Young adult titles for Halloween 2023
by Sophie Green
Looking for a good horror story to sink your teeth in to? Take a look at our top Halloween picks for young adults! All of these books and more are free to borrow with your library card.
eBooks more your thing? We've put together a Halloween shelf on Libby, our free eBook service, so you can read wherever you are from your device.
Bite Risk, by S.J. Wills
Sel Archer lives in a normal town with normal residents, except for one night a month. When the full moon comes out, almost all of the adults turn into werewolves, and it's up to the young people to protect themselves from danger. But, as this quiet life begins to unravel, and the Turned start to escape, can Sel and his friends uncover exactly who - or what - is watching their every move, before it's too late?
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me, by Jamison Shea
Despite being constantly overlooked in the elite and cut-throat world of the Parisian ballet, Laure will do anything to prove that a Black girl can take centre stage. To level the playing field, Laure ventures deep into the depths of the Catacombs and strikes a deal with a pulsating river of blood. The primordial power Laure gains promises influence and adoration, everything she's dreamed of and worked toward. With retribution on her mind, she leaves a trail of broken bodies on her climb to stardom. But even as undeniable as she is, Laure is not the only monster around. And her vicious desires make her a perfect target for slaughter.
Borrow I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me →
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: A Retelling, by Tanya Landman
A young man's search for the secret of the spark of life leads him to a horrific experiment in which he creates a gigantic creature from dismembered body parts. Rejected by his creator, the initially gentle creature turns monstrous when his desire to find companionship and love are thwarted. Tanya Landman revisits Mary Shelley's classic Gothic horror story, bringing to life Dr Frankenstein and his monstrous creation in an accessible format that more readers can enjoy.
Borrow Frankenstein: A Retelling →
A Taste of Darkness, by Amy McCaw and Marie Kuzniar
A chilling, thrilling collection of 13 haunting tales. From supernatural thrillers, to contemporary horror; creepy ancient legends, to murders gone wrong - this anthology is impossible to put down, and even more difficult to forget.
Channel Fear, by Lisa Richardson
Iris is obsessed with star YouTube ghost hunting duo, Zach and Lucas, who disappeared at an undisclosed location several months ago. Alongside her friend Byron and his girlfriend Molly, Iris has been searching for the location ever since. When they find it, a horrifying truth emerges: whatever came for Zach and Lucas is coming for them too.
When Ghosts Call Us Home, by Katya De Becerra
When Sophia Galich was 12, she starred in her older sister Layla's amateur horror movie Vermillion, which recorded raw footage of her very real reactions to scenes her sister concocted in their old Californian house on the coast - Cashore House. In the years after the film's release, Sophia's memories of the now-infamous house fuelled her nightmares. Vermillion amassed an army of fanatical fans who speculated about the film's hidden messages, and it was rumoured that Layla made a pact with the devil - her soul in exchange for fame and arcane knowledge.
Sophia dismissed this as gossip - until Layla disappeared. Now, Sophia must study the trail of clues Layla has left behind, returning to the very place where it all began. As she gets closer to Cashore House's haunted heart, she must once again confront the ghosts of her childhood. But the house won't reveal its secrets without a fight.
Borrow When Ghosts Call Us Home →
Totally Deceased, by Sue H. Cunningham
Seventeen-year-old Jess is recovering from an emergency heart transplant only to realise she is being haunted by the disgruntled ghost of her donor, Tilly. Tilly is determined there is more to her death than meets the eye, and insists that she won't stop haunting Jess until she helps solve her own murder. Their investigations take them via a Swiss bank, several five-star hotels, glitzy parties and some seriously high-end fashion boutiques. But where do the clues lead, and will they solve the mystery of Tilly's death? More importantly, will Tilly rest and leave Jess alone if they do?
Welcome to Camp Killer, by Cynthia Murphy
Something isn't quite right at Camp Miller. When strange incidents start to occur at a residential summer camp, the teen counsellors begin to fear that something sinister is going on.
Borrow Welcome to Camp Killer →
Twelve Bones, by Rosie Talbot
Charlie and his new love, Sam, have just saved the dead from the living! Now it's time to focus on being a normal couple - if such a thing exists? But when a new threat lurks in the shadows, this time to the living, and all who Charlie and Sam hold near, they must put everything on the line - including their lives - to work out who is behind it.
Take a look at our other recommendations for young adults.