging Teenage Protagonist
Like most other novels in the young adult genre, young adult thrillers almost always feature an adolescent main character facing struggles and problems that are relatable to a young adult audience. Most frequently, these protagonists will be in their later teenage years: literally, young adults. (Hence the name of the genre!)
The protagonist in a young adult thriller is also often trying to solve a mystery or get to the bottom of a crime, which means they undergo some serious character development by the novel’s end. While the details of their journey and transformation may not be directly relatable to all readers, their complex inner world and coming-of-age journey often is.
One young adult thriller that makes great use of a relatable main character is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. (It’s going to be adapted into a Netflix series later this summer!)
A Suspenseful, High-Stakes Plot
As the genre name would suggest, young adult thrillers are also stories of suspense, of deceit, and of mystery. They share many of the same hallmarks of traditional thriller stories, such as the presence of a serious threat throughout the story.
The difference between general thrillers vs young adult thrillers is that the suspenseful plotlines of young adult thrillers are often more suitable for adolescent audiences. Young adult thriller plots typically avoid diving into extreme violence or sexually explicit writing, which can appear in thrillers aimed at more mature audiences.
Young adult thrillers often hang their narrative tension on mystery, crime, and supernatural forces. This creates a sense of urgency and danger, which makes young adult thrillers absolute pageturners.
Sloan Harlow’s recent young adult thriller Everything We Never Said is a delightful example of suspenseful plot development.
RelatedThe Evolution of the Thriller: A Discussion
A Fast-Paced Narrative
A third element that defines young adult thrillers is the presence of a quick, rapid-fire plot. In the world of young adult thrillers, novels are often marked by action scenes and cliffhangers at the end of chapters.
These elements create a further sense of velocity, compelling the reader to stay engaged in order to find out what happens next. In young adult thrillers, the plot moves more quickly than a runaway train, perfect for building a sense of suspense and tension. This sets young adult thrillers apart from other young adult subgenres, which may feature a slower-paced plot.
A great example of a fast-paced narrative in a young adult thriller can be found in the novel Sadie by Courtney Summers, which follows a teenager who seeks to track down her missing sister.
Relatable Themes
Universal issues and ideas are the fourth aspect that makes up a young adult thriller. Young adults in particular face unique challenges and circumstances, many of which happen once-in-a-lifetime. (There’s a very good reason for the stereotype of the misunderstood teenager, as it’s easy to forget just how hard adolescence was…)
Some of the most common issues and themes that come up in young adult thrillers include the search for independence, personal growth, evolving friendships, and general coming-of-age. And while these may be typical themes in most young adult novels, young adult thrillers intertwine these topics with the underlying mystery and suspense of the plot. This means that protagonists in young adult thrillers are often growing up as a direct result of the central case in the novel.
The young adult thriller The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a fantastic novel that uses universal themes of identity, responsibility, and coming-of-age.
RelatedBeach Thriller: What Makes The Perfect Summer Reading Companion?
Plot Twists and Mysteries
The final defining feature of young adult thrillers is the use of unpredictable plot elements and core mysteries. Like most thriller novels, at the heart of any solid young adult thriller is an unexplained mystery. The protagonist, either alone or with a group of allies, is responsible for piecing together clues and investigating the nature of the central question in the novel.
Adding to the uncertainty, however, is the frequent use of plot twists and unexpected revelations. The introduction of surprise turns and developments in the story keep the reader guessing until the very end of the novel, enhancing the suspense in a young adult thriller. (If you love a good surprise, be sure to read our list of favorite plot twists!)
The young adult thriller One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus is a fantastic example of the use of plot twists. It follows five high school students, one of whom is murdered in detention. The other four must work together (and apart) to unravel the identity of the killer.
In conclusion, young adult thrillers can be viewed as both a subgenre of young adult fiction and of thriller novels. They are books that typically feature a teenage protagonist, a suspenseful plot, a fast-paced narrative, universal themes, and extensive plot twists. Young adult thrillers are a fantastic choice for readers of all ages, but especially adolescents, as well as mystery buffs and suspense fans.
As always, happy reading!
