Twisty Campus Thrillers to Read This Fall

Looking for a new YA thriller to read this fall? With school back in session, we recommend reading one of these thrillers set on a school campus. Whether you’re finishing out high school or heading to college, we’re pretty sure your school experience won’t be nearly as terrifying as these campus thrillers! Scroll through our list to find your next read.

Hemlock House by Katie Cotugno

Hemlock House

By Katie Cotugno

Is there a killer in Hemlock House?

Over a year after the events in Liar’s Beach, Linden is ready to start over as a freshman at Harvard—but then a friend is found dead in the dorms. Nearly everyone on campus has something to hide, but some mysteries are better left buried. . . .

The Champions

By Kara Thomas

From the author of The Cheerleaders comes another dark YA thriller set in the same town of Sunnybrook. When a mysterious accident befalls a member of the all-star high school football team, the town’s deadly history stands to repeat itself—and the price of discovering the truth is higher than anyone could imagine.

The Ivies

By Alexa Donne

A nail-biting and timely thriller about prep school teens who will stop at nothing to get into the college of their dreams. Too bad no one told them murder isn’t an extracurricular.

Nothing More to Tell

By Karen M. McManus

Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favorite teacher—but now Brynn is back and determined to find out what really happened. Digging into the past is bound to shake up the present, and while investigating, Brynn begins to uncover secrets that will change everything . . .

Wander in the Dark

By Jumata Emill

Coming 01.14.25

In this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of The Black Queen, two brothers must come together to solve the murder of the most popular girl in school after one of them is caught fleeing the scene of her death.

Win Lose Kill Die

By Cynthia Murphy

A high-school slasher with a lethal twist! The students at Morton Academy are high-achievers, selected based on academic excellence. So when a series of murders target the school’s best and brightest, the pressure is on to find the truth.

The Revenge Game

By Jordyn Taylor

Rumors about a disturbing competition at an elite prep school lead to the girls at school taking matters into their own hands. Lies, secrets, backstabbing . . . when push comes to shove, who’ll be left standing?

The Bitter End

By Alexa Donne

When a winter storm traps eight teens in a remote ski cabin, they find themselves stranded with a killer—who may be one of their own. From the acclaimed author of The Ivies and Pretty Dead Queens comes a YA thriller that will make your blood run cold.

The trip of a lifetime might be the death of them all.

Old Wounds

By Logan-Ashley Kisner

A pulse-pounding thriller in which two transgender teens end up in a small, isolated town, where they must escape the locals who plan to sacrifice one of them to an ancient monster that only eats girls.

Heart-Shaped Lies

By Elizabeth Agyemang

John Tucker Must Die meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in this tongue-in-cheek mystery about three feuding exes of a social media prank star who are forced to work together to uncover the truth behind his death when his deactivated account resurfaces online with claims that one of them murdered him.

Darkly

By Marisha Pessl

A seemingly ordinary high school student. A mysterious summer internship. And a legendary game designer, now dead, leaving a dark legacy. The New York Times bestselling author of Night Film spins a twisted web in this masterful YA psychological thriller.

What would you kill for?

Twisty Campus Thrillers to Read This Fall

Hemlock House by Katie Cotugno

Hemlock House

By Katie Cotugno

The Champions by Kara Thomas

The Champions

By Kara Thomas

The Ivies by Alexa Donne

The Ivies

By Alexa Donne

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus

Nothing More to Tell

By Karen M. McManus

Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill

Wander in the Dark

By Jumata Emill

Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy

Win Lose Kill Die

By Cynthia Murphy

The Revenge Game by Jordyn Taylor

The Revenge Game

By Jordyn Taylor

The Bitter End by Alexa Donne

The Bitter End

By Alexa Donne

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner

Old Wounds

By Logan-Ashley Kisner

Heart-Shaped Lies by Elizabeth Agyemang

Heart-Shaped Lies

By Elizabeth Agyemang

Darkly by Marisha Pessl

Darkly

By Marisha Pessl

Did you enjoy these twisty campus thrillers to read this fall? Discover more thrilling reads here and get social with us at @getunderlined!

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