Hello loves. Veronika here from The Regal Critiques for a very fall slash Halloween related post about 5 Young Adult Supernatural novels that I loved from the first page to the last.
5 is a pretty low number, and so I had to think real hard about what books I would like to gush about here. I wanted to write a post that most readers can look at and be like – yep, I’ve not read most of these novels, but they do sound fantastic, let’s add them to my tbr. Instead of a post that consists of nothing more than big and popular books that most booklovers have read, or, at the least, heard about.
This means that despite how much I adore Libba Bray, Holly Black and Maggie Stiefvater their books won’t be found on this list (Though, if you haven’t tried anything by these authors, do it! What are you even doing with your reading time, jeez…)
Anyhow, without further ado, here are Five Supernatural Novels That Will Get You Into The Halloween Spirit!
1. In the Shadow of Blackbirds
by Cat Winters
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.- Goodreads
Anything by Cat Winters will always and forever be recommended – aka pushed onto anyone and everyone – by me, because of the gorgeous, albeit deliciously creepy settings she’s created in every single one of her novel. This particular one managed to be crowned my favourite book by her, because of the emotional turmoil it gave me with its beautiful and tragic romance, fierce and relateable characters, and intriguing mystery.
2. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall
by Katie Alender
In this asylum, your mind plays tricks on you all the time…
Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.
But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.
And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.
Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.
But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.
From master of suspense Katie Alender comes a riveting tale of twisted memories and betrayals, and the meaning of madness.-Goodreads.
It’s a ghost story in an old, but totally haunted asylum… who the hell needs more than that!? Seriously, though, you should all give a chance to this atmospheric ghost story that may not sound like the most original cookie in the house, BUT it’s incredibly well-written, with fleshed out characters and scenes that will punch you right in the feels. All these things I’ve just described are, for some unknown reason, rare in thrillers or horrors, so that makes The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall quite an outstanding book, am I right? READ IT.
3. The Dead House
by Dawn Kurtagich
Part-psychological thriller, part-urban legend, this is an unsettling narrative made up of diary entries, interview transcripts, film footage transcripts and medical notes. Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . .
Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.
Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident’?
Chilling, creepy and utterly compelling, THE DEAD HOUSE is one of those very special books that finds all the dark places in your imagination, and haunts you long after you’ve finished reading.-Goodreads
Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read – literally every single aspect of it was well-crafted, and don’t even get me started on the utter mindf*ckery that was going on there. I had no idea what to believe nor who to believe, yet being lost like that never bothered me, not once – and that is what I call a freakishly talented writer and delicious paranormal (or not!? *wink wink*) horror novel.
PS: A companion novella has recently been released (October 11), titled The Dead House: The Nadia tapes that – hopefully – would give us more answers… or more mysterious happenings to think about. I’m kinda okay with both, to be honest.
4. Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
by Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, April Genevieve Tucholke, Cat Winters
For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror
A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.
Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.
Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors.-Goodreads
First of all, this book marks my very first meeting with Cat Winters – wonder no more which story I enjoyed the most – and that in itself is reason enough for me to recommend you to get the whole anthology. JOKING.
Well, not really, but I do have another reasons, like how each and every short story – even the ones I didn’t much care for – fit beautifully into SG&MB, which makes it the best anthology I’ve ever read. Plus, so many of these authors are uber-popular! What better way to check them out then checking this collection out. Duh, I’m so convincing, I don’t even know how or why my friends resist my recommendation. Smh.
5. The Walls Around Us
by Nova Ren Suma
On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.
On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom.
Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries…
What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?
In prose that sings from line to line, Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and of innocence, and of what happens when one is mistaken for the other.- Goodreads
The characters – be evil or good – are written in a way that will make you at least tolerate them, if not connect with them. I know, that might not sound much, but with one of the main characters being a terrible and just an absolutely loathsome person this was actually a huge deal. Damn, I’m making a mess of convincing you all to pick up this novel. Let’s see what else we have here – an intriguing story with mesmerizing story-telling and an ending that will leave you gasping for more, yet satisfied and (mostly) content. Also, one of the MCs is a huge booknerd, which I loved, obviously.
Thank you SO much for the chance to be here today, Rachel and Kerr, and for participating in TRC’s Spooky October!
About the blogger:
Veronika is a 19-year-old avid reader from Hungary, who may or may not be extremely introverted – however, she is from Slytherin, so she’s also ambitious and cunning… in the best possible way, of course. When she’s not reading, you can find her moaning about unfairness of her university – otherwise known as tests and exams -, hanging out with her friends, shopping or watching some of her favourite movies or tv shows.
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