Add a few of these adult horror and YA horror books to your reading list for spooky season or any time you need a scare.
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If you read through my list of spooky middle grade books, you might be looking for adult and YA horror too! I enjoyed reading through that first list as a kid and an adult, but sometimes you want something a bit… darker.
So today I’m rounding up some of my favorite spooky, scary, suspenseful, and thrilling books!
I’ve divided this list into 2 different groups – YA horror and adult horror. Just like with the middle grade books, reading age level is a bit subjective.
As a parent, always use your best judgment to decide if your teen will enjoy a book. Some young teens are fine with horror. Some adults might not want to read these after dark!
YA horror
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer, by Lois Duncan, was made into a movie in 1997. The movie is rated R, but the book would probably be PG-13.
Synopsis:
Four teens with bright futures are driving late at night and hit a child on a bicycle. They don’t help and he dies, then they make a pact to keep the secret. A year later one receives an anonymous letter that says I know what you did last summer. They haven’t stayed friends, but have kept the secret, and are forced back together to face the blackmailer.
Thoughts:
I was the nerdy kid who always had to read the book before watching the movie, so I read this back in 1997 (age 14). It’s exciting, suspenseful, and more thriller than horror. Note that the original version was published in 1973 and a modernized one in 2010.
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Fear Street
Fear Street is by RL Stine and just like Goosebumps, there are a ton of standalone books in this series. Note that since these were published around 1990, they are pretty dated. A few titles to get you started:
- The Secret Bedroom – Lea moves into a new house with her family and finds a mysterious locked room in the attic.
- Suntan – Claudia goes to a beach house with her friend, but after a few accidents, she realizes something is wrong.
- Switched – Nicole and Lucy magically swap bodies, but Lucy is using this opportunity to get away with murder.
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Gallant
Gallant is written by VE Schwab and has some really interesting illustrations by Manuel Sumberac.
Synopsis:
Olivia grows up in an orphanage with nothing but her mother’s diary and the ability to see ghosts. One day she receives a letter inviting her to return to a home she didn’t know existed – Gallant. There she meets her unwelcoming cousin and travels through a doorway into a strange mirror world.
Review:
VE Schwab’s writing always seems to defy genre and I would consider this an all-ages book. The story itself is creepy like Coraline and the illustrations are mesmerizing. The setting description really pulls you into the old house.
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Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite
Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite is a compilation of short stories edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C Parker.
Synopsis:
The premise is in the punny title. Vampires literally never age and we never get tired of vampire stories. The 11 short stories are all twists on the classic trope. Meet vampires and hunters from a mix of cultures, in modern settings, and facing death in unique ways.
Review:
The great thing about a collection is that everyone will find several stories they enjoy, even if not all. The last story in this book became the TV series First Kill (though it was canceled after one season). Each story ends with a brief prompt from the editors challenging the reader to think about something.
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Clown in a Cornfield
Clown in a Cornfield, by Adam Cesare, has 2 sequels.
Synopsis:
High school senior Quinn just moved to a new town with her dad. But in Kettle Springs, the adults are stuck in their old ways while the teens don’t take anything seriously. The rift grows until the high school mascot, a clown named Frendo, decides to solve it in the worst way possible.
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The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is by Holly Black.
Synopsis:
In the modern world, vampires spread like a virus that people are struggling to contain in Coldtowns. Those who are bitten turn Cold and develop a thirst for blood that will turn them into vampires unless than can quarantine long enough for it to pass. Tana wakes up one of 2 survivors of a vampire attack, alongside her ex-boyfriend. They both might’ve been bitten, so they head to Coldtown to hide and try to avoid humans and vampires.
Review:
I thought this was a unique twist on the classic vampire story with a pandemic zombie apocalypse twist (published in 2014). It has a very current feel and some of the things the kids say really stuck with me.
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The Hazel Wood
The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Alpert, isn’t technically horror, it’s fantasy. I’m including it here though because if you enjoy light horror (eg. Grimm’s Fairytales) you’ll probably like this one.
Synopsis:
Alice’s grandmother is the famous-yet-reclusive author of a gruesome fairytale book. When her grandma dies and Alice’s mom is kidnapped, she must travel into the fairytale realm to rescue her. There Alice makes strange friends and discovers something strange about herself.
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You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight
You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight is by Kalynn Bayron.
Synopsis:
Charity has the perfect summer job with her friends at Camp Mirror Lake, reenacting scenes from the iconic movie filmed there. When people start disappearing, things start to get weird. Charity will have to find out what’s going on before she ends up the real final girl.
Review:
This is a classic summer camp slasher that’s inspired by Friday the Thirteenth. It’s the perfect summer scare with plenty of horror tropes for teens.
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Saint Juniper’s Folly
Saint Juniper’s Folly is by Alex Crespo.
Synopsis:
Two teens stumble upon a house in the woods. Inside, a boy is trapped and haunted by a ghost. The trio will need to work together and share their secrets to escape.
Note:
While the ghost and haunted house setting are spooky, this is also a romance that would be enjoyed by readers who don’t like big scares.
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Adult horror
Wanderers
Wanderers is written by Chuck Wendig. A sequel was published in 2022.
Synopsis:
Shana wakes to find her sister sleepwalking, in a trance along with a growing crowd of others who are walking across America to some unknown destination. Shana and others become shepherds, following the sleepwalkers to protect them. Meanwhile, a virus is spreading quickly and killing everyone who contracts it. And if that wasn’t enough, a vigilante group has decided that the two are related and will do anything to stop the sleepwalkers.
Thoughts:
I read this at the beginning of 2022 and the eerie parallels to current events only made the horror of this book feel more realistic. There are a lot of characters, mostly adults, but the main character Shana is 17 and her sister is 15.
Order this book on: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
Hide
Hide is by Kiersten White.
Synopsis:
A group of 14 competitors are given the chance to win a big cash prize. All they have to do is stay in an abandoned theme park for a week. Easy enough, until people start disappearing or dying. Told from the perspective of Mack, who has been in foster care since she witnessed her dad murder the rest of her family.
Thoughts:
Perfect for fans of Squid Game!
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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is by Grady Hendrix.
Synopsis:
Patricia lives a boring suburban life with her husband and kids in the 90s. The only highlight is her book club until a handsome stranger moves to town. He immediately draws attention and the women can’t decide if he’s dreamy or dangerous. When neighborhood kids start disappearing, Patricia starts to think she’s the only one who isn’t under his spell.
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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King is synonymous with horror and his book, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, is one that doesn’t get as much hype as others.
Synopsis:
Trisha goes on a wilderness hike with her mom and brother but gets lost while taking a shortcut. The 9-year-old’s survival relies on her courage and resilience. But something is following her and leaving a trail of dead animals and shredded trees, so she listens to the baseball game on her radio and thinks of her hero, Tom Gordon.
Review:
I read this when I was 16 and it stuck with me more than most other Stephen King novels.
Order this book on: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House was written by Shirley Jackson in the 50s.
Synopsis:
Four people meet and attempt to stay in a haunted house overnight: Dr. Montague the scholar, Eleanor and Theodora who have experience with the supernatural, and Luke who is heir to the house.
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Frankenstein
Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in 1818. I couldn’t put together a list of horror stories without including this classic.
Synopsis:
An explorer at the North Pole comes across a man on a sled who turns out to be Victor Frankenstein. Victor boards the ship and begins telling his life story, including how he created a creature that he’s pursuing.
Order this book on: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
Whether you’re looking for something scary to read for Halloween or enjoy getting spooky year-round, you’re sure to find some fantastic YA horror and adult horror books on this list.
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
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