Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
So the TTT for today was actually Books I Read on Vacation, but to be honest I…didn’t go on vacation, and haven’t had the chance to do so for a while! So I thought I’d do something Blogtober related instead and highlight some MG & YA Horror!
Top Eight Middle Grade and Young Adult Horror
By the time I picked this up I was maybe just a touch out of the age range, but I still absolutely loved it. I read a fair few of the series, but this one was so brilliantly handled and drew me totally into Shan’s world. I really liked the follow up books, and I keep meaning to go back and reread them, if I could ever find my copies! I picked this up at a time when I was eager for any vampire books and it really did hit the spot. A great book to get younger teens interested in vampires and horror.
Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper
Did I tell you I was mildly obsessed with vampires as a teenager? And how could I resist a book with the name Vampirates! This totally lived up to expectations and I absolutely adored this – again, one I’ve definitely been meaning to go back and reread. This just showed me something completely different with vampires, and the combination of vampires and pirates warmed my little emo heart.
Love You to Death by Meg Cabot
Some folks wouldn’t class this as horror, but I think it leans that way. And this post is definitely making me remember all the books I need to reread and the series’ I need to carry on with. Originally written under the name Jenny Carroll, I picked this up because I had enjoyed Princess Diaries, thanks to a friend lending me a copy, and All-American Girl, then I discovered Cabot’s The Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You series’ and boy was I totally hooked. I’m pretty sure this book kickstarted my general Paranormal Romance love – who doesn’t love a good cute ghost, not to mention the human-ghost team-up?
The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips
The first one I’ve actually read in more recent years! This was a fantastic book I had a lot of fun reading, and it’s really good kid’s horror with plenty of humour. Not to mention the illustrations (by Isabelle Follath) are pretty damn wonderful, too. Maybe one to pick up for younger kids in time for Christmas.
I admit, I was impressed with this book. It’s got a really creepy undertone and I loved this whole town being mildly obsessed with this film that was shot there years ago. A great YA Horror/Thriller novel.
Schwab is great at combining Horror and Fantasy elements, and definitely handles horror for a younger audience well. Gallant is no exception, and I loved reading this Gothic novel about a young girl who returns to her family home, only to find it a darker and more dangerous place than she could have expected.
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Yes, another Schwab book on this list, and honestly I could have pushed this to ten and included The Near Witch, but I’ll stick with just two. I’ve only read the first two Cassidy Blake novels, but both are wonderful Middle Grade Horror that manage to achieve an excellent balance between scary and not-too-scary. When done well, Middle Grade Horror makes me really happy, as I remember reading Goosebumps and Point Horror when younger, and how it instilled a love of the genre – it’s great to see authors like Schwab continuing that for younger generations.
Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick
I find myself thinking of this book a fair bit, and of course it’s had a few mentions on the blog by now. It’s just such a good Middle Grade Horror, hitting the spot for similar reasons as City of Ghosts. The premise itself – a Saturday detention – is creepy enough, but throw in super-smart scientists and one of my biggest fears, and yeah, this book just has it all. Perfect for kid and adult horror fans alike.
So – what do you think? Have you read any of these, and do you have any particular favourite Middle Grade or Young Adult horror books?
Unwrapping Words 