Page turners are some of the most fun books to read, keeping you glued to the pages waiting to find out what’s next. Find all the best page turners for you to read, from the best page turners of all time to the top page turners of 2021.
It’s one of the best reading experiences. Starting a book and then getting absolutely hooked, turning pages faster and faster to find out what’s going to happen next.
Page turners are my favorite type of book to recommend because the narrative gets its claws into you and doesn’t let go until the very end. Even then, the best page turners keep you thinking long after the last chapter.
From the best page turners 2021 to the best page turners of all time, I have you covered with edge-of-your-seat books you can’t put down. Plus, my ultimate list of page turners isn’t limited to psychological thriller books but includes all genres for your reading pleasure.
So grab one of these page turner books and be prepared for a roller coaster ride of utter reading pleasure.
The Best Page Turners of All Time
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas
Dumas’ epic tale of revenge is the epitome of the best page turners. Dumas will keep you entertained through all of its 1,000+ pages, making it a long classic worth your time. Wrongfully imprisoned for years, Edmond Dantes successfully escapes a brutal French prison and sets out to get the ultimate revenge on all those who have wronged him. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the top classics to read in your lifetime.
Night
Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel’s story is a heart-wrenching account that shows no mercy. Sent to the German concentration camp of Auschwitz with his father, Wiesel gives a no holds bar recollection of the horror he faced. You’ll find yourself gripped to the page at the absolute devastation the Holocaust inflicted on a teenage boy. It is our responsibility to read books like this, no matter how depressing, so that truly understand the horror of these events to ensure they don’t happen again.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Stieg Larsson
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist takes on the investigation into the 40-year-old disappearance of Harriet Vanger, the teenage daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden. He teams up with Lisbeth Slander, a pierced and tattooed hacker whose troubled past has left her with a capacity for ruthlessness. One of the best page turners of all time, just be warned, there is quite a lot of violence and language.
Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens
For years, Kya Clark has survived alone in the marshes of the North Carolina coast. Dubbed “The Marsh Girl” by the locals, she raises herself in nature after her family abandons her. Now, as she comes of age, Kya begins to yearn for something more than her loneliness. Maybe even a connection with the locals. An exquisitely written tale, Where the Crawdads Sing is one of the best recent page-turners to enjoy.
A Time To Kill
John Grisham
John Grisham’s debut novel didn’t receive much attention until after he published the bestsellers The Firm and The Pelican Brief, but it’s my favorite page turner book of his. After the brutal rape of a 10-year-old girl, her father seeks his own justice and murders the rapists. With the Mississippi town aflame, young attorney Jake Brigance must decide how much he is willing to risk to defend the father. Just be warned, the beginning of the book is horribly graphic and extremely hard to read.
The Martian
Andy Weir
Astronaut Mark Watney wakes up to find himself marooned on the planet Mars, left for dead by the crew of the Ares 3 mission. Now, he must use all his ingenuity to overcome insurmountable odds for the chance to return home to Earth. I love how Weir uses real science and technology in this captivating book. One of the best science fiction books out there, The Martian is one of the best page turners I’ve read in recent years – which is saying a lot considering how much I read.
The Great Alone
Kristin Hannah
A recently returned Vietnam War POW, Ernt Allbright decides to move his family to the untamed Alaskan frontier. At first, the untamed wilds of Alaska seem to be the answer to their prayers and just what Ernt needs. But when the harsh Alaskan winter approaches and Ernt’s mental state begins to deteriorate, his wife and daughter must fight to survive. A captivating, stay-up-all-night novel that is a favorite page turner book among book clubs.
Flowers for Algernon
Daniel Keyes
How much does higher intelligence give you a better life? The tale of a mentally disabled man who undergoes an experiment that increases his IQ to an insanely high level will make you ponder the benefits and drawbacks of both high and low intelligence. Keep tissues handy, it’s a book that will make you cry.
Best Page Turners 2022
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Gabrielle Zevin
On a bitterly cold day, Sam Masur runs into Sadie Green on a train platform and they renew their childhood friendship bonding over video games. Together, they create Ichigo, a blockbuster game that changes their lives. Over the next three decades, their friendship is tested as their success leads them to money, fame, love, and betrayal. More a heartrending story about friendship than video games, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an unputdownable read with complex character development.
