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Quick answer: If you loved Natasha Preston, try The Cellar, The Twin, One of Us Is Lying, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, We Were Liars and Sadie. Each one is a fast, twisty YA thriller with secrets, danger and teens in deadly situations.
Natasha Preston is a British author of young adult thrillers who first found readers on Wattpad. Her books include The Cellar, The Cabin, The Twin and The Lost, and they usually involve kidnappings, secrets among friends or killers closer than expected. Readers love their short chapters, their twists and their tension. These books share her pace and her teen thrills.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cellar | Natasha Preston | 14+ | readers new to Preston |
| The Twin | Natasha Preston | 14+ | readers who like evil twins |
| One of Us Is Lying | Karen M. McManus | 14+ | readers who like detention mysteries |
| A Good Girl's Guide to Murder | Holly Jackson | 14+ | readers who like teen detectives |
| We Were Liars | E. Lockhart | 14+ | readers who like twists |
| Sadie | Courtney Summers | 15+ | readers who like dark revenge |
| The Inheritance Games | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | 13+ | readers who like puzzles |
| Fear Street: The New Girl | R.L. Stine | 13+ | readers who like classic teen horror |
| Truly Devious | Maureen Johnson | 14+ | readers who like boarding school mysteries |
| Firekeeper's Daughter | Angeline Boulley | 14+ | readers who like undercover teens |
| The Cheerleaders | Kara Thomas | 15+ | readers who like small-town deaths |
| Ace of Spades | Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | 14+ | readers who like school threats |
| Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister | Adult | older readers |
| I Know What You Did Last Summer | Lois Duncan | 13+ | readers who like classics |
| Little Monsters | Kara Thomas | 14+ | readers who like friend betrayals |
1. The Cellar by Natasha Preston
A teen is kidnapped and held in a cellar.
Best for: readers new to Preston.
2. The Twin by Natasha Preston
A girl suspects her twin is dangerous.
Best for: readers who like evil twins.
3. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Students are suspected of a classmate's death.
Best for: readers who like detention mysteries.
4. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
A student investigates a closed case.
Best for: readers who like teen detectives.
5. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
A girl's summers on a private island hide a secret.
Best for: readers who like twists.
6. Sadie by Courtney Summers
A girl hunts her sister's killer.
Best for: readers who like dark revenge.
7. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A girl inherits a billionaire's fortune.
Best for: readers who like puzzles.
8. Fear Street: The New Girl by R.L. Stine
A new girl in Shadyside hides a secret.
Best for: readers who like classic teen horror.
9. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
A student investigates an old murder.
Best for: readers who like boarding school mysteries.
10. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
A teen helps an FBI investigation.
Best for: readers who like undercover teens.
11. The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
A teen investigates cheerleaders' deaths.
Best for: readers who like small-town deaths.
12. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Two students are targeted by an anonymous texter.
Best for: readers who like school threats.
13. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
A mother lives backward through time to stop a crime.
Best for: older readers.
14. I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
Teens are stalked after a hit-and-run.
Best for: readers who like classics.
15. Little Monsters by Kara Thomas
A girl goes missing after a party.
Best for: readers who like friend betrayals.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Natasha Preston: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Natasha Preston. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Start with The Cellar or The Twin. For similar YA mysteries, One of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder are hugely popular. If you like darker stories, try Sadie or The Cheerleaders. Classic fans can go back to I Know What You Did Last Summer and Fear Street.
Related: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus: Summary and Key Takeaways · Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Natasha Preston?
A British author of YA thrillers who began on Wattpad.
Which Natasha Preston book should I read first?
The Cellar is her most famous book.
Are her books scary?
They are tense and sometimes dark, with kidnapping and violence.
What age are her books for?
They suit readers about 14 and up.
Are her books standalones?
Yes. Most are standalones.
What is The Cellar about?
A teen is kidnapped by a man who keeps girls in a cellar.
What should I read next?
One of Us Is Lying is a popular next step.