“It wasn’t our mistakes that defined us, but how we learned to overcome them. Everyone should have a chance to overcome theirs.”
All Your Twisted Secrets is a young adult mystery and the debut novel by Diana Urban. The story centres around six classmates, who are all invited to a scholarship dinner. Only this dinner is soon revealed to be a trap. Someone has locked them inside with a bomb, a poison-filled syringe and a note instructing them that they have an hour to select someone to kill, or else everyone dies. As they trace the events over the past year that have led to this moment, it soon becomes clear that Amber Prescott and her classmates all have something they are hiding. With the clocking winding down and panic starting to grow, they all race to answer the question: which one of them will they choose to die? If you loved Diana Urban’s first book, join us at What We Reading for the best YA thrillers like All Your Twisted Secrets!
One Of Us Is Lying (One Of Us Is Lying #1) – Karen M. McManus
The natural place to kick off a list of books like All Your Twisted Secrets is with arguably the most famous YA classroom-based whodunnit, One of Us Is Lying. The story opens on Monday afternoon when five students at Bayview High walk into detention. There’s Bronwyn, the rule-abiding brainiac, Addy, the picture-perfect homecoming queen, Nate, already on probation for dealing, Cooper, the all-star athlete, and Cooper, the creator of Bayview’s gossip app.
However, before the bell for the end of detention rings, Simon is dead. According to investigations, it wasn’t an accident either. Simon had claimed that he was planning on releasing all of his fellow classmate’s juicy gossip to the world; which makes all four of the survivors suspects.
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They Wish They Were Us – Jessica Goodman
In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her entourage are the epitome of perfection. Yet, as Jill learned three years ago, nothing is ever quite as it appears. During freshman year, Jill’s best friend, Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. Graham quickly confessed, was arrested and Jill attempted to move on.
Now, as she enters senior year, Jill is determined to make this the best year of her life yet. Because as well as being a senior, she’s also a Player – a member of a not-so-secret society whose members get the best grades and the best parties. But when she starts being hounded by texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, Jill is soon led down a path to the truth behind her best friend’s murder, even if digging deeper could mean putting her entire future in jeopardy.
People Like Us – Dana Mele
Kay Donovan might have skeletons in her closet, but the past is in the past. She’s reinvented herself entirely. She’s a star football player whose legion of popular friends help her run their private school with style and wit. But, when a girl’s body is discovered at the bottom of a lake, Kay’s carefully constructed world threatens to topple over.
Similar to All Your Twisted Secrets, the dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt. As it plays out, more and more suspects are shone in the spotlight, until even Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. Nevertheless, if she finds herself backed into a corner again, Kay will show she is prepared to do whatever it takes to survive.
The Ivies – Alexa Donne
Everyone knows the Ivies: the most coveted and desired universities in the entire United States. However, far more important than them are The Ivies at Claflin Academy. Enter five girls all with the same mission: secure a spot in the Ivy League by any means necessary. Disrupting class ranks, club leaderships and academic competitions, improving their own odds at the expense of the misfortune of others – all is fair in this game. Hyper-elite competitive college is a serious, and sometimes deadly, business.
In The Ivies, Alexa Donne delivers one of the best YA mystery books like All Your Twisted Secrets about teens who will stop at nothing to get into the college of their dreams.
They’ll Never Catch Us – Jessica Goodman
Stella and Ellie Steckler are just one year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship difficult. Ellie is a talented runner, but one who knows how to let herself have fun. Stella is driven, keeps to herself and lets cross-country stay as her single obsession. The one thing the sisters do have in common, however, is Mila Keene, the new girl.
Mila’s arrival upends both Stella and Ellie’s lives, and both of them immediately view her as a threat. Yet, they both soon find themselves drawn to her in more ways than one. With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, each girl knows their future is on the line, and they’re not prepared to let friendships get in the way. So when Mila suddenly vanishes from the running track one day, all eyes turn to the Steckler sisters.
The Cheerleaders (The Cheerleaders #1) – Kara Thomas
There are no longer any cheerleaders in Sunnybrook. First, there was the fatal car accident that claimed the lives of two girls. Soon after, two more girls were killed by their next-door neighbour. The police shot him, so they were never able to find out why he did it. And following the death of Monica’s sister, Sunnybrook High disbanded the entire cheer squad, not wanting to be reminded of those they had lost.
That was all five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. Only, for Monica, it isn’t that straightforward. There are letters on her stepfather’s desk, an archaic old mobile phone and even a new friend for her at school. Similar to All Your Twisted Secrets, Kara Thomas’ The Cheerleaders is a deliciously dark young adult mystery brimming with twists and turns.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
