13 spine-tingling horror books for teens
Fantasy is frequently thought of as the golden child when it comes to the young adult genre, but don’t sleep on horror. Countless authors have turned out tremendous stories that deal with all sorts of darkness, monsters, and things that go bump in the night through a YA lens.
From slashers and murder mysteries to ghosts and monsters, here are 13 of the best horror books for teens.
13. You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight
Summer camps are the ultimate settings for slashers, which is exactly where Kalynn Bayron’s You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight takes place. At Camp Mirror Lake, Charity Curtis plays the “final girl” in a full-contact terror game. However, what starts as simple fun turns deadly when Charity’s co-workers start disappearing and turning up dead.
For fans of horror, mystery, thriller, contemporary, LGBT
12. The New Girl (Fear Street #1)
Master of middle-grade horror thanks to his enduring Goosebump series, R.L. Stine offers young adult terror with the Fear Street books. As (mostly) stand-alone stories, you can read the Fear Street books in whichever order you desire. That said, there’s nothing quite like starting with #1.
The New Girl follows Cory, whose crush on new girl Anna comes to a messy junction when she disappears. The only thing Cory knows about Anna is her address, so he sets off for Fear Street to uncover her whereabouts.
For fans of horror, mystery, thriller, light romance, paranormal
11. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King probably isn’t the first author to come to mind when you hear young adult. The majority of his books contain graphic content that is much better suited for older audiences. However, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a rare exception. The story follows nine-year-old Trisha McFarland and her struggle to survive after wandering off the Appalachian Trail.
For fans of horror, thriller, suspense, adventure, survival
10. Clown in a Cornfield
As a cinephile, it’s not surprising that Adam Cesare’s books pay homage to beloved horror tropes. Clown in a Cornfield is no exception, delivering a retro-slasher story that will still appeal to modern audiences. In Keetle Springs, there is a steep divide between the older generation and the new. Unfortunately for Quinn Maybrook, a creepy clown mascot known as Frendo decides the only way to bridge the separation is by murdering the town’s kids.
For fans of horror, mystery, thriller, contemporary, LGBT
9. The Honeys
To call Ryan La Sala’s debut novel horror isn’t entirely accurate. It’s also a mystery with fantasy elements. The Honeys follows Mars’s quest to learn more about his estranged twin sister after her horrific death. His mission leads him to Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy and the Honeys, his sister’s old friend group, who have their own secrets.
For fans of horror, mystery, thriller, contemporary, fantasy, LGBT
8. The Girl From the Well
Like The Ring? Know The Grudge? Rin Chupeco’s The Girl From the Well reads a little like both. This Japanese ghost story is told from the perspective of Okiku, a vengeful spirit tasked with killing killers and freeing blameless ghosts. She meets her match in Tark, an innocent teenage boy consumed by a dark evil.
For fans of horror, mystery, thriller, fantasy, supernatural, paranormal
7. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
Whether you’ve read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or not, Kiersten White’s gothic retelling is well worth checking out. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is told from the perspective of Elizabeth Lavenza, an orphan taken in by the Frankenstein family who later becomes the fiancée of Victor Frankenstein. When Victor disappears, she tracks him down and discovers just how dark his secrets are.
For fans of horror, historical fiction, science fiction, retellings
6. Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1)
Kendare Blake strikes a nice balance between horror and romance in Anna Dressed in Blood. Cas Lowood kills the dead, and Anna is a ghost with a penchant for tearing people in half. She doesn’t usually let anyone live, but she spares Cas. What follows is a unique supernatural twist on the whole boy meets girl trope.
For fans of horror, urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, romance
5. We Have Always Lived in the Castle
While not explicitly YA, this Shirley Jackson classic fits wonderfully in the genre. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a bizarre yet haunting novel about the Blackwoods, an unusual, isolated family with a dark past. Eighteen-year-old “Merricat” Blackwood is our unreliable narrator, whose life gets shaken up when her estranged cousin arrives at the estate.
For fans of horror, mystery, thriller, gothic, classics
4. My Best Friend’s Exorcism
Described as Beaches meets The Exorcist, Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a story of friendship with an ’80s flair. When Abby and Gretchen start high school, everything changes. Gretchen’s increasingly strange and supernatural behavior leads Abby to one conclusion: her best friend is possessed by a demon, and now Abby has to save her.
For fans of horror, thriller, supernatural, humor
3. The Weight of Blood
Most people would probably argue that Stephen King’s Carrie didn’t need a retelling but thank goodness Tiffany D. Jackson did one anyway. In The Weight of Blood, Maddy takes the place of Carrie as the target of all of Springville High’s worst kind of bullies—racists and bigots. Though the plot is reminiscent of Carrie (yes, that means the epic prom scene), Maddy’s experience as a biracial teen forced to “pass” as white adds a unique yet tragic spin.
For fans of horror, thriller, mystery, contemporary, paranormal
2. The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. #1)
Often dubbed The X-Files of YA, the Lockwood & Co. series follows the supernatural adventures of Lucy Carlyle, Anthony Lockwood, and George Cubbins, the only members of the titular psychical investigation agency. Jonathan Stroud’s The Screaming Staircase is the first of five books and covers the trio’s origins and their overnight investigation of one of England’s most haunted houses. If you like the book, you’ve also got the Netflix series to look forward to, even if it only has one season.
For fans of horror, mystery, fantasy, paranormal, supernatural
1. Cemetery Boys (Cemetery Boys #1)
Aiden Thomas’ debut novel arrived with a bang, quickly garnering nominations in the Goodreads Choice Awards. In Cemetery Boys, Yadriel’s Latinx family isn’t accepting of his trans identity. In an effort to prove himself, Yadriel attends a brujo ceremony where he inadvertently summons the ghost of Julian Diaz, the resident bad boy and troublemaker. Together, they work to find Yadriel’s missing cousin while also tackling Julian’s unfinished business.
For fans of horror, urban fantasy, paranormal, romance, LGBT
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