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Let me first start off by saying, YA is not my usual wheelhouse. I don’t typically reach for them, and I don’t always enjoy them. But, I know a LOT of my followers love YA so I couldn’t leave you out of the spooky fun! So, I took one for the team and read a pile of YA books for you! Ya know, suffering for my art and all…
I think I found a good bunch of books on different topics that will satisfy most types of YA readers. So here they are- my YA Horror picks for Spooky month. You’ve got 10 days! Muahahaha!
Twisted Fairy Tale
House of Salt and Sorrows ended up being not only my favorite YA Horror pick, but also one of my favorite reads overall this year! Can you believe it?! It’s an atmospheric and eerie adaptation of my favorite fairy tale- The 12 Dancing Princesses. The story is hauntingly beautiful and so descriptive and has really creepy undertones. I also don’t usually reach for fantasy novels either, and I gobbled this one up. Maybe I even went and bought a physical copy for my shelf after reading it on my Kindle so I could revisit this story again later- high praise from me! I definitely recommend if you like a good, twisted fairy tale. Or if you just need to escape to an imaginary world for awhile. It’s a debut novel done right.
Haunted House
Y’all know I will snatch up a haunted house read without prejudice. I saw Horrid, which is a fairly new release and knew it would make the list before I even read it- because, haunted house and the cover is gorgeous! But, then I dived in, and ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. It’s a fast read but also has very creepy scenes that give you that little spine tingling feeling. And you just can’t put it down because you have to know what’s coming next. If you like haunted house stories like me- go ahead and give this one a read!
Twisted Breakfast Club
One of Us is Lying is seemingly a typical high school story- a locked room type of mystery about a group of kids. Only one of them ends up dead. Your job is to figure out why, who did it and which one of these kids is lying. Spoiler Alert? Maybe they all are? But, you have to keep reading because you have to find out! I thought this one was okay- and it has a sequel, which I’m not sure I’ll read because this one does get tied up niely at the end. If you like the Breakfast Club mixed with a little mystery- this one’s for you.
Vampires
Before I share The Coldest Girl in Coldtown– let me say, I don’t typically like vampire movies or books a la Twilight. But if that’s your jam- this book would be a great choice for you. I liked the premise of this book- vampires running rampant, being sent to places called Coldtowns where they can live out their lives (eternities?). And kinda crazy people can go there too. But, once you’re in you can’t leave… I thought it was a little funny, because if vampires existed- this would probably be a thing. Because people would be afraid of judging them I guess? So, the premise is cool and the characters are interesting. I won’t say I loved it- but I did finish it. And once you read it you’ll understand a little better why I didn’t put it down, because it did hook me a tiny bit.
More Spooky Houses
Did I mention I love Haunted House stories? So, when I saw Amity– a nod to Amityville horror, I thought I’d give it a read too. It’s definitely a dark and disturbing book about houses not forgetting their pasts and how they can makes us do bad things. But, it’s also a good one for a younger audience because it’s just dark enough without overdoing it, I guess? If you like stories with multiple timelines, and creepy houses- this one’s a good pick for you!
Suspense/Mystery
I keep seeing people share the Truly Devious series, so I knew I had to pick it up too. This first book is about a school where kids can go and learn pretty much however they want with all FREE and inventive educations. But, something bad happened to the man who opened this school many years ago. The main character Stevie (Stephanie- yessss!) goes to this school to solve the mystery of what happened. Chaos ensues… What I liked about this book was the setting, and the fact that Stevie loves mystery and Agatha Christie- which is mentioned lots of times. Loved that! Some of the characters are a little ‘out there’ but the overall mystery is good and I already downloaded the 2nd book so I can see what happens next. Me, the girl who doesn’t love YA. So, I guess this one’s a win! This is a good pick if you don’t do scary, but love a little suspense and mystery in your reads.
If you love YA books I hope this YA Horror list helps you find your next spooky read! Go ahead and leave me some more YA Horror suggestions in the comments. I may actually find some more in this genre I like! Which is great for me- terrible for my TBR.
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