All Good People Here
Ashley Flowers
When she was six years old, Margot’s next-door neighbor and best friend, January, was murdered in their small hometown. Now a big-city journalist, Margot returns home to help care for her uncle when another girl disappears. Determined to find the missing girl and solve January’s murder, Margot begins to wonder how well she knows her neighbors.
Alias Emma
Ava Glass
On one of her first assignments as a secret agent, Emma Makepeace has 12 hours to deliver the son of a Russian dissident into protective custody. When Russian assassins hack into the city’s widespread security camera network, Emma must use all her training and skill to deliver him across the most camera-ridden city in the world without being spotted. Alias Emma is a quick fun read with a thrilling high-action plot that belongs on any summer reading list.
Best Page Turners 2021
Razorblade Tears
S. A. Cosby
When a gay couple is murdered, their ex-con fathers band together to deal out retribution. Both Ike and Buddy Lee struggled to accept their gay sons, straining their relationships. Now the two, one Black and one white, must confront their prejudices about their children and each other as they deal out bloody revenge in Cosby’s latest thriller. With a high-action plot (and LOTS of violence), Cosby keeps you on the edge of your seat while merging weighty themes of two ex-cons coming to grips with their failures as fathers.
We Are the Brennans
Tracey Lange
After a car accident caused by her drunk driving, Sunday Brennan returns to her large Irish family in New York. Five years earlier, she had abandoned them and her high school sweetheart with no explanation. Determined to rebuild her relationships, Sunday is startled when a man threatens the family’s business and forces the family to confront painful mistakes. A brilliant book club book that is one of the best books to read in 2021.
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid
In 1983, four famous siblings throw an epic summer party at their Malibu mansion. Secrets come out, the party gets out of control, and a fire will burn it all down by dawn. Malibu Rising is a gorgeous family drama that surpasses a simple beach read. The story of the Riva children abandoned by their famous rockstar father is heartbreakingly sad and yet still hopeful. The characters come alive as each sibling ponders if they can escape their parents’ fates. An all-around brilliant read that belongs among the best page turners of 2021.
People Like Her
Ellery Lloyd
Instamom Emmy Jackson is known for telling it as it is to her millions of Instagram followers. She knows exactly how to monetize her life as a “good-enough” mom. When Emmy’s online narrative pulls further from the truth, it begins to strain her marriage. Meanwhile, an obsessed follower begins stalking the family, with a major grudge against Emmy. This accurate portrayal of influencer life (with plenty of thrills thrown in for fun) will make you think about how putting our lives online affects us.
Survive the Night
Riley Sager
After her roommate is murdered on campus, Charlie is desperate to get away. She posts a notice on her college rideshare board and snags a ride back to Ohio from a handsome stranger. However, Charlie quickly realizes that Josh is not whom he seems. A fun cat-and-mouse with plenty of twists and turns and a little over-the-top theatricality, Survive the Night is among the best recent page turners for those who love thriller books.
Rock Paper Scissors
Alice Feeney
After winning a trip to a remote Scotland getaway for the weekend, Adam and Amelia try one last-ditch effort to save their marriage. Amelia is tired of Adam putting his work as a screenwriter before her and Adam is just tired of Amelia. As things start to unravel and their past is revealed through secret anniversary letters Adam has never read, you find that someone is lying and someone doesn’t want them to end happily ever after.
Mother May I
Joshilyn Jackson
Bree Cabbat wakes up one more to find a witch looking in through her window. She shakes it off as a nightmare, but then she experiences every mother’s worst nightmare: her baby boy is abducted. Instead of a ransom note, she finds a message telling her to follow the instructions to get him back, forcing her to decide how far she will go for her child. Mother May I starts off strong, with great twists and shocking moments, and then settles into an investigation story that, while more predictable, was still a page turner.
Bestselling Page Turners
The Guest List
Lucy Foley
On a remote island, the perfect wedding turns deadly in this thrilling mystery. The high-profile wedding between a television star and a magazine publisher is supposed to be the perfect event. Set off the coast of Ireland, all the stops have been pulled out. Yet once the guests arrive, past conflicts come into play and someone turns up dead. Was it the bride? The best man? The wedding planner? Foley keeps you guessing until the end, giving each suspect a firm motive to want to commit murder.
