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I\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again. YA books are not usually my jam. Sometimes they\u2019re just a little too adult for me, when they\u2019re meant for kids. And a lot of times I just can\u2019t get into the story. But, every year I bite the bullet so that I can do these book round ups- and I\u2019m not gonna lie\u2026 I\u2019m starting to like them a little more. And this year, I think I\u2019ve come up with some good ones. For pretty much any type of YA reader- whether you want really creepy, suspense, or mystery!<\/p>\n
House of Hollow<\/a> was really unexpected for YA! I thought this book was a really well written, disturbing and creepy read. There were several parts that just had my skin absolutely crawling. It creates a world that doesn\u2019t exist in reality that you can envision- and it\u2019s not a place I want to ever be. There are parts of this book that I didn\u2019t love, and it was hard to find any of the characters very likeable. But, the whole twisted, Brother\u2019s Grimm type feel kept bringing me back to it. <\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t say the mystery of it is hard to figure out- but the way that it gets there is a creepy ride. I listened to it on audio- and it was a good one to listen to, the whispering voices of some of the characters were made even more eerie, being able to hear it. This one reminded me a lot of The Twisted Ones (which I shared last year<\/a>) as far as creating a weird alternate type-universe. So, if you enjoyed that, you would most likely enjoy this one as well.<\/p>\n
You know I\u2019m a sucker for a \u2018haunted house\u2019 type story- which is why I picked up Don\u2019t Tell a Soul<\/a>. If you\u2019re in the market for a Rebecca-esque gothic thriller for the YA generation, this one\u2019s perfect for you!<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re on the market for more of a mystery with no super natural undertones- The Ivies <\/a>might be for you. As an older reader, I don\u2019t love seeing the things that are in younger people\u2019s books- underage sex\/drugs\/drinking, etc. As a Mom it terrifies me! But, I get it, and it probably wouldn\u2019t have bothered me as much as an actual teen\u2026 But, just to say- I\u2019m trying to read these a little more objectively so that I can recommend them better. This one would definitely be for much older teens in my opinion, but was an enjoyable mystery.<\/p>\n
Last year after reading House of Salt and Sorrows<\/a> (that I shared in my 2020 YA Round Up<\/a>) Erin A. Craig rocketed to the top of my favorite author\u2019s list! And this year she has done it again with Small Favors<\/a>. I was worried it might not live up to my love for her previous work. But, she totally knocked it out of the park! I don\u2019t know, I may even like this one more, if that\u2019s even possible!<\/p>\n
Another one of my favorite YA mystery\/suspense authors is Karen M. McManus. If you liked One of Us is Lying<\/a>\u2013 you also need to check out The Cousins<\/a> and Two Can Keep a Secret<\/a>. Both books are suspenseful, but not too scary. They both have well rounded casts of characters and mysteries that are not super easy to figure out. {Again, they\u2019re YA so there are always love interests and typical angsty teen issues- but they\u2019re not too adult or overly inappropriate.} I\u2019m looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.<\/p>\n
You may also like: Spooky Books for Fall: If You Love B Horror and Slasher Films.<\/a><\/p>\n