Spine-Tingling Books for Teens

I have loved scary stories pretty much my whole life; when I was a teenager I use to read scary stories more around this time of the year to help myself get ready for the spookiness of Halloween. If your teenager is anything like me, then they may enjoy reading some spooky books too. Here are some of the best books to read for your teenager to get into the mood for Halloween.

Scary Stories franchise-Alvin Schwartz

This series involves three books full of spooky stories from American folklore. I read it when I was younger and still love it to this day. There are so many different stories in each volume that is guaranteed to keep your teenager busy for a couple of days. What is also good about this series is that at the end, Schwartz tells the reader where each of the stories come from (meaning what region) and how they became so popular; so in addition to getting scared the reader learns something new that they may have not known before. This book is a classic that has been around for years and will more than likely stay a fan favorite for many years to come.

Blood and Chocolate-Annette Curtis Klaus

Let me say right off the bat that the movie based off this book is horrendous so don't base your opinion of the book on that piece of garbage. I was highly disappointed when I saw the beginning of the movie that it was so different that I even didn't even bother to finish it. Now that we've got that out of the way, this is great book about a Vivian, a girl who happens to a werewolf and the struggles she faces trying to walk the line between her pack and the mortal world and the boy she loves. But what will happen to this new beau when he discovers the truth about her? This book has it all; action, adventure, and fight scenes with werewolves what more could you ask for? I discovered this book when I was in middle school and it's one of those that even as an adult I could still pick up, read, and enjoy.

Gallows Hill-Lois Duncan

Sarah is the new girl in town when she is roped somewhat unwillingly into taking part in the high school's Halloween festival as the fortuneteller. However she, as well as her new classmates, are surprised when she tells them things that no one could have known. She is branded as a witch and then made a target out of the fear her classmates now have for her and the knowledge she didn't even know she had. And everyone is surprised when it all comes together about the why and how the events happened in the manner they did. A suspenseful novel with lots of twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing, this book shows Duncan at her finest and shows why she is still one of the grand dames when it comes to young adult fiction.

A Deadly Game of Magic-Joan Lowry Nixon

Nixon was one of my favorite authors growing up because she, like Duncan, is adept at combining horror and suspense not to mention writing in a way that is captivating to the younger generation that is their audience. This novel has all the elements of a good spooky story; a dark and stormy night, a seemingly abandoned house, and four high school students who usually have nothing to do with each other. When you combine this with the murderous magician that is hiding in the house with unknown reasons for his homicidal rage you have a book that is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Plus the ending is just classic.

The Secret Circle trilogy-L.J.Smith

Known usually for her 'Nightworld' series as well as being the creative force behind the anticipated fall TV show The Vampire Diaries in these three books, Smith writes about Cassie a Californian who is moved to New England and is mysteriously drawn to a certain group of peers that she finds out are witches, descended from the original settlers in her town. Taken under the wing of Diana, the leader of the witches, and blackmailed by Faye, Diana's mischievous cousin, Cassie struggles to find herself as well as hide her growing feeling for Adam, Diana's boyfriend. Everyone is taken by surprise though when something about Cassie's past rears its ugly head and everyone in the circle must pull together to stop a very real danger. This is a great book and it helps show why Smith is the popular author she is with twists and turns as well as a great plot.

*note: the link above is for the first book and half of the second. It was originally released as three books but in its re-release it was made into two with the middle book being cut in half.*
I hope you enjoy these recommendations and that if you like any of them, especially Duncan's, Nixon's, and Smith's it encourages you to pick up more by the author.