Scott Westerfeld

  • 21

    Catalog books

  • 8

    Works

  • 1989 to 2019

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

Scott Westerfeld writes tense, inventive young-adult thrillers that blend urban mystery with speculative twists. In The Secret Hour, he introduces a hidden hour when certain teens gain strange powers and face lurking dangers, balancing eerie atmosphere, tight plotting, and character-driven stakes that keep readers turning pages.

Westerfeld’s work emphasizes group dynamics and the costs of secrecy: friends must learn who they can trust while confronting unseen threats. His control of pacing and mood turns a single premise—a midnight world frozen for some—into a full, immersive experience that reads like a puzzle unfolding.

Best Place To Start

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Young adult science fiction and fantasy • Fast-paced plots with inventive tech and worldbuilding • Teen protagonists facing moral dilemmas

Genres and themes: YA science fiction • Urban fantasy • Coming-of-age • Technology vs. humanity

Who this author is best for: Good for readers who like action-driven YA stories with imaginative premises and sympathetic teenage leads.

Start with a single-volume or first-in-series novel to sample his mix of high concept and character-focused storytelling.

Top Books To Start With

  1. Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour (Midnighters)

    Eos • 2005 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2005 • 383 pages.

  2. Uglies

    SIMON & SCHUSTER CHI • 2006 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2006 • 448 pages.

  3. Bogus to bubbly

    Simon Pulse • 2008 • standard commitment

    It stands out because it asks for less time than many of the longer volumes on this page.

  4. Secret Hour

    Little, Brown Book Group Limited • 2011 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2011 • 304 pages.

  5. Pretties

    Tandem Library • 2005 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2005 • 370 pages.

  6. Polymorph

    Roc • 1997 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1997 • 288 pages.

  7. Slayer Comes to Town

    BenBella Books • 2012 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2012 • 17 pages.

  8. Leviathan

    Simon Pulse • 2009 • commitment varies by edition

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2009.

  9. Specials (Thorndike Press Large Print Literacy Bridge Series)

    Thorndike Press • 2007 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2007 • 441 pages.

  10. Touching Darkness

    Eos • 2006 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2006 • 439 pages.

How The Picks Compare

  • Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour (Midnighters) is the easier short commitment, while Uglies asks for more reading time up front.
  • Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour (Midnighters) gives you an earlier look at this author’s shelf, while Uglies leans later in the catalog.
  • Bogus to bubbly is also useful if you want a different publishing lane from Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour (Midnighters).

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