With horror an ever-trending genre for movies, shows, and even books, what better way to show appreciation by looking for scary must-reads for teens! Since most teen readers tend to gravitate towards this genre, when it comes to books, we would like to show you 7 of these must-reads that will give you plenty of thrills and chills from every page that’s turned.
- Rot And Ruin – Jonathan Maberry
“The story follows a boy named Benny Imura, who lives in a post-apocalyptic America,” says Dominic Hill, a lifestyle blogger at OX Essays and Eliteassignmenthelp. “To support his family, Benny has to take up a job with his brother Tom as a zombie hunter. As he trains to be a zombie hunter, he learns what it means to be a human, making this a coming-of-age story that teens can relate to – with the exception of zombies, of course.”
- A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness
A Monster Calls is the story of 13-year-old Conor O’Malley, who often wakes up every day at exactly seven minutes past midnight to find a monster at his bedroom window. As such, the monster visits him for three nights and tells a story each night. Soon after the monster narrates his stories, Conor, in turn, must narrate a real-life story, or be eaten by the monster. The condition is that if the story isn’t real, Connor will be eaten away.
- Asylum – Madeleine Roux
Asylum is a horror story that takes the horror genre of being in an asylum to another level.
16-year-old Dan Crawford is sent to spend a summer at the New Hampshire College Prep program. There, he befriends Abby and Jordan, as they embark on a journey to unlock the dark secrets of a mental asylum in Brookline. However, as they dig deeper into this mystery, strange truths are revealed, keeping readers hooked for answers until the very end.
- We Have Always Lived In The Castle – Shirley Jackson
Although this book’s title is self-explanatory, there is actually more to it than that.
The story follows 18-year-old Mary Katherine (who goes by “Merricat”) and her older sister Constance, as they live with their uncle Julian – a man who is bedridden due to arsenic poisoning. It’s been said that arsenic poisoning was the cause of the death of Merricat’s family; however, as the story progresses, Merricat will soon learn the truth behind the deaths and WHY they happened.
- Dread Nation – Justina Ireland
In Dread Nation, a teenager named Jane McKeen lives in militant America, where she is undergoing combat training to protect African American and Native American kids from the ever-looming threat of zombie attacks. However, as the dead begin to rise and overwhelm the battlefields of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, Jane must fight these zombies on her own, while the African American soldiers must get into the war to protect the natives.
- Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus – Mary Shelley
“A good story that has stood the test of time, it’s a definite read for teens,” says Louis Dawson, a business writer at Academized and Ukwritings. “If you like science and monsters, then this story will take you on a ride through pure genius, with an ever-present ambience of madness.”
The story follows Dr. Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious scientist and genius in the natural sciences, who, through his research, discovers electricity’s uncanny ability to resurrect the dead, thus creating a monster made from parts of dead bodies. As the story progresses, his monster eventually turns against him, and the creature starts to kill his family and loved ones one by one. Why this monster has become evil will surprise readers.
- The Telling – Alexandra Sirowy
The Telling follows Lana, as her peaceful life at her woodland island home comes to an end when her brother Ben dies. Following his death, Lana starts to remember the childhood stories that Ben had told her. But then, new twists come into light, when a series of murders start taking place in her town. However, these murders seem to be similar to the stories that Ben had told her.
With many horror scenes in store for readers, it’s a page-turning book that horror fans shouldn’t pass up.
Conclusion
As you check out these 7 horror books aimed at teens, you’ll get into the fun of being creeped out after every page you turn. Though… let’s hope you’re not reading these with the lights off… unless you’re brave enough!
Kristin Herman writes and edits at Big assignments and Write my paper. She also blogs for Essay Roo. As a tech enthusiast, she blogs about the latest trends in technology. In her spare time, she reads horror novels and comics.
