Horror
Red Hill by Jamie McGuire
Red Hill was my favourite Halloween read of last year. This is a thrilling adult apocalyptic horror fest that's perfect for fans of The Walking Dead or the movie Contagion. This book balances out nail biting survival with characters you'll fall in love with which only makes the worry that they're not all going to make it escalate. I was absolutely gripped by this zombie novel with heart!
Say Her Name by James Dawson
Say Her Name has been hailed as the creepiest YA book ever written. This is James Dawson's take on the legend of Bloody Mary and he does it so well by including everything you'd associate with horror: a creepy boarding school, graveyard, dripping taps and an asylum as well as the book taking place over the Halloween period. Say Her Name is everything you could want in a scary Halloween read.
Adult Thriller
Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas
Mother, Mother is a deeply unsettling read. It's not as fast paced as some thrillers out there but it's one that creeps under your skin without you realizing it. I felt so uneasy reading this story about a highly dysfunctional family and was never really sure who to trust. Is Josephine a loving and attentive mother? Or a manipulative monster ruining her children's lives? This one left me chilled.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This book is everywhere at the minute and with the film now out (which is also excellent) there's really no better time to pick up this book if you haven't already! I read this one very recently and at first found it slow - but stick with it! Once you're about half way through you get completely sucked into the crazy and won't want to put it down.
YA Thriller
The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher
This is another book that I read last Halloween. The Killing Woods has a brilliant 'whodunnit' mystery surrounding a game played by teenagers in the local woods. Lucy Christopher's gorgeous writing really brings the woods themselves to life and makes them an ominous setting thick with atmosphere. This is certainly one of the more chilling YA Thrillers I've read.
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Don't be fooled by the pretty pink cover! If you love Pretty Little Liars you are going to want to get on this series. Although lighter in tone compared to the other books on this list it still packs a punch as three girls take their lust for revenge too far. I found this book impossible to put down and can't wait to read the last book in the series Ashes to Ashes this Halloween!
Paranormal
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
This book is gothic paranormal romance at its best. Eerie and grim Tucholke spins a story of a girl who loses her heart to the worst kind of boy. Usually this kind of romance rubs me the wrong way but this one really worked for me as it matches the unsettling atmosphere of the rest of the book. Twisted and sinister is putting it lightly.
Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini
I couldn't not include this book! Although not particularly scary it puts a fresh new spin on witchcraft and Salem and is one of my favourite paranormal reads of this year. If you're looking for something really different in the paranormal genre this Halloween then I urge you to pick this one up!
I hope my picks have given you some ideas for what to read this Halloween!
I'd love to know what would make your list.
I just started The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey and am really enjoying it.
Happy Halloween!
