It’s ALWAYS Halloween in our hearts, so start this year right with some of my favourite Spooky YA Reads.
This list includes 7 of my spooky faves that I think all fans of YA horror and thrillers should read. This is by no means an exhaustive list, believe me, I could go on, but for now here are…
1. House of Hollow by Crystal Sutherland
‘I’d realised there were scarier things in the world than the monsters that lived in my nightmares.’
I think we all knew House of Hollow would be first on this list. If you follow me on social media you’ll know my deep and unyielding love for this book has no limits. If there was a book crafted for my love of gossamer silks, ragged lace, rotting flowers and body horror, well voila! Think flies on the window and maggots under the skin, a deer skulled man watching from the window, a sister with dark secrets and a heavy perfume scent that makes your mouth water and your guts roil.
As children, Iris Hollow and her two sisters disappeared. When they reappeared, each child had a half-moon scar on her neck. Years later, Iris is a teenager trying to avoid the weirdness that manifests around her. Then Grey, her eldest sister goes missing again…
Sounds intense. Well, it is. But if you’re don’t make this book your entire aesthetic after reading then I despair!
What writers can learn from this book: How to build and sustain atmosphere through prose that is both lovely, but not over the top. This book has a melancholy, folkloric tone that weaves wonderfully into the horror aspects of the story. The author also knows you might have an idea of what the twist is and so writes that potential onto the page, which made me think, ‘Oh, it’s not that then,’ and then I JUST HAD TO KNOW what else it could be. Very clever.
2. Last One To Die by Cynthia Murphy
‘This is it. My new life. A fresh start, no boy worries, just me, the big city, and my future. At least that’s what I thought until two minutes ago.’
Want an example of a perfectly paced YA thriller with supernatural elements that harks back to slasher movies and classic who-done-its, but does something uniquely modern in the same breath? Oh good, because you’ve found one. When Niamh travels to London for a summer drama program she finds a placement working in a creepy, but fun, museum with a cute, but mysterious, boy. Then girls start to die. Girls who looks a lot like her.
This story is both tense and chilling and as the mystery unravels the less you know who Niamh can trust. But it’s also contains fun, lighter moments amongst the gloom and a romantic subplot that weaves into the overall mystery.
Look out for Cynthia’s newest release, Win Lose Kill Die, which offers murder in a dark academia setting.
What writers can learn from this book: Integrating a romantic plotline into a pacy mystery can be hard without giving too much away or diverting the reader from the main mystery, but Cynthia does it beautifully. The plotline is also very clean, reminiscent of Point Horror and Fear Street, making this a tight, quick read. It’s also appropriate for the younger end of the teen-YA demographic.
3. The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West
‘Doing nothing is so much harder than fighting back.’
I’m going to wave this book in front of anyone who says that Willow (BUT angry, vengeful Willow) is their favourite Buffy character, because The Bitterwine Oath offers angry witches galore. In a small Texas town, every twelve years a cult of wronged women claims twelve men to murder. Are they witches? Copy-cat killers? Natalie, the great-great-granddaughter of one of the original cult members thinks the continued existence of the group is just gossip turned into urban myth by a legion of true crime and occult bloggers desperate for a story. As the anniversary of the murders draws near and dark secrets emerge, Nat realises that her small town has a terrifying secret and she has a very dangerous inheritance.
What writers can learn from this book: How to keep a story creepy and fun. This is the most Buffy-esque of the books on this list. But it takes the idea of monster-fighting girls who kick-ass, secret societies, and hidden evil in a small town and does something different with them. The mythology and world building are entirely their own thing and the vibe goes down a ghostly, witchy path rather than towards bloodsuckers. There are also some tense, and very effective fight scenes worth analysing, and some creepy-chase through the woods type scenes that work really well. Also, if you’re writing a story in which you have to deliver back story in the opening chapters without bogging anything down, then read this book. The backstory is effectively used as a hook to keep the reader tuning pages.
4. It’s Behind You by Kathryn Foxfield
‘It’s less than twenty-four hours until they shut us inside the caves and switch on the cameras. I can’t wait.’
