'Tis the Season for Spooky Books - Teen Edition

Since this is my specialty, the teen list is going to be a bit long and broken into multiple parts. Teen lit covers a lot of ground when it comes to horror and the supernatural but I will try to limit myself to only a few in each section.

Non-Fiction

Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide by Hiroko Yota and Matt Alt; illustrated by Tatsuyo Marino

What is a Yokai, you ask? Well, yokai is a word that encompasses a variety of Japanese monsters from folklore and urban legend and this book will guide you through the characteristics, habitats, and ways to avoid and/or defeat them. It is laid out like a field guide and features fantastic illustrations of each creature, from fairly harmless Akaname (Bathtub-licker) to the truly terrifying Tsuchi-gumo (Giant earth spider). So, if you think you might encounter any strange Japanese monsters in the near future, this is the book for you.

How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith

Basically, it is what it says it is. The author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies details the pitfalls and possibilities if you find yourself in a horror movie, beginning with "How to tell you are in a horror movie." Perfect for anyone who loves horror. Check out this pocket guide and be prepared to laugh, cry... and scream if needed.

Funny/Scary

Zombies vs. Unicorns compiled by Holly Black and Justine Larbalastier

This book was born from an argument between Black and Larbalastier over which is more terrifying: Zombies or Unicorns. And since they know so many YA authors, they decided to have their friends write stories that argue for their individual sides. Some are actually kind of scary; some are definitely more funny. Either way, by the end, you should be able to decide which side you are on.

The battle of the ages: Zombies vs Unicorns! What an amazing anthology. Not one bad story in the bunch. And such creative reimaginings of both creatures. From rapist unicorns to zombie princes, the characters in this book are sure to surprise. 

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Sam is a college dropout working at a fast food joint to pay the bills. When an irate customer assaults him and asks him why he didn't "petition to live here" Sam begins to wonder what the hell is going on. Then one of his friends loses her head--and keeps talking.

Funny, dark, sarcastic, and intriguing, it's kind of a Laurell K. Hamilton thing for teens. And done well...No sappy lovey dovey junk. This is a boy's paranormal story that girls can enjoy too.

Oh, and the chapter titles. Lish McBride has some great musical taste. I might have to make a Necromancer playlist. And if you like this one, check out the sequel: Necromancing the Stone.

Horror-Adjacent (Paranormal)

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Mary Shelley Black never believed in ghosts, until her beloved's specter returns to warn her of a new and disturbing threat. This book was just as fascinating as the cover implies. If you are at all interested in WWI's effect on soldiers and civilians alike, Spiritualism, or the flu epidemic of 1918, you will truly love this book. It has romance, horror, action, and mystery, definitely one of the best YA novels of 2013.

The Diviners series by Libba Bray
Set only eight years later in New York City, The Diviners follows a cast of teens with paranormal powers as they battle apocalyptic ghosts, nightmare monsters, and in the newest volume, possibly the Devil himself.

Kind of a combination of the anime Ghost Hunt and the TV show Heroes in some ways, the real life of this series is the characters. While there are a lot of them, they each exist as full people, with backstories, fears, and issues all their own. Oh, and they talk and act like real teens, too. I'm currently re-reading these and it's a bit scary how much the issues of the 1920s parallel the issues of the 2010s. But that is a different kind of terror altogether.

Actually Scary

Engines of the Broken World by Jason Vanhee
Now this one grabs you from the very beginning and does not let up. Merciful and Gospel Truth pull their dead mother into the house and put her under the kitchen table; things only get worse when she begins singing them a lullaby.

This was creepy, familiar, confusing, intriguing, and just plain disturbing. Of course, that means I loved it. I can see how it might really offend and confuse some, but those same elements kept me reading. The images were so real and gripping that I was literally cold through the whole book. And I'm sure there will be a lot of complaining about the ending, but to me, it seemed exactly right.

Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

In a similar vein, this book takes a pioneer family and tosses in some horror. When the oldest daughter becomes pregnant, a family decides to move from the mountain down into the prairie for a new start. However, the home they choose has a dark and bloody past that is now coming for them. Basically if Laura Ingalls Wilder decided to write a story like Stephen King, this is the book you would get.




The Enemy series by Charlie Higson

Confession: I love zombie movies. And this series is written like the best zombie movies, gore and all.

London has been struck by a dreadful disease that turns all the adults into zombie-like creatures who will eat their own children. Groups of kids are holed up in safe houses around the city, from grocery stores to Buckingham Palace. And the zombie adults aren't the only things they have to fear. Plus, once you hit puberty you will become a zombie, too. Oh, and the zombies are getting smarter.



The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey

In a world where monsters really exist, one boy learns of the true horrors of our world from a doctor of mostrumology. When Will Henry's parents die in a mysterious fire, he takes over as the Doctor's assistant and discovers that the world is very dark indeed. In a series of gory, dark stories Will faces burrowing grave-robbers, man-eating forest dwellers, possible vampires, and even demons. How can he survive not only the monsters but also the Doctor and the unscrupulous hunters of supernatural creatures that he associates with.


So, those are my teen picks. What are your favorite teen horror books?

Next up, adult creepy reads...