6 YA Novels that Scare

Source: Goodreads

Need to curl up with a good scary book right before Halloween? Nowadays, finding Young Adult horror novels is a bit tricky because vampires, demons, and ghosts aren't so frightening anymore. Not when they happen to be love interests and glitter in the sunlight. Here are six YA novels that could actually scare the pants off you. Or just make you thankful you're not the main character.

"The Unquiet"
by Jeannine Garsee  -- A ghost story, psychological thriller and a concept reminiscent of "Final Destination," oh and did I mention the girl is certifiably crazy? Yeah, it's that kind of book. (5-star review)

"Possessions"
by Nancy Holder -- Set in a spooky Academy for Girls, students are being possessed by spirits that have haunted the school for over two hundred years.

"The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer"
by Michelle Hodkin -- What's real? What's not real? You'll question your sanity and Mara's all the way through, and her graphic hallucinations are terrifying. (4-star review)

"Ten"
by Gretchen McNeil -- Love the classic thriller "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie? This book is for you. Ten high school students think they're going to Henry Island (not "Harper's Island") to delight in some adolescent partying. Instead, someone's out for blood.

"Rot & Ruin"
by Jonathan Mayberry -- In a zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America, one kid reluctantly becomes a zombie hunter and finds out what it means to be human.

"The Devouring"
by Simon Holt -- A book worthy of Stephen King-like praise, "The Devouring" centers on the Vours that feast on fear during Sorry Night by inhabiting bodies of terrified people. The book's opening poem says it all, "When dark creeps in and eats the light, bury your fears on Sorry Night. For in the winter's blackest hours, comes the feasting of the Vours. No one can see it, the life they stole. Your body's here, but not your soul…" (5-star review)

-- Becca Ritchie