Top 5 Fast Paced Books I Want to Read

This Top 5 series started back in October 2018 and it has grown really big! This is a series of books that all have a common theme. I post the schedule for the next month the last week of the prior month. You can talk about books you want to read or books you have read and all prompts are open for interpretation! Feel free to get as creative as you want with the prompts.

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Upcoming Schedule!

August 28th, 2021 — People on the cover

September 4th, 2021 — Intimidating Books

September 11th, 2021 — Hyped Books

September 18th, 2021 — Fast Paced Books

September 25th, 2021 — Illustrated Covers

October 2nd, 2021 — Magical Books

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Fast Paced Books

I read a lot of intricate epic fantasy novels and once I finish them I’m always in the mood for something lighter and fast paced. Lately I’ve really been loving YA thrillers and found they are the perfect books to pick up after a long fantasy novel. I really struggle with slow pacing and slow beginnings, so I love when I find a fast paced book. While there are a decent amount of fast paced fantasy novels out there, I decided to focus on fast paced YA thrillers this time, just because I’ve found myself searching for them a lot lately.

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They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

A murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.

In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.

Freshman year Jill’s best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.

Now, it’s Jill’s senior year and she’s determined to make it her best yet. After all, she’s a senior and a Player–a member of Gold Coast Prep’s exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill’s year. She’s sure of it.

But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn’t kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.

I recently got a copy of this as a gift through an Instagram ROAK. I absolutely love a good YA thriller set at a prep school. There is also a secret society and lots of drama. I’m total trash for these types of books, this is totally a guilty pleasure type of book for me. I love catty high school drama, lots of secrets and high school cliques. This book checks so many boxes for me and I’m so happy to finally have a copy of my own.

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The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

I have been wanting to read this ever since I first heard about it. Karen McManus really grabbed the YA thriller community by storm with her debut One of Us is Lying. It took me a while to finally get my hands on a copy of One of Us is Lying, but when I finally read it I really loved it. All of her books are on my TBR and The Cousins looks really good!

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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

This book is really high on my list for a few reasons. The third book is coming out soon and I’m on the blog tour for it. I also love mixed media books and find them incredibly fun to read. The mystery sounds intriguing and I have heard such great things about this one!

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All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor

Miri Tan loved the book Undertow like it was a living being. So when she and her friends went to a book signing to meet the author, Fatima Ro, they concocted a plan to get close to her, even if her friends won’t admit it now. As for Jonah, well—Miri knows none of that was Fatima’s fault.

Soleil Johnston wanted to be a writer herself one day. When she and her friends started hanging out with her favorite author, Fatima Ro, she couldn’t believe their luck—especially when Jonah Nicholls started hanging out with them, too. Now, looking back, Soleil can’t believe she let Fatima manipulate her and Jonah like that. She can’t believe that she got used for a book.

Penny Panzarella was more than the materialistic party girl everyone at the Graham School thought she was. She desperately wanted Fatima Ro to see that, and she saw her chance when Fatima asked the girls to be transparent with her. If only she’d known what would happen when Fatima learned Jonah’s secret. If only she’d known that the line between fiction and truth was more complicated than any of them imagined. . .

All of This is True is another mixed media YA thriller that’s high on my list. The reviews make it sound so good! The plot is a bit different for a YA thriller, so I think that will be a big draw. The reviews promise that the twists and reveals in this book will blow my mind, so I’m pretty excited for this one!

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You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook

Seventeen-year-old Kim gets more than she bargained for when she is set up for murder. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, E. Lockhart, and Gillian Flynn.

17-year-old Kim never expected to plot a murder. But that was before her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. Now, Kim’s stuck on a class trip to London with him and his new soulmate and she can’t help wishing he was a little bit dead, even if she’d never really do that.

But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who’s more than willing to listen to Kim’s woes, things start to look up. Nicki’s got a great sense of humor, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim plays along—that is, until Kim’s ex-boyfriend mysteriously dies.

Blackmailed by Nicki to fulfill her end of the deal, Kim will have to commit a murder or take the fall for one.

The whole premise of this book sounds fantastic. This just sounds like an addicting read right from the start and I need it in my life. The idea behind this book is unlike anything I’ve seen, so for that reason alone I’m super excited for it. I just need to get my hands on a copy!

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Check out other book blogger’s Top 5 Picks!

Kat @ The Lily Cafe — Top 5 Saturday: Fast Paced Books

Tagged — Join us this week or next!

Amanda @ Books, Tea, Healthy Me

Candyce & Isabelle @ The Book Dutchesses

Ashmita @ The Fictional Journal

Jenny @ Jen Jen Reviews

Michelle @ Magical Reads

Astrid @ Book Lover Book Reviews

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Let’s Chat!

What are some fast paced books that you’d recommend? What are some fast paced books that are high on your TBR? Have you read any of the books listed above? Which book do you think I should read first? Make sure to comment below so we can talk about fast paced books!