Award category archive

Kirkus Best Books of the Year – YA Mystery and Thriller Winners

Browse Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller winners and nominees by year. This archive follows one award category across the full Kirkus Best Books of the Year history.

Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller Cross-year archive

2025

Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller results for the 2025 award year.

View full 2025 awards

The Assassin's Guide to Babysitting

Parker, Natalie C.

Standalone · General Fiction

Jan-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Bad in the Blood

Cerilli, Matteo L.

Standalone · Science Fiction / Fantasy

Sep-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Beast

Van Camp, Richard

Standalone · General Fiction

Jun-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The House Saphir

Meyer, Marissa

Standalone · Science Fiction / Fantasy

Nov-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Hyo the Hellmaker

Ghosh, Mina Ikemoto

Standalone · Science Fiction / Fantasy

Apr-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Mercy

Ward, Patricia

Standalone · General Fiction

Oct-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Sisters in the Wind

Boulley, Angeline

Standalone · General Fiction

Sep-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Songs for Ghosts

Kumagai, Clara

Standalone · General Fiction

Mar-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Steps

Van Draanen, Wendelin

Standalone · General Fiction

Sep-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

This Book Might Be About Zinnia

Morris, Brittney

Standalone · General Fiction

Jul-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

This Place Kills Me: A Graphic Novel

Tamaki, Mariko

Standalone · General Fiction

Aug-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Thrashers

Soto, Julie

Standalone · General Fiction

May-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

2024

Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller results for the 2024 award year.

View full 2024 awards

Compound Fracture

White, Andrew Joseph

Standalone · General Fiction

Sep-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

A Darker Mischief

Milman, Derek

Standalone · General Fiction

Jul-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Darkly

Pessl, Marisha

Standalone · General Fiction

Dec-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Icarus

Ancrum, K.

Standalone · Mystery

Apr-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Pangu's Shadow

Bao, Karen

Standalone · Mystery

Feb-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Ruin Road

Giles, Lamar

Standalone · Science Fiction / Fantasy

Sep-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Sheine Lende

Badger, Darcie Little

Standalone · General Fiction

Apr-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Tangleroot

Williams, Kalela

Standalone · General Fiction

Oct-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

2023

Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller results for the 2023 award year.

View full 2023 awards

And Don't Look Back

Barrow, Rebecca

Standalone · Mystery

Oct-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Bittersweet in the Hollow

Pearsall, Kate

Bittersweet in the Hollow Series · Book 1 · Fantasy

Oct-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Good as Gold

Buford, Candace

Standalone · Mystery

Jun-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Into the Light

Oshiro, Mark

Standalone · General Fiction

Apr-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

A Long Stretch of Bad Days

McGinnis, Mindy

Standalone · Mystery

Mar-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

My Flawless Life

Woon, Yvonne

Standalone · Mystery

Feb-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Voice Upstairs

Weymouth, Laura E.

Standalone · Horror

Oct-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Warrior Girl Unearthed

Boulley, Angeline

Standalone · General Fiction

May-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

2022

Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller results for the 2022 award year.

View full 2022 awards

The Arc

Oliver, Ben

The Loop Trilogy Series · Book 3 · Mystery

Aug-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Family of Liars

Lockhart, E.

Liars Series · Book 0.5 · Mystery

May-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Hollow Fires

Ahmed, Samira

Standalone · Mystery

May-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

I'm the Girl

Summers, Courtney

Standalone · Mystery

Sep-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Lies We Tell

Zhao, Katie

Standalone · Mystery

Nov-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Nothing More to Tell

McManus, Karen M.

Standalone · Mystery

Sep-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Queen of the Tiles

Alkaf, Hanna

Standalone · Mystery

Apr-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Very Bad People

Frick, Kit

Standalone · Mystery

Apr-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

2021

Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller results for the 2021 award year.

View full 2021 awards

All Our Hidden Gifts

O'Donoghue, Caroline

Standalone · Paranormal Romance

Jun-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Block

Oliver, Ben

The Loop Trilogy Series · Book 2 · Mystery

May-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Box in the Woods

Johnson, Maureen

Truly Devious Series · Book 4 · Mystery

Jun-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Dead and the Dark

Gould, Courtney

Standalone · Paranormal Romance

Aug-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Girls I've Been

Sharpe, Tess

Standalone · Mystery

Feb-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Project

Summers, Courtney

Standalone · Thriller

Feb-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The River Has Teeth

Waters, Erica

Standalone · Mystery

Aug-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

She's Too Pretty to Burn

Heard, Wendy

Standalone · Mystery

Apr-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

White Smoke

Jackson, Tiffany D.

Standalone · Mystery

Sep-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

2020

Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller results for the 2020 award year.

View full 2020 awards

Agnes at the End of the World

McWilliams, Kelly

Standalone · General Fiction

Jun-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Elatsoe

Badger, Darcie Little

Standalone · Fantasy

Aug-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Girl, Unframed

Caletti, Deb

Standalone · Mystery

Jun-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Hand on the Wall

Johnson, Maureen

Truly Devious Series · Book 3 · Mystery

Jan-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Inheritance Games

Barnes, Jennifer Lynn

The Inheritance Games Series · Book 1 · Mystery

Sep-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

The Loop

Oliver, Ben

The Loop Trilogy Series · Book 1 · Mystery

Apr-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Me & Mr. Cigar

Haynes, Gibby

Standalone · General Fiction

May-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Surrender Your Sons

Sass, Adam

Standalone · General Fiction

Sep-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Throwaway Girls

Contos, Andrea

Standalone · Mystery

Sep-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year YA Mystery and Thriller

Browse Award Categories

YA Fiction Archive Middle-Grade Fiction Archive Debut Fiction Archive YA Fantasy and SF Archive Picture Books Celebrating Family Archive Book Club Fiction Archive Short Fiction Archive Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF Archive Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction Archive Mysteries and Thrillers Archive Historical Fiction Archive Romance Archive

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