BOO! Just kidding, the only way we could scare you guys is to say “ooooh all the books are immediately going awaaaaay” – which, they’re not, so … here are some dark, twisted, creepy books to add to your TBR for all that time you’re gonna spend at home handing out candy on Halloween! (But hey, these books will last you all year-round, too.) Now go grab a bowl of candy and settle in.
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
From the always fantastic Victoria Schwab comes the first in a duology about a dark, post-apocalyptic city that’s divided amongst monsters and monster hunters. August Flynn, the son of the monster’s leader, can steal a soul with a song. Kate Harker, daughter of the baddest hunter, just wants to be seen as a future strong leader herself. The two are mixed up in things they don’t quite understand, and thus begins the run for their lives…
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.
As I Descended by Robin Talley
As I Descended starts out with an Ouija board scene so you know it’s gonna be good. This Shakespeare-inspired story is filled with revenge and redemption as the ultimate power couple, Maria and Lily, turn to the dark powers long to be rumored on their school’s property, Guys, it’s so creepy it will keep you up at night!
Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
Were you always more fascinated with the conniving Queen of Hearts instead of the sweet, naive Alice? The first novel in this epic series digs into the vixen villain’s territory, where beneath each smile lies a secret, each tart comes with a demand, and only prisoners tell the truth. There’s Dinah, the princess who will one day rule Wonderland, but she doesn’t know how dark the depths of her kingdom go…
The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight
If you want to read something that plays out like a horror film, The Outliers will definitely do the trick. Wylie hasn’t heard from Cassie in over a week, not since their last fight. But that doesn’t matter. Cassie’s in trouble, so Wylie decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself. But figuring out where Cassie is goes from difficult to dangerous, fast. And could finding her be only the beginning?
This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee
Inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein, This Monstrous Thing is set in an alternative fantasy world where some men are made from clockwork parts. Alasdair Finch, a young mechanic, does the unthinkable after his brother dies: he uses clockwork pieces to bring Oliver back from the dead. Buuuut yeah, it doesn’t really work so well. Oliver awakens more monster than he is man. So, that’s bad. But THEN a novel called Frankenstein is published and all the townsfolk think Alasdair and Oliver are a little too much like those famous fictional characters… thaaat can’t be good!
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
A super-creepy photo-illustrated novel perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, the New Hampshire College Prep program is the chance of a lifetime. Except that when Dan arrives, the students are forced to stay in the crumbling Brookline Dorm—formerly a psychiatric hospital. As Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan start exploring Brookline’s twisty halls and hidden basement, they uncover disturbing secrets about what really went on here … secrets that link Dan and his friends to the asylum’s dark past.
SO CREEPY. Happy Halloween!