It was in the 6th grade that a book changed me. I have always been a voracious reader and love mysteries and thrillers. But there was something different about her 1977 novel I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier. There was an immediacy to the narration of Adam Farmer’s bike trip to see his father. In all the books I’ve read, I’ve never encountered an unreliable narrator or an uneasy ending.
I felt like I had crossed an important threshold. I realized that books aren’t just about having fun. They can change the way you see the world and the way you see yourself in that expanded and powerful universe.
Here are some of my favorite YA thrillers that tackle social issues. Each provides an entry point into a larger discussion.
Make yourself at home (written by Neal Shusterman)
The first book in the sci-fi dystopian series, “Unwind” takes place after a civil war over reproductive rights. The “Chapter of Life” armistice is a compromise. That is, life is protected from the moment of conception, but can “unravel” during the teen years, meaning that it is technically possible to dismantle the teen to obtain implantable parts that will continue to live. It is determined that it can be done. Even other people. This novel tells the story of three teenagers who struggle to break free after being assigned to a “harvest camp.” Sixteen years after its publication, Unwind continues to provoke debate about the value of human life.
Which of Jackson’s books should you choose? “Allegedly” is an unwavering take on the juvenile justice system. “Grown” focuses on sexual exploitation in the music industry. But “Monday’s Not Coming,” which introduced me to Jackson and her trademark plot twist, is the song that sticks with me the most. Claudia is the only person concerned that her best friend Monday is missing. Her investigation quickly revealed the neglect and abuse she faced in her home Monday. Jackson’s sophomore novel is a harrowing commentary on how easily black children disappear before our eyes.
After an environmental catastrophe, humanity, everyone except indigenous peoples, lost the ability to dream. Frenchie is an indigenous teen on the run from government authorities who are after him and others in search of the marrow filled with dreams. Dimarin’s dystopian thrillers highlight government policies that exploit resources from indigenous peoples and communities without regard for the consequences.
Three young men attending Urban Promise Prep become murder suspects after the principal is murdered on campus. JB, Ramon, and Trey all struggled to follow the strict rules of Principal Moore, who promised to transform boys of color into extraordinary people. Brooks uses multiple narrators and a variety of formats, including excerpts from police interrogation records, text, and press releases, to weave a compelling story about the dangers of prejudice. Pro tip: The audiobook features an all-star cast.
Sadie, by Courtney Summers
For a great read that’s even better as an audiobook, I also recommend Summers’ Edgar Award-winning novel about a runaway girl, Sadie. This book blew my mind. The novel begins with a voiceover that describes Sadie’s desperate search for her sister Matty’s murderer (her mother’s ex-lover), but suddenly switches to a podcast about a missing runaway, which becomes a hot topic. He notices that Sadie and Matty are the ones who are turned. Gritty and disturbing, “Sadie” is a powerful example of how audiobooks can enhance storytelling.
The scariest stories are those that feel like too much of a prescient warning. Internment, set “15 minutes into the future”, Leila Amin and her family are placed in a concentration camp for Muslim-Americans. Leila is determined to warn everyone who crosses the barbed wire border about the injustice and brutality of unchecked Islamophobia and racism. Her novel’s depiction of the ease of incarceration, the complicity of neighbors, and the risks to those who resist feels chillingly plausible. The world is a fragile, beautiful, and unstable place. Silence does not serve us.
Angeline Bouley writes books about Ojibwe communities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She is the author of “Firekeeper’s Daughter” and “Warrior Girl Unearthed” and is a former director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Bureau of Indian Education.