I must like sitting on the edge of my seat more than lounging in a recliner,
because suspense has always been my favorite genre. It doesn't matter to me if
it comes dressed up like science fiction or historic drama, what I crave are
stories that keep me guessing, where the main characters always seem to be in
peril. You might think that means the heroine is in danger, but I actually like
it even more if the hero is the one whose life is on the line. Put an adorable
boy in threat of losing his life or of losing the one he loves, and I'm all in.
In fact, most of my favorite TV shows and movies have that exact premise. Here's
a list of some of them and why I love them.
Jason Behr playing Max Evans, Roswell
It doesn't get much better than an alien boy willing to risk exposing himself to
save the girl he loves. From the first episode, Max shows he's head over
alien-heels for earthling Liz, sometimes forgetting this romance could endanger
his best friend and sister, who are also aliens. The smoldering looks given by
Behr to Shiri Appleby (Liz) seemed so real that I was completely surprised to
learn that the real-life couple on this set was Jason Behr and Katherine Heigl.
Bob Morley playing Bellamy Blake, The 100
Whoa, the chemistry between Bellamy and Clarke (Eliza Taylor) could set your TV
on fire! Is that why I keep watching this show or is it the fact that I don't
know if this group of teens will survive from one episode to the next on the
hostile environment of future-earth? I've given up trying to figure out why I'm
so addicted to this show. Just make sure The 100 keeps getting renewed or my
heart will be broken.
Alexander Ludwig playing Bjorn Lothbrok, The Vikings
Watch out for blood spatter in this suspenseful and historic retelling of the
Viking saga of Ragnar Lothbrok. His son, Bjorn, also a legendary hero, will one
day become King of Sweden. Along the way, he grows from a boy devoted to his
mother to a tragic, muscle-bound warrior that you'll root for, even when he
makes mistakes. Ludwig aptly personifies the tormented, godlike-man of Viking
legends, caught between earth and Valhalla.
Connor Jessup playing Ben Mason, Falling Skies
The world is ending, aliens are here, humans should just give up. That's
basically the premise for the TV show Falling Skies. But the stakes go through
the roof when Ben has alien spikes grafted into his spine. From this point on,
he's seen as a dangerous outsiderβsomething that makes us love his sensitive,
shy character even more.
Tanner Buchanan playing Leo Kirkman, Designated Survivor
The screen lights up every time Buchanan shows up, playing the son of the newly
appointed president. Danger is everywhere in this alternate-history where the
Capitol Building has been bombed by terrorists and there's no way to know who
might be targeted next. My only complaint with this dynamic thriller is that
Buchanan doesn't get enough screen time.
Yesterday, Rachel went to sleep listening to Taylor Swift, curled up in her
grammyβs quilt, worrying about geometry. Today, she woke up in a ditch,
bloodied, bruised, and missing a year of her life.
She doesnβt recognize the person sheβs become: Sheβs popular. She wears
nothing but black.
Black to cover the blood.
And she can fight.
Tell no one.
Sheβs not the only girl to go missing within the last yearβ¦but sheβs the
only girl to come back. She desperately wants to unravel what happened to her,
to try and recover the rest of the Lost Girls.
But the more she discovers, the more her memories return. And as much as her
new life scares her, it calls to her. Seductively. The good girl gone bad: sex,
drugs, and raves, and something darkerβ¦something she still craves. The rush of
the fight, the thrill of the winβsomething she canβt resist, that might still
get her killedβ¦
Thriller | Suspense | Young Adult
[Entangled Teen, On Sale: January 3, 2017, Paperback /
e-Book, ISBN: 9781633756052 / eISBN: 9781633756069]
Born in the Midwest, magazine editor Merrie Destefano currently lives in
Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds, a Siamese cat, and
the occasional wandering possum. Her favorite hobbies are reading speculative
fiction and watching old Star Trek episodes, and her incurable addiction is
writing. She loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old
movies, and listen to alternative musicβalthough rarely all at the same time.
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