I don’t really read scary/creepy books—as in the horror genre. I do read supernatural/post-apocalyptic/Dystopia books that overlap with horror, like books with zombies or ghosts. For some reason, I can read creepy books, but I CANNOT watch scary movies. So for you that enjoy a good Stephen King novel, this list will be rather tame. But in the spirit of Halloween, here are the creepiest books I’ve ever read (in no specific order).
1. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
I really enjoyed this book actually, though it was UBER creepy, and I would probably hate it in film version. The writing is richly detailed, and the story is definitely not the norm for YA. On the vengeful ghost side of creepy.
2. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
This is dystopia, but the things that happen in this book (especially at the end) STILL make me ill. I hope we never live in a world like the one Shusterman creates: parents can choose to “unwind” their children if they are hindrances to society, or if they just don’t want to take care of them anymore. The unwinding (described in sickening detail) is the part that still makes me sick. A great dystopian read though, for fans of Hunger Games or Divergent.
3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
I adore this series (the third comes out in November!!) but I must admit that when I read the first book, it was late at night and it was a bad decision. Lots of creepy things happen, that if it were in a movie, I would NOT go see it. An awesome tale of mystery and supernatural terrifyingness.
See my review HERE.
4. Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Not necessarily super creepy, but its zombies, and there are some horrifying villains. Another amazing post-apocalyptic series that I would recommend to anyone. Anyone who likes zombies.
See my review HERE.
5. The Harvesters by Ashley Hill
This was just a bad decision for me all around. It was for a blog tour back when I signed up for every tour that came across my path. This is straight up horror-kids get locked in a house and chased by psychos with unsanitary machetes. Yep. I sort of regretted this one.
See my review HERE.
6. Splintered by A.G. Howard
Another great series, but definitely nightmarish. This is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, though it’s far creepier than the story you’re used to. Everything airs on the side of the macabre, rather than whimsical. Nothing in Wonderland is safe, and everyone is out for blood.
These books are only YA books that I’ve read; there are plenty more that are incredibly eerie: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe (pretty anything by Poe) among plenty others.