What a fun YA thriller. 12 teens are on a private transatlantic flight when things go awry. Secrets revealed, accidental poisonings, dead bodies in lavatories ... this book has got it all! Really hard to stop reading because you just wanted to know what was going to happen next. Locked room mystery trope at its finest!

Thin Air is a ride (and I mean that in the best way possible).
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Set entirely on a luxury aircraft during an 8-hour flight, the book follows 17-year-old Emily, who is among a set of 12 boarding school students chosen to participate in a competition in Paris for college scholarship money (something that she desperately needs). But the competition goes too far before it can even really start, with contestants ending up injured and dead. I think that the tight timeframe worked really well here because it raised the stakes even higher than they'd already be as Emily and company try to figure out who the killer is before they land, and contained spaces like planes are always great settings for thrillers.
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Of course, everyone is keeping some major secrets, the sanctity of which end up being greatly compromised. Emily is far from perfect (she's done some things I'd never condone in real life) which makes her an unreliable narrator. I know that unreliable narrators are controversial, but it works here because no character in this book is really reliable, and everybody stands to gain something from killing the others. This means that suspicion passes through the entire group, and it seems like people are being framed (or are they?), and I was so shocked when the actual killer was revealed because I would not have guessed it in a million years.
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This is Parker's debut novel, but I think it's already within the realm of more established YA thriller authors like Karen M. McManus and Diana Urban.

"Thin Air" failed to capture my attention or pull me away from everyday life, making it hard to finish.

A great thriller that I couldn't put down!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

I was here for this one. I was captivated in the very early pages of this book. Every twist and turn and secret revealed kept me wanting more and more. I really enjoy books where they think they have everything all figured out and they are wrong again and again. It keeps it interesting and fast paced. I enjoyed the unique quality of instead of the adults telling the kids not to get involved the adults were completely taken out of the equation. Overall a phenomenal read!

If you're looking for a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Thin Air by Kellie Parker is your next must-read. This book blends suspense, secrets, and just the right amount of paranoia to create a story you won’t be able to put down. The story opens with deceit and intrigue, along with a fierce atmosphere. Parker’s descriptions are vivid enough to make you feel like you’re right there, struggling for every breath at high altitude. What truly makes Thin Air stand out is the characters. The protagonist is relatable yet flawed, grappling with a past that slowly unravels. The themes of trust, betrayal, and resilience are handled beautifully, making the story resonate even after the last page. Thin Air is a thrilling, heart-pounding read that delivers on every level. Great for readers who are fans of survival stories, psychological mysteries, or just love a well-told tale.

I have a confession: I'm afraid of flying, but somehow, I love books set on planes (especially thrillers). This is actually a great book to read on your next flight -- very immersive and fun!

Twisty and delightful!

I'm always on the hunt for more YA thriller/mystery book and this seriously was excellent with its locked-door type of situation - in a plane! How clever is that?

There was ample excitement, anxiousness, misdirection, and questions that left me turning pages (aka audio-listening) all day so I could figure out what was going to happen!

I'd recommend this to fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus but w/o the excessive language (thank you for that!).

My rating: 4.8*
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this gifted advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

YA Murder-Mysteries rarely deliver, and Thin Air sadly follows this trend. Thin Air's narrative feels constrained by its YA genre, and it is clear where the author had to tone down some aspects of the plot. It reads more like a cozy mystery rather than a high-stakes thriller.

Thin Air is a unique take on a locked room mystery. There are 12 teenage contestants taking a private jet on their way to Paris. Each one of them has signed up to this exclusive contest to earn a scholarship for college. What they weren’t expecting is that the contest would start on the plane and someone would start picking them off one by one.

Overall this was a fun and drama filled read. The plane ride is only 8 hours which meant that things were constantly happening. I also enjoyed the games they had to play and the group dynamics. Of course everyone was keeping secrets which made everyone a suspect.

While I understand that this is a young adult book I did not like the romance elements in the story. I can understand crushing on someone but the romance was too heavy of a topic for most of these people just meeting. I also thought that the killer was fairly obvious and I was hoping that I would be wrong since I clocked them from the beginning.

I do have a soft spot for YA mystery/thrillers and I think this was a fun one. I enjoyed the contestants trying to figure out the clues they were given as well as who was the one behind the violence happening. This was Parker’s debut and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for what she comes out with in the future.

Thin Air was a little bit of a letdown. Overall I found it to fit a certain formula and to be very predictable.

As much as I really enjoyed this book, I found it to be easy to identify what was going to happen. Maybe it was formulaic of=r it was my ADHD/AuDHD ability to recognize patterns or deviations from patterns but this one was quite predictible, although still enjoyable.

Even though there were some hard to believe aspects (like the absence of the pilots), it was a great book that kept me on my toes until the very end. The plot twists were good, but there were some lose ends and minor plot holes.
I also didn't love the FMC, but I managed to kind of forget that while reading. Overall the plot was great and it could be done a little bit better, but I had a great time reading this book!

(review coming soon!)

This premise held so much promise for me, and I loved the setting of the characters being trapped on a plane which, if executed well enough, would have had me afraid to set foot on a plane ever again. However, I still have very mixed feelings about how everything played out. I was hooked on the start of this story, but unfortunately ended up losing interest as the story progressed.