American Dirt
Jeanine Cummins
In Mexico, bookstore owner Lydia is charmed to meet Javier, a man who shares her taste in books, only to find he is the local drug lord. When the wrath of the cartel falls upon her family, Lydia and her son Luca must flee all the way to American soil in this mesmerizing story. One of the most controversial books of 2020, American Dirt sparked an important discussion about who can tell what stories.
One by One
Ruth Ware
At an exclusive French ski resort, the shareholders for the up-and-coming social media company Snoop must decide on an offer of a billion-dollar sale. One person doesn’t make it back to the lodge after skiing, and things go from bad to worse when an avalanche hits threatening them all. Would someone be willing to resort to murder to get their way?
Code Name Hélène
Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon’s new novel based on a true story has already won a place in the best books of 2020. Nancy Wake, a New Zealander living in Paris, becomes a spy for the British and rises to one of the top leaders of the French Resistance and one of the most decorated women of the war. The story is split into two narratives – the first starting with Nancy parachuting into France in 1944 and the second telling of her courtship in 1938 with her husband, Henri Fiocca. You’ll fall in love with Henri and cheer on Nancy as she transforms into a fierce fighter and respected commander. As the earlier timeline catches up with the later one, you’ll feel all the emotions of a woman caught up in a terrible war.
Fifty Words for Rain
Asha Lemmie
In post World War II Japan, Nori, the illegitimate daughter of a Japanese aristocrat and a Black American GI, is hidden away on her grandmother’s estate to conceal the family shame. All Nori knows is the attic she is confined to until she meets her legitimate half-brother, Akira, a boy who shows her the world contains so much more. A clear winner among the best page turner books of 2020, this complicated story about shame and the need for acceptance would be a perfect choice for your book club.
The Night Swim
Megan Goldin
Rachel Krall, the host of a popular true-crime podcast, gets more than she expected when she reports on a rape trial in a small town. A mysterious woman named Hannah is stalking Rachel, leaving her notes begging her to investigate the death of Hannah’s sister twenty-five years ago. Could that cold case be connected to the current trial? The coverage of the rape trial gives the feel of a good legal thriller, keeping you wondering how the jury will decide. Add in the cold case, and you’ll be guessing how the two cases connect.
The Sun Down Motel
Simone St. James
In 1982, Viv Delaney takes a job as a clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York, only to mysteriously disappear. Thirty-five years later, Viv’s niece Carly Kirk returns to the Sun Down Motel to investigate her aunt’s disappearance. You’ll love flipping between Carly and Viv as they try to figure out what is going on at the Sun Down Motel. The perfect combination of spooky, without being too scary, The Sun Down Motel is one of the top page turners in 2020.
Thrilling Pageturners to Read
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins
Taking the same train to work every day, Rachel is fascinated by a woman who lives along her route. Every day, Rachel gets a glimpse into this woman’s “perfect” life. Until one day, when Rachel witnesses something shocking. I think unreliable narrators like Rachel make for the best page-turners because you can never figure out what is true and what is not.
The Woman in the Window
A. J. Finn
In one of the top recent page turners, peek into the life of Anna Fox, a New York City recluse. While spying on the family across the street, Anna witnesses a shocking event, but no one will believe her. With its unreliable narrator and layers of secrets, The Woman in the Window will keep you guessing to the end.
Gone Girl
Gillian Glynn
Gone Girl took the book world by storm with its look at a marriage gone terribly wrong. On her fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Dunne mysteriously disappears. At the top of the suspect list – her seemingly perfect husband Nick. Both husband and wife aren’t who they seem to be, so expect plenty of twists and turns (and lots of language) in this hit page turner. You might not end up loving the story or the characters, but I promise you, you’ll find them memorable enough to land it among the best thriller books of all time.
The Family Upstairs
Lisa Jewell
Shortly after her 25th birthday, Libby Jones learns that she has inherited an abandoned London mansion from her biological parents. Adopted as a baby, Libby is excited to learn about her birth family. But her family history is much more than she anticipates when she finds out her parents committed suicide as part of a cult, and her siblings vanished. As scary as that is, the truth is even darker. A dark and disturbing tale, you can’t look away as the truth of what happened so long ago gets more and more twisted.
