The best young adult novels that leave you on the edge of your seat

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Nyah Nichol, and I love action, adventure, mystery, and sci-fi books. In fact, I like sci-fi thrillers so much, I wrote a couple myself! I started writing my first novel at 13 after being inspired by young authors and intriguing sci-fi books and movies. My debut novel started as a short story I wrote in grade seven for English class. I’m always up for reading any novel that keeps me on the edge of my seat. I love books that keep me up at night, because I can’t bear to put them down, and stories that really make me think. I hope you enjoy my recommendation list!


I wrote...

Faded Glimpses of Time

By Nyah Nichol,

Book cover of Faded Glimpses of Time

What is my book about?

Faded Glimpses of Time is a young adult sci-fi novel. If readers like action, adventure, and crazy time travel theories, they will enjoy this fast-paced novel. The story is told from the perspective of four characters who endure immense tragedy and risk everything to save their world and time itself. This novel is a continuation of the first book in The Tempus Trilogy, Broken Shards of Time.

With the help of her friends, the main character, Wren Derecho, must try to bend time and rewrite fate to get one step ahead of its cruel game. Secrets will be revealed, lives will be stolen, and the past will return to haunt those who wish to forget it.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Dead Man's Switch

Nyah Nichol Why did I love this book?

This short novel is one of my all-time favorites. The author visited my school when I was in middle school, and he was very amusing to listen to. This book taught me how to pace my writing for a thriller and how to leave readers with cliffhangers that make them hold their breath.

By Sigmund Brouwer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dead Man's Switch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sigmund Brouwer, with nearly three million books in print, will have thrill seekers of all ages on the edge of their seats with this captivating young adult novel.

When a teen boy receives a written warning from his friend to avoid his church and leave his remote island town immediately, he's terrified-his friend died weeks ago!

He knows danger is up ahead when he realizes that his friend's dead man's switch computer program has been activated. Unsure who to trust, he sets out alone to unravel a dark conspiracy. Soon, the seeker soon becomes the hunted in an unknown wilderness.…


Book cover of The Maze Runner

Nyah Nichol Why did I love this book?

Dashner is one of my favorite authors. His books are always expertly written and include interesting protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters which I typically don’t see in a lot of writing. Maze Runner incorporates mystery, survival, sci-fi, and adventure with tons of exciting twists and turns. It’s extremely engaging for the mind and will keep you on your seat!

By James Dashner,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Maze Runner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze
Runner series - now a series of major movies starring Dylan O'Brien!

SEE THE FILMS. READ THE BOOKS. ENTER THE MAZE ...

When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers
is his first name. But he's not alone.

He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a
walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone
maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to
be there - or what's happened to the world outside.

All…


Book cover of The Time Machine

Nyah Nichol Why did I love this book?

The Time Machine was part of a book study I did in grade seven. The complex time travel theories made my mind swirl and would eventually inspire me while I wrote my first novel. This is a time travel book that has no rival; the ideas and concepts are captivating.

By H.G. Wells,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked The Time Machine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

A brilliant scientist constructs a machine, which, with the pull of a lever, propels him to the year AD 802,701.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of The Time Machine features an introduction by Dr Mark Bould.

The Time Traveller finds himself in a verdant, seemingly idyllic landscape where he is greeted by the diminutive Eloi people. The Eloi are beautiful but weak and indolent, and the explorer is perplexed by…


Book cover of Murder on the Orient Express

Nyah Nichol Why did I love this book?

This novel has got to be the best murder mystery story I have ever read. The storyline still pops up in my mind every now and then. It was expertly written, the characters had personality and depth, and the mystery was riddled with red herrings and surprises. I will definitely be reading more of Christie’s writing.


By Agatha Christie,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Murder on the Orient Express as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE MOST WIDELY READ MYSTERY OF ALL TIME—NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY KENNETH BRANAGH AND PRODUCED BY RIDLEY SCOTT!

“The murderer is with us—on the train now . . .”

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.

Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s…


Book cover of Divergent

Nyah Nichol Why did I love this book?

One of my favorite sci-fi novels is Divergent. Her exploration into phobias and the depth of the futuristic world she created was fascinating to read about. I have said in the past if readers like Divergent, they would like my book. I definitely found some inspiration in this classic sci-fi. It is absolutely worth the read.

By Veronica Roth, Nicolas Delort (photographer),

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Divergent as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

The explosive debut by No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

DIVERGENT - a major motion picture series.

For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.

Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead....

A debut novel that will leave you breathless.


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Book cover of The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell

Lisa Rojany Author Of The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have published over 50 books, including award-winning and bestselling titles. I am also a publishing executive and editor with 20+ years of professional experience. My latest The Twins of Auschwitz: The Inspiring True Story of  Young Girl Surviving Mengele’s Hell, with Eva Kor, got a stellar review by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and is an international bestseller. As well as spearheading four publishing startups, I have run my own business, Editorial Services of L.A. I was Editorial/Publishing Director for Golden Books, Price Stern Sloan, Intervisual Books, Hooked on Phonics, and more. I am also the Publisher & Editor in Chief of NY Journal Of Books, the premier online-only book review site.

Lisa's book list on picture books for all ages

What is my book about?

This is the Inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele’s hell. This is an incisive, harrowing, and touching memoir of Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister Miriam, who are sent to Auschwitz only to be torn from their parents and given to Josef Mengele, "The Angel of Death," for his evil and damaging experiments on human subjects.

In the voice of the ten-year-old Eva, we learn about what life was like in the death camps and how a child survives when food, water, comfort, and care are absent. At times heartbreaking and at other times a triumph of the will of a child to survive, this is a memoir that is not easily forgotten.

By Lisa Rojany, Eva Mozes Kor,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Twins of Auschwitz as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

The Nazis spared their lives because they were twins.

In the summer of 1944, Eva Mozes Kor and her family arrived at Auschwitz.

Within thirty minutes, they were separated. Her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, while Eva and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man who became known as the Angel of Death: Dr. Josef Mengele. They were 10 years old.

While twins at Auschwitz were granted the 'privileges' of keeping their own clothes and hair, they were also subjected to Mengele's sadistic medical experiments. They…


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