The biggest issue for me, and for a lot of people I know who have read this book, is the way the main character Emily is written. So many of her decisions and thought processes I just could not get behind. Believe me, I can understand the immaturity of teenagers and how they are prone to make poor choices, but I truly cannot fathom how she willingly allowed herself to make out with her best friend's boyfriend. I don't care how it's partly symbolic of how she feels in the hierarchy of her friendship, I don't care that she had feelings for him even before the two got together, that is just a line I cannot come to terms with her crossing.

Furthermore, while I did enjoy her dynamic with Liam, and how she was able to see how it felt when someone truly had feelings for her, it was still way too insta-lovey for my taste. It also got to be frustrating how wrapped up she was in her romantic prospects once sh*t started going down and people started dying. In that situation, I don't think anyone would be prioritizing what their crush might think of them and their decisions.

I actually do think the twist could have been executed well, but only if it had been hinted at in ANY way, shape, or form, earlier in the story. As it is, it seems to come out of nowhere, and is nowhere near fully developed, especially considering how the villain's plan seems to fall apart the more you start to think about it.

Overall, this thriller was unfortunately a miss for me. While there were elements that held promise, there were several aspects that could have been executed better to make for a more effective and gripping story.

2.5-2.75 this one was fine, it kept me guessing for sure but my god i can’t get past the main character CONSTANTLY talking about boys. girlie just got stabbed and she mentions wanting to kiss this hot boy. i can’t.

I love a locked-room mystery, so I was excited to read Thin Air. I loved this book and would recommend it. The setting is unique and the twists are shocking. I can honestly say I had no idea who the killer was until the very end. Fans of Karen McManus should give this book a read.

A group of students from the top private schools are all boarding a private international flight in the hopes of winning a scholarship--only one of which is available. Little do they know, this flight is about to go a little differently than planned. Murder, mystery, and mayhem are all afoot.

I like to think of this book as a Knives Out mystery with a full cast of teenagers. It's a bit like Pretty Little Liars if they were only involved in one murderous set of hours instead of always.
The book being contained in just an airplane makes the suspense high and the stakes high as well. We are involved in the whodunnit along with the characters the whole way through, and no one appears to be safe!

This book was written for you if:
1) You love a Knives Out mystery
2) You like trying to solve the case with the characters
3) You liked Pretty Little Liars

The "locked room" scenario with a hidden killer on board had me hooked from the start. The potential for a thrilling whodunit was undeniable. However, the character development fell flat for me. Many characters came across as petty and self-absorbed, and the instant romance and infidelity subplots felt unnecessary. Ultimately, the ending was a letdown. The villain's monologue felt out of place, reminiscent of a cartoon villain's self-defeating declaration. While the initial premise was promising, the execution left me wanting more.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay. The premise sounded really interesting but i found the main character so so so insufferable and annoying and only interested in potential boyfriends. I really didn’t like her, but the story of the contest was really interesting. It’s a good Young Adult.

"Thin Air" by Kellie Parker is a masterful blend of suspense, mystery, and young adult drama that grips the reader from the very first page. Set against the backdrop of a high-stakes competition on a flight to Paris, the novel introduces us to Emily Walters, a seventeen-year-old boarding school student with dreams bigger than her current means. The opportunity to compete for a cash prize that promises a better future for her and her mother is one she can't pass up, but the journey quickly turns into a nightmare of deception, betrayal, and survival.

Parker skillfully crafts a locked-door thriller in the skies, where every character has something to lose and equally compelling reasons to win. The setting—a private jet crossing the Atlantic—provides a claustrophobic tension that escalates with each passing hour. The sense of isolation and the impossibility of escape heighten the stakes, making "Thin Air" an exhilarating read.

Emily Walters is a protagonist you root for from the beginning. Her determination to change her life and the lives of those she loves, coupled with the burden of her own secrets, makes her a complex and relatable character. As the competition turns deadly, Emily's resilience and strategic thinking shine through, positioning her as a memorable and inspiring heroine in YA literature.

The dynamics among the contestants add layers of intrigue and complexity to the story. Parker does an excellent job of developing each character, giving them depth and motivations that blur the lines between friend and foe. The interplay of relationships, particularly Emily's efforts to protect her best friend while navigating her own vulnerabilities, enriches the narrative, making it not just a thriller but a profound exploration of friendship, loyalty, and ambition.

What sets "Thin Air" apart is Parker's ability to weave together suspense and emotional depth, creating a story that is as heart-pounding as it is heart-wrenching. The plot twists and turns, with revelations that keep readers guessing until the very end. Parker's writing is sharp, with a pace that never falters, propelling the story forward with each revelation and making it impossible to put down.

For fans of Diana Urban, Karen McManus, and Jessica Goodman, "Thin Air" is a standout addition to the YA thriller genre. It offers all the thrills and chills expected of a survival competition, but it's the emotional core and the authentic portrayal of teenage life and struggles that elevate it. Kellie Parker has crafted a suspenseful, fast-paced novel that speaks to the strength found in adversity and the power of believing in oneself. "Thin Air" is a thrilling, emotionally charged journey that proves once again the limitless potential of YA literature to entertain and inspire.