Books to Read If You Can’t Get Enough Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets is one of those shows that is hard to describe. It’s eerie and disturbing with a fictionalized true-crime bend and dealing with the fallout of trauma, violence, and the thin line separating the monsters we all have under our skin. In short, I LOVE it. The fluctuating timeline, the mystery, the aesthetic – perfection! No notes! And if you’re like me, you’re probably hungry for more media just like it. So here it is – what to read if you can’t get enough Yellowjackets! You’re welcome!
Wolfpack
Nine girls live in the cult of Havenwood. Nine girls have formed a bond closer than sisterhood, closer than normal – their own little cult within the cult. Until nine becomes eight and one of their pack disappears with no warning. Did she leave willingly or did something more sinister occur? The search for her will uncover truths about their beloved Havenwood and themselves, but is it a truth that was better kept buried? If you can’t see the comparisons to Yellowjackets already, allow me to elaborate. A mystery centering a close-knit group of girls – check! A haunting close-to-nature setting thick with creepy atmosphere – check! Loyalties questioned at every turn – check! If you love Yellowjackets for the bizarre visuals and atmosphere, this one is for you!
None Shall Sleep
by Ellie Marney
Crime in the 80’s? You got it! If you love Yellowjackets for the retro vibes and the shocking crimes, None Shall Sleep is for you! It’s 1982 and Emma Lewis, serial killer survivor, and US Marshall candidate Travis Bell are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers in the hopes that, as fellow teens, they’ll be able to gather more information about these vicious crimes. But soon they get caught up in an active case – a serial killer who exclusively targets teenagers – and they must seek help from one of the country’s most notorious convicted murderers, teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. As the hunt heats up, Emma and Travis will find themselves caught in the crossfire between an active and free killer and the manipulative machinations of Simon – and no one will leave unscarred.
We Made It All Up
Toxic friendships, hidden pasts, and an unreliable narrator combine in this Twin-Peaks-esque thriller that will pull you in with its eerie atmosphere. When Celeste moves from Montreal to small-town Montana, she’s the center of attention but the only friend she can make is Vivvy, the social pariah with a family that has deep roots. After a mysterious passion-fueled incident at school between golden-boy hockey star Joss and the school burn-out, the girls begin writing a fanfic about the two boys. In this fiction, Celeste starts to feel safe enough to reveal the darker parts of her past to Vivvy. But when Vivvy gets it in her head to make their fan fiction a reality, it leads to an alcohol fueled night in the woods where Celeste ends up kissing golden boy Joss. But the next morning, Celeste can’t remember how she got home and Joss is dead. Could she have delivered the killing blow? Oscillating between right after and before the murder, the narrative slowly unravels to reveal dark secrets, hidden histories, and deep betrayal. This book is perfect for you if you love watching the friendships between the Yellowjackets unravel and evolve into something more vicious.
And if you love this one, keep an eye out for Margot Harrison’s next thriller, Only She Came Back, where a girl emerges from the desert covered in blood. Her boyfriend is missing, and she won’t talk.
Dead End Girls
by Wendy Heard
If you love Yellowjackets for its female-centered true crime themes and the increasing descent into chaos, you will love Dead End Girls! In one week, Maude will be dead. At least, that’s what she wants everyone to think. You see, she’s planning her own escape by faking her death. But when a step-cousin she barely knows, Frankie, discovers her plan, Maude thinks it’s all over. But Frankie doesn’t rat her out. Instead, Frankie wants in! Things only go from bad to worse as the girls vault into the unknown. What starts as a simple escape turns into accidental death and would-be murder followed by a hunt across the country in this teenage Thelma and Louise!
The Naturals
Another serial killer thriller, this time from the mind behind The Inheritance Games! Cassie Hobbes is a natural – at reading people, that is. When she is recruited into an underground FBI program designed to take advantage of the unique skills of other naturals, she is thrust into the world of criminal profiling and helping solve cold cases. Until an active killer set’s their sights on Cassie, and the closer the Naturals get to catching the killer, the closer to danger they get. This edge-of-your-seat thriller is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets who can’t get enough of the plot twists and shocking reveals (and, of course, the gruesome murders too)!
Killing Mr. Griffin
by Lois Duncan
The absolute classic! Killing Mr. Griffin is from the OG Lois Duncan and is about a group of teens who… well, kill Mr. Griffin. It explores the complex nature of guilt, anger, and peer pressure as what starts as a prank to frighten their super strict teacher turns into the cover-up of a murder. I don’t want to spoil anything more here, but if you love Yellowjackets for diving into the difficult and fraught relationships between teenagers, especially when put into high-stress situations, then you’ll absolutely love this classic YA thriller!
The Girl in the Castle
by James Patterson & Emily Raymond
What is the line between what is real and what is imagined? In 1347, Hannah Dory is struggling to survive the winter and save her sister. In the present, Hannah Doe is in Belman Psych trying to get back to the past. They’re the same person, but Hannah can’t convince anyone to believe her. Could she really be travelling to the past? But, if the truth can ever be revealed, will it save her or trap her forever? If you love Yellowjackets for the ambiguity, mystery, and what-is-really-real vibes, you will absolutely adore The Girl in the Castle.