Like Good Girls Die First (Foxfield’s first YA thriller, which you should also check out) It’s Behind You is a read in one sitting kind if a book.
Lex, a confident, snarky protagonist, enters a dark and dangerous cave. All she has to do is survive the night with a group of strangers for the chance to win the reality TV show they’re taking part in, a prize that would transform all of their lives. But the caves are said to be haunted by The Puckered Maiden, and people have died there before. This novel has plenty of scuttling in the shadows, jump scares, rock falls, creepy damp caves, contestants with secrets and ghostly sightings. After watching The Descent, (possibly one of the most perfect horror movies of the 2000s) I definitely developed a firm fear of caves and It’s Behind You had me SWEATING.
What writers can learn from this book: I didn’t know it was possible to write effective jump scares. It is! If you want to write an edge of your seat YA thriller with ghostly elements then read this book! The novel also does the ‘haunted house’ feel very well, in that the setting is a haunted space the characters can’t escape from because, you know, they’re locked in.
5. Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw
‘It’s less than twenty-four hours until they shut us inside the caves and switch on the cameras. I can’t wait.’
‘New Orleans Fang Fest, 1995. Mina’s having a summer to die for.’
90s vampires. Need I say more? This is one for fans of the brat prince (RIP Anne Rice), men in open lace shirts (with fangs), and the dark allure of New Orleans (I’ve always wanted to go!). This macabre murder mystery is heavy on the mystery, light on the horror and sprinkled with a dash of romance. Mina is a delightful protagonist to spend time with, open and fun, but not without her demons. Why did her mother leave so suddenly? Will she find common ground with her sister again?
What writers can learn from this book: How to craft a well-paced YA mystery because the flow is spot on. I think Mina is also a fantastic novel to show how to balance romance with a larger plot in a YA book. Additionally, Amy’ uses 90s pop references blended with references to Interview with The Vampire and The Lost Boys to situate her story in a particular time and place. They say such references date a book, and they do, but when used deliberately, it works in a GOOD WAY.
6. Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
‘Once a year, a road appears in the woods at midnight and the ghost of Lucy Gallows beckons, inviting those who are brave enough to play her game. If you win, you escape with your life, but if you lose…'
Part ghost story, part unusual road trip (albeit on foot), part campfire story, Rules for Vanishing is about Sara, a girl who will sacrifice everything to find her missing sister. Written in a faux-documentary style it is as twisted as it comes. Now bear with it, because there are a lot of named characters, and yes, some of them are there as fodder. Not everyone will make it to the end of the road but the journey is well worth it. The found footage style means that the narrator’s reliability is often called into question,and even if they thought they were telling the truth, could they really be sure what they witnessed was real? There are things on the road that twist the memory and ensnare the mind.
What writers can learn from this book: The found footage format is well handled, with carefully crafted twists and constant shifting of what the reader thinks is going on and who can be trusted, which made this book a real page turner for me. The first-hand account of the road is broken up by interviews, which takes the reader away from the horror and in some ways relieves the building tension. BUT these scenes are also setting up additional questions of their own which tie into the plot towards the end.
7. What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
‘What you see isn’t always what you get.’
‘Creepy Girls on covers’ is possibly my favourite (very niche) genre. What Big Teeth was pitched to me as an updated Adams Family, which … it’s not, and that’s OK. It’s a lot darker and a lot more nuanced. Gone is the fun, playful aspect of an unusual family with unusual dynamics and what remains is something far more dangerous and affecting. Teenager Eleanor Zarrin has been tucked away at boarding school until terrifying incident occurs and she flees home to her estranged family. But with relatives like hers, is she any safer at home?
What writers can learn from this book: Monsters and monster-hood are often used to explore the very real struggle of growing up (remember Ginger Snaps, anyone?) Szabo plays on this theme well, crafting an unusual coming-of-age story in which Eleanor is constantly vying for power with her monstrous relatives. It’s twisted, it’s other, it’s atmospheric and it’s not easily categorised. If you’re wondering how to reinvent old themes, look no further than What Big Teeth.
Which YA thrillers would you rec?
Spinner of fantastical yarns, hoarder of books, lover of pockets, agent of chaos.
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