The Wife Between Us
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Just days away from her wedding to her charmingly attentive rich fiance, Nellie feels like someone might be following her. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Vanessa is obsessed with her replacement and desperate to stop the wedding. You might think you know how this domestic thriller will end, but appearances can be deceiving. In their first collab, Hendricks and Pekkanen have plenty of tricks up their sleeve, keeping the plot twisting and you second-guessing how it’s all going to end.
We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
You will have to settle for a vague description of this captivating page turner because I don’t dare risk spoiling it for you. A rich family vacations every summer on a private island. Four friends, known as the Liars, spend every summer together as their parents experience all the drama. After a terrible accident last summer, everything seems to be different. As the protagonist Cadence slowly starts regaining her memory and all the details of what happened start becoming clear, half the fun is in trying to figure out what is going on.
Books YOu Can’t Put Down
Red Storm Rising
Tom Clancy
In this World War III story written in 1986, terrorists attack the Soviet Union’s oil supply, crippling the nation. Using clever political maneuvering to keep NATO distracted, the USSR plans to seize the Persian Gulf’s oil production. With epic military battles and layers of international intrigue, Red Storm Rising is an epic page turner just as good as his well-known Jack Ryan series.
The Secret Keeper
Kate Morton
It all starts when sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson witnesses her mother Dorothy stab a man to death on a calm summer day. If that doesn’t get your interest piqued, I don’t know what will. Kate Morton beautifully unfolds the backstory of Dorothy’s life during World War II. The more you learn about Dorothy, the more you’ll keep wanting more. If you love figuring out the twists and turns of novels, you’ll love this book. I, for one, did not guess the ending.
Me Before You
Jojo Moyes
If you are okay with a page turner book that makes you cry, you’ll be in tears at the story of Will Traynor, a heartbroken man who felt he had nothing left to live for after being paralyzed, not fully understanding that there is always something more. Hired to help care for Will is a scared young lady who has settled for a very ordinary life. Through their friendship, Will brings meaning into Louisa’s life and gets her to reach beyond what she thought she was capable of. In return, Louisa tries to bring meaning back into Will’s life, before it’s too late.
Child 44
Tom Rob Smith
In 1950s Communist Russia, MGB officer Leo Demidov never wavers from the Party Line. Until his confidence is shaken by when he investigates the brutal murder of a young boy. After watching an innocent neighbor tortured, Demidov is then asked the impossible: to arrest his own wife. Now he must choose where his loyalties lie as the child killings continue. A fun historical mystery that you won’t regret adding to your reading list.
Time to Hunt
Stephen Hunter
In the last days of the Vietnam war, master sniper Bob Lee Swagger set out on patrol with an idealist young marine, Donny Fenn, only to have a sniper kill Donny and injured Bob. Years later, Bob, now married to Donny’s widow, is living in peace in the Idaho mountains until his greatest enemy, the world’s greatest sniper, tracks him down. Considered one of the best books about snipers, Time to Hunt is the third novel in the Bob Lee Swagger series, but is one of those page turner books that can easily be read as a standalone.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
J. K. Rowling
On his 11th birthday, unloved orphan Harry Potter finds out that not only is he a wizard, but he is a household name in the Wizarding community. As a baby he survived an attack from the world’s worst dark wizard, ending his reign of terror. As Harry enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, he must learn how to be a wizard while coping with his newfound celebrity and trying to stay out of trouble. One of the best page turners for children, the Harry Potter series is gripping for both children and adults alike.
Book Club Books That Are Page Turners
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah’s novel is one that would make pretty much anyone fall in love with historical fiction. Set in a small village in occupied France, the story centers around two sisters. Forced to house a German officer in her home, the older sister Vianne Mauriac must decide, to protect her daughter, where exactly she should draw the line of being complicit with German demands. On the other hand, her younger sister Isabelle Rossignol feels committed to doing anything she can to resist the German occupation.
