If you like Scream, you might consider…
Almost a year ago, Makani Young left her haunted past in Hawaii to live with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s still adjusting to her new life while trying to forget the memories from Hawaii. Everything changes when one by one, students of her small town high school are brutally and gruesomely murdered. The hunt for the killer intensifies and Makani finds herself forced to face her own dark secrets. As the body count increases and terror infiltrates the town, will Makani survive the killer’s wicked plan?
As someone who loves the Scream franchise year round, this book is the closest vibe to the movie. Just like Scream, the book follows a “who done it” mystery and has a high body count. There are suspects, rules to surviving, and it allows you to guess the murderer—which is my favorite part of the Scream franchise.
If you like Nightmare on Elm Street, you might consider reading…
Most people who experience nightmares have the relief of waking to reality. But for Cata and five other teens, there might be no escape from the terrors they dream. An experiment meant to cure insomnia plunged the teens into a shared dreamworld where their worst fears became reality. There’s no way for the six of them to wake up from these terrors. And now, they’re beginning to realize they might actually die in real life as well as in their dreams. One of the dreamers is already dead and anyone could be next. But as they work closer together, they soon learn secrets darker than their nightmares.
These two are very similar with both of the plots revolving around dreamworlds. Just like Nancy in Nightmare on Elm Street, if Cata doesn’t wake up from her dreams, she might never wake up at all. Both the movie and this book share the terror that only an imagination can come up with—instead of giving you nightmares, it’s going to make you experience other people’s biggest fears. Anything is possible in dreams, which makes it all the more terrifying.
If you like Friday the 13th, you might consider reading…
All that Quinn Maybrook wants is to make it to graduation, but she might not even survive tonight. Quinn and her father moved to a tiny town with a weird clown mascot in the desperate hopes for a new start. But since the shutdown of the town’s only factory, Kettle Springs has been damaged beyond repair. Kettle Springs is in a civil war between generations, fighting tradition and progress. The feud continues until a masked clown decides to end it all for good.
This is my favorite YA horror book I have read so far, and it’s the only one that truly made me feel a little queasy. It reminded me so much of the Friday the 13th franchise because of its small town setting, masked killer, and the generational divide. Friday the 13th is famous for having the victims always be teenagers doing misbehaved activities and the killer, Jason, punishing those who disrespect tradition or religion. In this book, you get the same anticipation and fright while guessing who’s behind the clown mask!
If you like The Conjuring, you might consider reading…
Alexis would describe her entire life in one word: dysfunctional. It’s the word to describe her parents’ marriage, her own high school experience, and especially her little sister’s obsessions with dolls. With her anti-social attitude, Alexis is simply trying to get through high school. But after a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis is terrified to realize that her life is more dangerous than it is dysfunctional. Her twelve-year-old sister, Kasey, is acting more strange than usual. Alexis’ home is acting strange too, and while she tries to believe it’s all in her head, she soon realizes these coincidences are life threatening to her, her family, and to her growing relationship with the high school class president. What if the green-eyed girl isn’t even her little sister anymore?
If you’re a fan of The Conjuring, this book is perfect for you! Body possessions, hauntings, demons, and paranormal activity are the main scares in this book and they do not disappoint. The only difference between this haunting and the conjuring is Alexis doesn’t have experts to help her solve the mystery and even perform an exorcism!
Whether you are a fan of masked killers, terrifying dreamworlds, or demonic possessions, these books are sure to bring your favorite horror movie vibes to the page. So, this Halloween, when you’ve watched all your favorite scary movies, grab one of these books for a few more sleepless nights!
Abby Tuer, Pine Reads Review Writer, Editor, and Website Manager