There’s nothing better than a day spent curling up with a book (and a pumpkin spice latte) when the weather is truly too much to bear. October is almost upon us, the time of year where stories of ghosts, zombies, vampires, and other supernatural creatures come to life! Why go to a horror movie, haunted house, or escape room, when you can experience the scares for yourself at home in the pages of book? Delve into the horror of deadly spirits, murderous slashers, and horrifying monsters that lurk at every corner to get into that Halloween spirit, while avoiding the real terror of midterms and missing assignments (Eeeek!)
Turn out the lights, grab a snack, and settle in with these spooky, spine-chilling, and scary novels.
Final Girls by Riley Sager
This novel is perfect for fans of slasher movies, exploring the trope of the “Final Girl” who always manages to escape and outsmart the villain. The story follows three girls who have each become famous for being the sole survivors of horror-movie style massacres, and how they must again fight to survive when someone begins killing them off one by one. Sager’s story can be paired perfectly with a horror-movie marathon and your favorite pair of pajamas, just as long as there are funny Youtube videos to watch afterward.
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
This terrifying book by Thomas Olde Heuvelt features a cursed town, plagued by the ghost of a witch with her eyes and mouth sewn shut. The story only gets creepier when local teenagers try to provoke her, and make the haunting go viral. Heuvelt artfully blends gothic horror with technological modern fiction into a novel that will make you want to hide under the covers, and throw away your iPhone.
Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke
This anthology recruits some of the most popular YA authors, such as Jonathan Maberry, Marie Lu, and Leigh Bardugo, to create a collection of scary stories ranging from psychological thriller to bloody horror. (When the cover is too scary to look at, you know it will be a good read, because this one is just plain disturbing).
There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Stephanie Perkins, author of the popular novel Anna and the French Kiss, is usually known for making readers cry with her romantic YA novels. However, she’ll be making her readers scream in fright with her latest release. Her novel highlights a of a group of students at Osborne High, whom are brutally murdered by a heinous slasher. These students must contain their dark secrets, and outsmart the killer trying to hunt them down.
Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender
If you like stories about creepy dolls, haunting photographs, evil spirits, as well as sisterly bonds and whip-smart female leads, then the first book in Katie Alender’s Bad Girls Don’t Die trilogy is for you.
Jackaby by William Ritter
William’s Ritter’s Jackaby is described as “Sherlock meets Doctor Who, with a supernatural twist.” If that doesn’t draw you in already, this historical horror novel follows an investigator in 1890s London named Jackaby, who solves mysteries of the unexplained. When a murderer strikes the city, the investigator insists that the gruesome crimes are being done by something inhuman. The novel, told through the eyes of his assistant, Abigail Rook, and their journey, is both humorous and frightening as the creature continues to elude the police, leaving dread and bloodshed in its wake. A witty crime-solving duo, a murder mystery, and jump-out-of-your-seat scares? Sign us up!
The Merciless by Danielle Vega
Don’t let the pretty pink cover fool you, because The Merciless is gory, vicious, and surprisingly hilarious. Vega’s book follows three students that are convinced that one of their classmates is possessed by a demon, and taking their new friend Sofia along for the ride. Sofia wants to stop their exorcism but is afraid of becoming their next victim, as their methods of salvation become more gruesome by the minute. The novel combines Mean Girls with The Exorcist, which is a mash-up I didn’t know I needed, until now.
Shutter by Courtney Alameda
The cover alone is enough to give anyone nightmares, yet the real scares lie inside this spine-tingling novel by Courtney Alameda. Our main character, Micheline Helsing, exorcises ghosts and monsters with the help of her team, a group of her longtime friends. Unfortunately, their ghost hunt goes array when they are cursed by a powerful spirit that connects them together in a “soulchain,” wrecking havoc on their bodies, and threatening a sudden death if they are unable exorcise it. Prepare for many sleepless nights trying to get this novel, and its ghosts, out of your head.
A good Halloween book marathon isn’t complete without some mood music, so turn on “Thriller” or “Monster Mash,” and start reading!