Big Little Lies
Liane Moriarty
A tale of secrets and lies among perfectly respectable parents, powerful Maddie, gorgeous Celeste, and timid Jane. The three women’s lives cross ending in an (accidental?) death. Discussing serious topics like domestic abuse, Big Little Lies is one of the best page turner books for book clubs, perfectly balancing humor and suspense to keep you coming back for more.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Gail Honeyman
If you are wanting a light-hearted page turner, you’ve found the perfect choice in socially awkward Eleanor Oliphant. She has the habit of saying exactly what she thinks and much prefers to spend her weekends at home talking on the phone to her mother. When Eleanor and her slovenly coworker Raymond help an elderly gentleman after a fall, the three become friends, and Eleanor learns that opening up isn’t always a bad thing.
The Storyteller
Jodi Picoult
Sage Singer, a baker, meets Josef Weber, an old German gentleman in her grief support group. As she learns his history and his connection to her Jewish grandmother, she has to figure out the line between punishment and forgiveness. While the storytelling is interesting if not entirely believable, the moral questions raised are what sets this book apart.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
Robert Dugoni
Born with red eyes, Sam Hill has been called the “Devil Boy” all his life. Reflecting on his life, Sam realizes that his childhood friendship with two other misfits – Ernie Cantwell, the only African American boy at his school, and Mickie Kennedy, a firestorm in the form of a girl – has defined and shaped his extraordinary life. Dugoni’s touching coming-of-age tale was captivating from the first page with its story of friendship and acceptance of what life throws at us.
Code Name Verity
Elizabeth Wein
In one of my favorite WWII page turners, you’ll find yourself immersed in a world of intrigue with the story of a British spy, Agent “Verity.” Captured when her plane crashes in occupied France, Verity is interrogated by the Gestapo in an attempt to learn of her mission. As she confesses under torture, you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering what secrets she is willing to exchange for her life. How far is she willing to go for her mission? A brilliant and emotional read that you won’t want to miss.
Classic Page Turners
Rebecca
Daphne du Maurier
Daphne Du Maurier’s classic page turner is by far one of the best thriller books you can read. Working as a lady’s maid in Monte Carlo, the narrator is swept off her feet by the handsome widower Maxim de Winter. After a rushed courtship and impulsive marriage, she returns as his wife to his beautiful estate, Manderley. Yet, she quickly learns she is not the true mistress of the estate, as the household will not let her forget the memory of Rebecca, de Winter’s first wife who drowned the year before.
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote
Truman Capote was the founder of narrative nonfiction with his page-turning look at an unspeakable crime. On November 15, 1959, in the small farming town of Holcomb, Kansas, two men brutally murder the Clutter family in their home for no apparent reason. Through extensive interviews from the first days on the scene and following the events all the way to the execution of the murderers, Capote suspensefully unfolds the whole story of exactly what happened and more intriguing of all, why it happened. Make sure you set aside a chunk of time to read this modern classic because, I promise, once you start you’ll realize this is a book you can’t put down.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ken Kesey
In the Oregon state mental hospital, Nurse Ratched rules her ward with an iron fist, using medication and the threat of electroshock therapy to keep the patients in line. Yet her orderly routine is thrown into chaos but the newest patient, McMurphy, a fun-loving trickster using the mental ward to avoid prison. The epic battle of will between the antihero and the tyrannical nurse delves into the fine line between sanity and madness in one of my favorite classic page turners that is just as good, if not better, than the movie adaptation.
Von Ryan’s Express
David Westheimer
In a prisoner of war camp in Italy, a group of British and American POWs chafes under the strict discipline of the commanding American Colonel, Joseph Ryan. When Italy surrenders and the German guards plan to move them by train to Germany, Ryan devises an elaborate plan to seize the train and escape to Switzerland. Although overshadowed by critically acclaimed Frank Sinatra adaptation, David Westheimer’s novel, with its darker tones, is worth a read if you like WWII page turners.
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So begins Charles Dickens’ novel set amid the violence of the French Revolution. With wonderful characters and a gripping story, this classic tale reminds you that violence only begets violence and that it is never too late to find redemption.
Recent Page Turners in Nonfiction
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Lori Gottlieb
As a therapist, Lori Gottlieb spent all day helping others with their problems. Yet, when her longtime boyfriend unexpectedly broke up with her, she found herself on the receiving end of therapy. Gottlieb’s memoir is top-notch with exceptional pacing, slyly weaving in explanations of therapy within the fascinating story of Gottlieb’s therapy sessions. You’ll quickly become attached to finding out what happens to her patients – a narcissistic tv producer, a dying newlywed, and a depressed senior citizen. A great book club book that highlights the importance of discussing mental health.
