Thrilling Summer Reads

Sparkler pikori likes a good thriller novel, and recommends some favorites in this excellent post! —SparkNotes Editors

It was a great ride, but now it’s over. All the Twilight books are done, and fangirls are having panic attacks from lack of new Bella-Edward love scenes. But fear not, for here are some series that pack more action and plot than all four Twilight books ever did, without skimping on the romance.

Maximum Ride, by James Patterson

The only thing better than a mutant birdkid is six mutant birdkids, plus a whole lot of butt-kicking action. Max and her Flock (Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel) escape from the “School,” where they were genetically altered to include a small amount of bird DNA (and are thus able to fly). The six spend their time outwitting and fighting genetically-altered armies sent to capture them, and completing Max’s ultimate destiny: saving the world.

Don’t worry, there’s definitely love—later in the series. I bought the first book, The Angel Experiment, to read on the plane ride to France a couple years ago, and I got so hooked on the series that I spent hours walking around Vienna trying to find an English copy of the next book!

The Uglies Series, by Scott Westerfeld

In the future, everyone gets plastic surgery at the age of 16 to make them a “pretty.” As pretties, people are allowed to go live in the city and are encouraged to party. But for Tally Youngblood, an “ugly” who’s only 15, life is incredibly boring. Then she meets Shay, another ugly who, unlike Tally, doesn’t want to be a pretty. Instead, Shay plans on escaping outside the city to join a band of rebels who oppose becoming pretty and the city’s government. Throughout the story, Tally discovers the unsettling truth about the pretty surgery she always looked forward to, and the city she lived in all her life. The first book, Uglies, is laced with awesome futuristic technology and a reminder that beauty may not be everything it looks to be.

Bloody Jack, by L.A. Meyer

This series reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean, in a good way. Set in 19th century London, a young orphan named Mary Faber disguises herself as a boy, changes her name to Jacky, and weasels her way aboard a British navy ship. She learns much about the seas and bonds with one of her peers, Jamie, all while hiding the truth about her gender.

The series as a whole, I believe, is much better after the first book. Jacky wittingly makes her way up in rank in the army, becomes an unknowing pirate and a tavern performer, gets caught on a slave ship, and constantly narrowly escapes danger. Time and time again she is torn away from her sworn lover, but makes friends all across the land and seas.

The Mortal Instruments Series, by Cassandra Clare

Admit it: you want to read about another wildly handsome guy fighting monsters. And that’s OK, because Jace Wayland fits the mold. This story is about 16-year-old Clary Fray who desperately searches for her mother after she disappears. Clary and her longtime best friend Simon are thrown into the life-or-death world of the Shadowhunters, a special race of human-angel hybrids who kill demons and keep the Downworlders (a.k.a vampires, werewolves, fairies) in check. One Shadowhunter in particular catches her attention: Jace, who has the body of an angel, a shadowy past, and a mean personality. Throughout, Clary learns some startling truths about the Shadowhunters, her parents, and herself.

Evernight, by Claudia Gray

So you just can’t tear yourself away from vampire-human romance. Well, this series will definitely satisfy your craving. Bianca Olivier has always known she will one day become a vampire—after all, she's the child of two of them.

When her parents secure jobs as teachers at Evernight Academy, a creepy, old, secluded Victorian boarding school, Bianca wants desperately to escape. Then she meets Lucas, who seems different from the “Evernight” type, and a good reason to stay. Thus begins their rocky romance and the uncovering of many mysteries, such as Lucas’ actual identity and the truth about the students at Evernight.

Have you read any of these? How do they compare to Twilight?