Jessica Goodman is known for smart, suspenseful young adult thrillers that dig into friendship, privilege, rivalry, and the secrets people will do almost anything to protect. Novels such as They Wish They Were Us and They’ll Never Catch Us highlight her talent for building tension while keeping her teen characters believable and emotionally grounded.
If you enjoy Jessica Goodman’s mix of mystery, drama, and sharply observed social dynamics, these authors are well worth adding to your reading list:
If Jessica Goodman’s twisty plots and high-stakes teen drama work for you, Karen M. McManus is a natural next pick. Her novels combine juicy school secrets, shifting alliances, and propulsive suspense in a way that makes them hard to put down.
Her breakout novel, One of Us Is Lying, begins with five students entering detention and only four making it out alive. Like Goodman, McManus is especially good at showing how teenage relationships, betrayals, and hidden agendas can fuel a compelling mystery.
If you like Jessica Goodman’s layered friendships and carefully revealed secrets, E. Lockhart is an excellent author to try. Her fiction is sharp, stylish, and emotionally astute, often centered on privileged teens whose polished worlds conceal something darker underneath.
We Were Liars is a haunting, emotionally charged novel in which memory, grief, and family secrets slowly come into focus. The result is both suspenseful and devastating.
Readers drawn to Jessica Goodman’s balance of suspense and believable teen voices will likely enjoy Holly Jackson as well. Her books are fast-moving, clever, and packed with twists, clues, and satisfying reveals. A great place to start is her book A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
It follows Pip Fitz-Amobi, a high-school student who decides to reexamine a local murder case everyone else considers closed. The deeper she digs, the more dangerous and complicated the truth becomes.
Like Jessica Goodman, Kara Thomas excels at dark, moody thrillers set in close communities where gossip travels fast and no one is as innocent as they seem.
Her stories often expose the violence and unease lurking beneath everyday teenage life. Try The Cheerleaders, a chilling mystery about a string of deaths connected to a cheerleading squad—and the buried truths that refuse to stay buried.
Courtney Summers writes intense, emotionally charged novels that tackle dark subject matter with honesty and force, making her a strong match for readers who appreciate Jessica Goodman’s more unsettling themes.
She has a particular gift for creating complicated female protagonists who are both vulnerable and fiercely determined.
One standout is Sadie, a gripping novel about a girl searching for justice after her sister’s murder, interwoven with a true-crime podcast that adds urgency and depth to the story.
Kit Frick writes suspenseful stories about friendship, bad choices, and the dangerous consequences of buried secrets. Her books are full of uncertainty, shifting loyalties, and a sense that something is always just slightly off.
In I Killed Zoe Spanos, Frick delivers a layered thriller about a young woman who confesses to a murder she may not actually remember committing. Fans of Jessica Goodman will likely enjoy the novel’s psychological tension and its exploration of memory, trust, and pressure.
Dana Mele creates atmospheric YA mysteries filled with lies, betrayals, and dangerous secrets, often set in elite schools where appearances matter almost as much as survival. In People Like Us, she takes readers into a boarding school world shaped by murder, manipulation, and deception.
If you enjoy stories about complicated friendships, social hierarchy, and girls hiding more than they admit, Mele’s twisty style should be a good fit.
Tiffany D. Jackson is known for gripping contemporary YA novels that confront difficult subjects with intelligence and urgency. Her books often explore injustice, social pressure, and the complicated ways young people are judged and misunderstood.
In Allegedly, Jackson tells the story of a teenage girl trying to reclaim her voice after being accused of a terrible crime.
Readers who appreciate Jessica Goodman’s interest in scrutiny, shifting truths, and the lives of girls under pressure will find a lot to admire in Jackson’s work.
Megan Miranda writes psychological thrillers that uncover the secrets hidden inside seemingly ordinary lives. Her novels pair strong character work with tightly constructed suspense, making them especially appealing to readers who like mystery with emotional depth.
In All the Missing Girls, Miranda tells the story in reverse, gradually revealing what happened after a young woman disappears. The unusual structure adds another layer of tension to an already compelling mystery.
If Jessica Goodman’s intricate plotting and character-driven suspense keep you hooked, Miranda is definitely worth a look.
Caleb Roehrig writes fast-paced YA thrillers with sharp twists, strong emotional stakes, and memorable teen protagonists. His books often feature LGBTQ+ characters navigating danger, identity, and complicated personal relationships.
In Last Seen Leaving, he crafts a tense mystery about a teenager searching for his missing girlfriend while confronting difficult truths about himself.
Readers who enjoy Jessica Goodman’s suspenseful plots and messy teen dynamics should find plenty to like in Roehrig’s work.
Natasha Preston writes suspenseful thrillers packed with danger, secrets, and uneasy twists. Her novels tend to focus on teen characters caught in situations that grow steadily more disturbing as the truth comes out.
If you like Jessica Goodman’s blend of mystery and adolescent tension, Preston’s The Cellar may be a strong choice. It’s a chilling story of abduction, survival, and psychological fear.
April Henry is known for tight pacing, realistic suspense, and capable teenage protagonists forced into frightening situations. Her books move quickly and deliver plenty of tension, making them an easy recommendation for fans of Jessica Goodman’s more gripping storylines.
You might enjoy Henry’s novel Girl, Stolen, which follows a kidnapped teenager determined to survive despite overwhelming uncertainty and danger.
Chandler Baker writes sharp, engaging thrillers about women facing moral pressure, power imbalances, and deeply buried secrets. Her voice is witty and observant, but there’s real bite beneath the surface.
Baker's novel Whisper Network explores what happens when uncomfortable truths begin to surface inside a workplace built on silence and protection. Readers who enjoy Jessica Goodman’s interest in female relationships and social tension may find Baker especially appealing.
Kathleen Glasgow writes emotionally raw novels about trauma, healing, and the difficult path toward self-understanding.
Her books do not shy away from painful subjects, and that honesty may resonate with readers who appreciate the darker emotional undercurrents in Jessica Goodman’s work.
In particular, Girl in Pieces offers a candid and affecting portrait of a teenage girl trying to rebuild herself.
Rory Power creates haunting, atmospheric novels in which teenage friendships are strained by fear, isolation, and unsettling truths.
Her stories blend suspense with vivid emotional intensity, which makes them a strong pick for readers who enjoy Jessica Goodman’s combination of character drama and mystery.
Power’s debut novel, Wilder Girls, centers on a group of isolated teens confronting a strange contagion, mounting paranoia, and betrayal from within.