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight
In grad school, Phil Knight had a crazy idea that Japanese running shoes could overtake the domination of German company Adidas. He partnered up with his former track coach to help design innovative shoes and traveled to Japan to bring this crazy idea to life. Following the ups and downs of the journey that built the billion-dollar company Nike is today, Knight’s memoir will hook you in with a band of eccentric characters and an underdog story with excellent narrative pacing.
Bad Blood
John Carreyrou
Imagine a Silicon Valley startup that raised insane amounts of money all based on a gigantic fraud. It sounds like a fictional thriller, but it is the actual true story of the company Theranos. Investigative journalist John Carreyrou’s expose of Elizabeth Holmes’s company is an eye-opening read, even more fascinating as Holmes’ fraud trial unfolds.
Educated
Tara Westover
There is no excuse to not read Tara Westover’s spectacular memoir. In my opinion, Educated was one of the best books of the last decade. Westover grew up in the rural mountains of Idaho with no formal education. Despite her extremist survivalist parents and violent older brother, Westover managed to make her way into college, eventually earning a Ph.D. Her amazing determination is inspiring while the circumstances of her childhood are incredibly sad. Definitely one of those books that will stay with you for a long time.
Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand
Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling book details the life of Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic runner who even shook hands with Hitler at the Berlin Olympics. Shot down in the Pacific Ocean in 1943, Lt. Zamperini managed to survive on a life raft for 47 days only to be found by the Japanese. Lt. Zamperini’s resilience will amaze you as he struggles to survive life as a Japanese prisoner for almost three years.
The Glass Castle
Jeannette Walls
One of the most powerful memoirs of recent years, Jeannette Walls recounts the story of her tumultuous childhood. She opens the book with the account of how at 3 years old, she ends up hospitalized with severe burns after pouring scalding water on herself when cooking hot dogs for lunch. You meet her charming father Rex, equal measures brilliant and paranoid; her mother Rose, selfish and depressed; and her three siblings, trying their best just to survive. To quote my husband, “Sometimes someone’s train wreck of a life is fascinating.”
Fantastical Page Turners
Red Rising
Pierce Brown
While technically an adult series, Red Rising is one of the best science fiction page turners to get teens who love the Hunger Games into sci fi. Living in a highly segregated society on Mars, Darrow belongs to the Red caste, the lowest of the low. Darrow is happy with his lot in life knowing that the Reds’ hard labor is getting Mars ready for future generations. Until Darrow realizes it’s all a sham. The elite Gold caste is simply using the Reds as slave labor. Can Darrow overthrow the Golds and restore freedom for the Reds?
Jurassic Park
Michael Crichton
When a new cloning method brings dinosaurs back from extinction, a billionaire establishes a park for wealthy visitors to come see them. As opening day approaches, a select group is invited to tour the park, until something goes wrong. With exciting action from start to finish, Jurassic Park is a great page turner book with lots of similarities but plenty of differences from the film adaptation.
The Green Mile
Stephen King
At the Cold Mountain Penitentiary, the death row inmates nervously await the walk down the Green Mile to Old Sparky, the electric chair. Paul Edgecombe has seen it all as his years as a prison guard, but nothing prepares him for John Coffey. With the body of a giant and the mind of a child, Coffey’s imprisoned for a heinous crime. The more Paul learns about Coffey, the more Coffey’s unexplained abilities will challenge everything he thought he knew. Originally published as a series of six novellas, The Green Mile is an edge-of-your-seat page turner book you won’t be able to put down.
Ender’s Game
Orson Scott Card
In a future where humanity is at war with an alien enemy determined to destroy life on Earth, Ender Wiggin is a third child in a family of extraordinarily gifted children. Sent off to battle school at only six years of age, Ender – with his perfect mix of compassion and ruthlessness – is forced to become the military genius humanity so desperately needs. Ender’s Game is an amazing novel – not only thrilling enough to intrigue teenage boys who never read but also so packed with complex themes and deeper meanings you’ll want to read it again and again.
