I have been reading crime/mystery/thriller books for years and I have always felt that even in teen fictions novels it is extremely captivating. I also love to read a series of books as it gives you the time to explore the characters and see them throughout a series of events in multiple books rather than just the one.
I have a few favourite book series from when I was younger which I would like to share.
I will start with a series that I loved and always wanted to be a part of; Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. This series is made up of 6 novels. This series is about a group of girls who attend The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. From the outside and what everyone else is told it’s just a typical all girls’ school but that isn’t the case. It is a school where the girls are actually in all sorts of unusual classes. Some may think it is a School for geniuses but in actuality it is a school for spies. Gallagher Girls are trained in all sorts of different fields such as martial arts and decoding alongside learning multiple languages and espionage history. I found this series incredibly exciting and engaging as I was a young girl like the pupils at the Academy which made me much more involved in the story and the characters. It follows the story of Cameron Morgan and her friends and they learn about this new world of espionage and excitement and how they balance this with trying to be somewhat normal teenagers. We follow them as they flourish and grow whilst seeing them learn new skills and take on the lives of spies. I think that this series is very well written and is completely compelling to its target audience. I would highly recommend this series to any young/teenage girls as it is full of excitement and friendship which keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting to read more.
The second series I will share is the Agent 21 series by Chris Ryan. It is a serried made up of 6 novels. This series is focused on a teenager named Zak Darke whose parents were murdered when he was younger by a suspected terrorist attack. He then continues to live his life as best as possible until one day he is approached by a government agent who changes his life forever. Zak then becomes an agent and we follow his adventures throughout the series. This series is great and it follows Zaks adventures from the moment the agent approaches him and we see how he deals with this new life. It is not a series that starts with the character already being involved in a certain life and I think because of that we get much more involved in Zak and the storyline. We, as readers, want to continue from book to book to see where his new life as an agent takes him and how he comes to terms with the new challenges as well as still trying to cope with the death of his parents. I would also recommend this book to teenagers/young adults who love adventure/spy novels or dream of becoming a secret agent as it is not only exciting but the storyline is very easy to become attached. Seeing Zak live with his aunt and uncle who don’t want him there and see how he progresses and changes whilst getting involved in the secret agency allows you to often sympathise and empathise with him as a character. His personality is realistic which also allows you to feel much more engaged and involved in it all. I find that this series is written perfectly for the target audience and it is completely realistic unlike some spy novels that are written and for that reason I would recommend this series.
The final series that I loved was The Joshua Files by M.G Harris. This series is made up of 5 novels. This series is extremely intriguing as I found it was unlike any other series I had read. It is a series based upon a mythology of the prophecy of the ancient Maya. It follows the story of Joshua Garcia young teenager who is following in his father’s footsteps through the archaeological Mayan ruins. He is accompanied by his 3 friends as he goes on his journey through the ruins in order to find the IX Codex. Joshua is a brave and mysterious character who after his father’s death is determined to continue on what he started. Throughout his journeys he has to face harsh adversities but he continues through which shows how courageous he is. He is followed by a hit man, his family is kidnapped and the truth about his father’s death amongst other things. The story features time travel which seems realistic in its context and creates an excitement around the series. All of Joshua’s adventures are based upon the mythology and have connections to it in various ways. I loved this series as I became intrigued by the characters personalities, strengths and flaws alongside the action packed storylines. I think any teenager who loved adventure stories with mythology and time travel would love this also.
All of these series I loved and I would recommend all of them to anyone who asked. I think all of them are books with depth and excitement that would be enjoyable for teenager to read and enjoy. Each series contains a set of characters which you become complexly enthralled and involved in to the point where you believe you know them and are part of the stories. This is part of the reason whilst all these stories caught my eye and I have loved ever since.
Many thanks, Caitlin x
(P.S. If you have read these or loved any other series as a young teenager please leave a comment)
Read and Drink Tea 