100 Books Like The Face on the Milk Carton

I had to include the OG twisty friendship story on this list. Even though I read this novel a decade ago, that final twist stays with me. However, the twist wouldn’t have worked if I hadn’t been invested in the relationships.

What really struck me is that the “friends,” in this case, are actually cousins. As someone who considers my cousins to be my best friends, this was the aspect of the novel that resonated the most with me. Also, reading about a vacation home near Martha’s Vineyard didn’t hurt matters.

I loved The Couple Next Door because it kept me glued to the page from start to finish.

I was fascinated by how an ordinary neighborhood could hide so much tension and deceit. It made me question how well we really know the people living right beside us. I found myself holding my breath, completely absorbed, and I couldn’t put it down until I knew everything.

This book by Barry Lyga absolutely captivated me with its intense, dark narrative.

The story centers around Jasper "Jazz" Dent, who grew up as the son of the country’s most notorious serial killer. (Talk about a family tree!) Having been exposed to gruesome lessons in murder from a very young age, Jazz is haunted by the fear that he might follow in his father’s footsteps.

It helps explore the terrifying notion of nature versus nurture. Jazz’s battle with his own potential for evil is chilling, and it makes the read not just a thriller but a deep dive into his fight for a normal life. As bodies start appearing in Jazz's small town, he recognizes patterns that match his father’s killings, and so he starts to help the police. The pacing is superb, intertwining Jazz’s personal demons with a gripping murder investigation.

What really makes this novel stand out for… show more.

I love everything Sara Shepard does.

The story kicks off with Emma, a kind-hearted foster kid, discovering she has an identical twin sister named Sutton, who was adopted by a wealthy family. When Emma agrees to meet Sutton, she's shocked to learn that Sutton has mysteriously disappeared, and she's expected to step into Sutton’s life until she returns. What starts as a simple case of mistaken identity quickly spirals into a compelling mystery as Emma immerses herself in Sutton’s world, uncovering secrets and lies at every turn.

What really draws me to this book is its layered storytelling. As Emma digs deeper into the life of her sister, she encounters the dangerous game that Sutton and her friends played—a game all about deceit and cruel pranks. Shepard masterfully intertwines the suspense of the investigation with the drama of high school life, making each character’s motives murky and adding to the… show more.

Lois Duncan's book really struck a chord with me, primarily because it takes such a dark turn from what starts as a seemingly typical high school prank (glad I hadn’t read this before writing my book!

The story revolves around a group of students who plan to kidnap their strict English teacher, Mr. Griffin, to scare him into being less harsh with his grading. But when the prank goes horribly wrong, leading to Mr. Griffin's accidental death, the real drama starts.

Duncan does a great job showing the panic and moral dilemmas faced by the students as they decide whether to come clean or cover up their deeds. What I really liked the most was how the book explored peer pressure and how easily authority can be undermined by youthful recklessness. Each character is drawn into this web of deceit, showing how quickly things can spiral out of control when… show more.

First, this is not a book about butterflies or butterfly gardens. There is a garden, but it’s not a happy one. This is a book about collections, not of beautiful bugs, but of beautiful young women. My wife turned me on to Dot Hutchison and this novel after she’d listened breathlessly to the audiobook.

This book is intense. It has elements you’d expect from a serial killer thriller, but boy, does it get dark really fast. If you were abducted and forced to live a life of captivity in a lush mansion, complete with a gorgeous indoor garden, would you really feel like a prisoner? Um, yes, you would. Especially if your captor treated you and your fellow abductees like playthings, he can (and does) do anything to. This is another one of those disturbing thrillers that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. Good thing it’s the… show more.

I love this book because it asks more questions than it answers.

Picoult’s approach is always about allowing the reader to enter deeply into what her characters are experiencing, and she handles the issue of kidnapping with the same grace and sensitivity she’s used in approaching other difficult and occasionally taboo subjects.

As Delia plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall. What happens when you find out you aren’t who you thought you were? How do you make sense of the people you love and trust morphing into something more sinister? How can you reach for what you’ve always wanted when it means losing something else?

You’ll think about all this—and more—for a long time after you’ve closed the book.

This memoir is both haunting and oddly inspirational.

On 10 June 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in Tahoe, California. It was the last her family saw of her for over eighteen years. In 2009 an investigation discovered her living in a tent behind her kidnapper’s house.

I love this memoir for a whole lot of reasons, but in large part because there’s not a trace of self-pity in her account—despite her having had so much of her life “stolen” from her—and because of her determination to find faith in humanity again.

Where Are You From? boasts breathtakingly gorgeous text and expansive illustrations. I love this book because it first draws attention to how our world wants to simplify a person’s story. The book then counters with the beautiful reality that we are complex. As the child of immigrants, I could relate to this little girl seeking answers to the narrow question people keep asking her. She turns to Abuelo, who refuses to answer in ways that might categorize her. Instead, his poetic words sweep her up in a triumphant story rooted in deep ties to generations past and ongoing connections with place. Ultimately, this story transforms that feeling of not belonging into a celebration of who you are. What a joy!

Though it’s not about witches, this book does have a magical shawl. I love books for young readers that explore identity in various forms, and this one is perfect for a peek into the struggles of third-culture kids, those who feel they don’t belong, or those trying to reconnect with their familial roots.