Are you looking for a real page turner? A book that really makes you think, that you just can’t put down? If that’s the case then the Mystery genre would be perfect for you. Mysteries are excellent for when you want to test your wits, and see if you can spot the clues left by the author and solve the puzzle before the big reveal. I’ve highlighted five excellent YA mysteries here that cover a whole range of styles, from sweet and charming like Paper Towns by John Green or something incredibly creepy like Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart.
So put your thinking cap on, pick up your magnifying glass and get ready to unravel some thrilling mysteries.
My first suggestion is a YA classic The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney. When fifteen year old Janie realizes that she is the missing child on the back of the milk carton, she’s shocked and confused. Her parents have always been loving and kind, but as she starts to put the clues together she realizes that something terrible happened, something that transformed her life forever.
If you want to read about a brilliant con artist, constantly re-inventing herself in an attempt to stay one step ahead of everyone then Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart will be perfect for you. Jule Williams is plagued by insecurity when she compares herself to her best friend, Imogen a rich and beautiful heiress. Relying on her talent for disguises and accents, Jule has developed a fantasy life as complicated as her mysteries past.
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro is inspired by the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes and features his great-great-great-granddaughter Charlotte, who is just as temperamental and brilliant as her ancestor. She finds her reluctant assistant in talented rugby player Jamie Watson when the two of them need to work together to clear their names after being falsely accused of murder. If you like Sherlock Holmes or classic detective stories, you’ll love A Study in Charlotte.
What happens when you might have committed a crime, but can’t remember what happened? With Malice by Eileen Cook is the story of Jill Charron, an American high school student on a dream study abroad trip in Italy. Halfway through the trip Jill wakes up in a hospital bed after a tragic car crash without any memories of the past month, and accused of killing her best friend Simone. Something that she knows is impossible, although no one believes her.
Paper Towns by John Green is my last suggestion, and it’s a mystery that’s perfect for when you want a heartwarming puzzle to solve. Quentin and Margo used to be childhood friends, and when Margo disappears their senior year of high school Quentin attempts to find her using a series of clues that she left behind for him. As Quentin and his friends embark on their road trip he begins to realize that the Margo he thought he knew doesn’t really exist.