Green Rider
Kristen Britain
After a fight at school that will surely have her expelled, Karigan G’ladheon sets off through the forest on a long journey home. When she comes across a dying Green Rider, one of the king’s elite messengers, he begs Karigan to carry his urgent message to King Zachary. Suddenly her life is changed forever as she battles deadly danger and complex magic and is stalked by a dark being intent on keeping the message from the king at any cost. If you want page turners that will hook you from the start, this high fantasy series full of gripping action and fun characters is a must-read.
YA Page Turners
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Suzanne Collins’s series The Hunger Games has become the shining example of the best page turners for teens for good reason. In Panem, all the power and wealth are concentrated in the Capitol while the outer districts are forced into poverty and manual labor. Every year, two youth from each district are chosen in a televised fight to the death. To save her sister, Katniss Everdeen volunteers as this year’s tribute, forcing her to decide what she is willing to do to win. Captivating from start to finish, The Hunger Games has influenced dystopian fiction for teens more than any other book.
Children of Blood and Bone
Tomi Adeyemi
Zélie Adebola watched as a ruthless king ordered the death of her mother and all the other maji to rid the world of magic. With one last chance, Zélie must use the help of a rogue princess to restore magic before the crown prince manages to eradicate magic for good. Beautifully blending Nigerian mythology, symbols from the Yoruba religion, and young adult fantasy, Tomi Adeyemi shines in her debut novel.
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
A book narrated by Death might be off-putting at first, but quickly you’ll fall in love with this Young Adult WWII historical fiction. In 1939, Liesel Meminger is sent to live with foster parents in Munich. There she befriends the charming neighborhood boy Rudy and settles into a life of book thievery. Coming of age during the rise of the Nazis, Liesel and Rudy must face the complications of growing up in a dictatorship they hate.
The Fault in Our Stars
John Green
Two kids with cancer who fall in love. That’s a recipe for tears if I’ve ever heard one. Knowing that she will die someday sooner rather than later, Hazel is afraid to let anyone get close to her. In her selfless way, she wants her death to cause as little pain as possible. Yet when she meets Augustus Waters in her Cancer Kid Support Group, her conviction begins to waver. The true beauty of this story lies in the ending lines: “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have some say in who hurts you.” If you want an inspiring and emotional page turner, this book is for you.
Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard
A genetic twist of fate has split mankind into two castes. The Silvers are the ruling elite, with superhuman powers coursing through their silver-blooded veins. On the other hand, the regular red-blooded humans live as expendable commoners. While working at the Palace, Mare Barrow accidentally discovers she has unimaginable power, stronger than most Silvers. Can she successfully pass as a lost Silver princess or will she be discovered as a spy for the Red resistance movement?
Girl At War
Sara Nović
In her stunning first novel, Sara Nović tells the story of Ana Jurić, a ten-year-old girl whose life is upended by the start of the Yugoslavian civil war. The glimpses of modern war from a child’s perspective were fascinating. Yet, Nović doesn’t just cover the tragedies of Ana’s childhood. She jumps ahead 10 years as Ana returns to Yugoslavia to confront the ghosts of her childhood. With beautiful observations and a riveting storyline, you’ll be glad you read this book.
The Grace Year
Kim Liggett
This The Handmaid’s Tale meets Lord of the Flies story is set in the male-dominated oppressive Garner county. Every year, all 16-year-old girls are shipped off to spend their “grace year” in seclusion so that their magic will be burned out of them. Before they go, brides are selected by eligible bachelors. Tierney James knows she will never be chosen as a wife, nor does she want to be, and dreams of someday changing this dystopian society. Yet in her grace year, Tierney begins to wonder: Do women even have magic?
What Are Your Favorite Page Turners to Read?
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my list of Page Turners? What page-turners did I forget to add to my list? As always, let me know in the comments!
More Thriller Books Reading Lists:
Katie says
Thank you for a great list. I love a good page turner and have read quite a few of the books on your list and a lot still to be read! I’m reading a good page turner at the moment Our House by Louise Candlish.
Mrunal Natu says
What an amazing list of books. I hope to read all of them.
Aman Sharma says
I love this post! I’m always on the lookout for new page turners and this list has some great options.