Written by Moriah
It would be irresponsible of me to leave readers with only five spooky book recommendations when this genre is so perfect all year round. Plus I made the mistake of going to the bookstore and saw a few more stories for my own bookshelves, as well as gifts for friends who enjoy this season with me.
Here are five more Young Adult novels with a more ghostlike, creatures, and potential cultish atmosphere!
She Is A Haunting – Trang Tranh Tran
Jade sets out with her sister to reconnect with their estranged father who left to restore a French Colonial house in Vietnam. Despite only being there to get the college money she was promised, Jade decides to pretend the house is haunted to get through the weeks faster. Only to quickly find out the real ghost of the house doesn’t want them there at all.
This came highly recommended from my best friend and wow oh wow. Absolutely love the combination of horror with ghosts, house restoration, and the overwhelming sense of losing time. The complicated family dynamics alongside the hauntings were saddening in their own way as the plot went on but the twists and turns leading to the resolution made it so worth it.
CW: body horror, bugs, gore, murder, racism
I Feed Her To The Beast and The Beast Is Me – Jamison Shea
Laure is fed up with the systematic racism she encounters during her time in the world of Parisian Ballet. So she does what any sane person would do, strike a deal with an eldritch god-like creature in the catacombs. Using the power gained from that deal, Laure is able to level the playing field and call out the monsters she encounters in her field. However she’s not the only one to have made a deal like that, and someone is hunting down those similar to her.
The audiobook was so easy to get lost in and immerse yourself in the story, and the descriptions for some of the things related to Laure’s deal were downright icky. The voice used in the audiobook for when Laure uses her power was fun to listen to. This does end on a light cliffhanger but the sequel I Am The Dark That Answers When You Call comes out this November!
Trigger warnings are included in the author’s note.
House of Hollow – Krystal Sutherland
Iris Hollow was hoping to put her strange past behind her. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing. Iris is forced to deal with the weird aftermath, lots of bugs, and masked men following her as she investigates both the present mystery and the past incident they had as kids that neither of them can remember.
This is the second book with bugs that had grossed me out horribly. It’s more of a mystery horror but the pacing of the story was so interesting that it was worth pushing through to the end. I would recommend this for the week before Halloween or anytime after 11 pm. Though I only remember bits and pieces of the plot, I loved how unsettling the conclusion was to read.
CW: Gore, bugs, Sexual assault mention, body horror
You’re Not Supposed To Die Here Tonight – Kalyn Bayron
The guests at Camp Mirror Lake are happy to participate in the escape room/terror game rendition of a famous slasher film. And Charity Curtis is excited to play the “final girl” before the season ends. But when her coworkers start disappearing, and then dying. Charity’s goals change quickly to keep her and her girlfriend alive.
I was quickly invested in this story after a few callbacks were made to classic slasher films though I only remember the references of the Scream film series [one of my favorite movies ever] The plot was fast-paced though still easy to follow, especially with all the turns and twists necessary for such an isolated campground. Reading this could be done in one sitting if you have the time!
TW: Body horror, gore, death
A Guide To The Dark – Meriam Metoui
After two best friends, Mira and Layla, get stranded during their spring break college road trip, they find shelter at a nearby motel. Though Mira immediately is hit with nightmares of her dead brother and becomes convinced he’s haunting the room they are staying in. Even though Layla is not having the same experience, the two of them begin to investigate the information revealing that eight people have died in that motel. Their room specifically. And Mira might be the ninth on the list.
A friend who recommended this to me compared it to The Haunting of Hill House, and I would love to figure out if that is in relation to the book or the television show. This is the second book on my to-be-read list from this author and I have yet to decide if I want to check out the audiobook or just buy a physical copy because it is so beautiful. I’m interested in seeing how the mystery balances with the paranormal.
Just as I said last week, these books cover really scary themes. I took the time to add some trigger warnings but everyone has their own limits. I would rather you choose to read something that won’t interfere with your mental health than to push through and feel worse.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Thank you for reading.