A Horror Read For Everyone
I should start this blog off with a confession. I am a big wuss. I am scared of all horror films, jump scares make me cry, ghost films make me 100% convinced there is a ghost in my house for at least the next six months. Basically, the level of horror that I can cope with is middle grade scary (and even that can be too much sometimes!) However, horror is a genre that is growing in popularity,with 2023 being a record breaking year for the genre. Horror as a genre has also changed from the traditional, to more feminist storytellers and drawing on the upheaval of recent years, including wars, global warming and the pandemic,according to this article.
I want to try to read more horror, because I believe that there is a book for everyone in all genres. So in typical Tandem fashion weโve asked our community for recommendations, and of course, resident horror girl-Jen.
Below is a selection of recommendations that Iโve sourced, and why I- and you- should try them. Who wants to join me in being a big girl reading scary stories? (Never when it's dark though!) I have split these into themes or tropes, comment below if you have any more recommendations for me!
Classic
Dracula, Bram Stoker. Recommended by @aratecla_the_bookrat on Instagram, Dracula is one of the OG vampire stories. Told through a series of letters this is a story that will stay with you long after the final page.
The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson. Quite possibly Jenโs favourite book, this is part ghost story, part psychological horror. This one scares me.
The Turn of the Screw, Henry James. Recommended by Lex, this is another ghost story that has had multiple retellings since its original publication. Creepy, ghostly, makes you question everything- this one has it all.
Creepy and makes you think
The Last House on Needless St, Catriona Ward. This is one of Jenโs go to horror recs for the horror newbie. It is also one of Naomiโs favourite books. Iโve read this one and loved it, Iโm still thinking about it!
Delicate Condition, Danielle Valentine. This book was recommended by @readswithjess_ over on Instagram. It follows the story of a woman trying to get pregnant, and mysterious happenings when she is convinced someone is trying to stop this happening. Sounds super creepy and intriguing.
Bunny, Mona Awad. This has been recommended by Jen and Alexis. Set at University, we follow our main character get sucked into the group of bunnies. The lines of fact and fiction start to blur in this unforgettable novel.
Cult
Lord of the Feast, Tim Waggoner. Recommended by @pause_theframe, this is a cult story with a bit of fantasy included. A cult accidentally creates their own God, realising their error, the cult kills the being. Twenty years later, someone is trying to track down the cult, and someone else wants to resurrect the God.
Rouge, Mona Awad. This is another creepy Mona Awad story, recommended by Jen. Rouge follows a cult centered around skincare, which is so much darker than it first appears.
Catherine House, Elisabeth Thomas. This is another horror set at an elite University, where you are completely shut off from the world for three years. The isolation in this one intrigues me.
Isolated
Into the Drowning Deep, Mira Grant. Imagine being in a submarine in the Mariana Trench. Then imagine being lost down there. Just the idea of that gives me chills! This one was recommended by @tornoutending
The Drift, CJ Tudor. Following three isolated settings where people are unknowingly trapped with a killer, This one sounds so intriguing! Recommended by @fi_charityshopreads
The Death of Jane Lawrence, Caitlin Starling. This book gives me vibes of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. A woman agrees to marry a man, on the condition that she never visits him at his house. That is until she has nowhere else to go and finds a man who isnโt quite her husband.
Body Horror
Tender is the Flesh, Agustina Bazterrica. What if we could no longer eat animals? Instead, we decide to eat humans. This creepy cannibalism novel has been recommended by @readswithjess_ and really intrigues me, so much so that Iโve just bought it!
Carrie, Stephen King. Stephen Kingโs debut, and some say still one of his best works, Carrie is the classic tale of a bullied girl who discovers she can move things with her mind. Iโm a bit scared to read this one, but thank you @aratecla_the_bookrat for the recommendation!
The Troop, Nick Cutter. A scout leader takes a troop of boys into the wilderness every year. Until one year a figure stumbles into their camp asking for food. Heโs sick, but it's not an illness theyโve seen before. The synopsis of this gave me chills!
Final Girls
Final Girl Support Group, Grady Hendrix. A classic in the Final Girls trope, those girls still standing at the end of the story would definitely need therapy! But what if someone discovers this group and starts hunting them down? This is a trope Iโm interested in so might have to pick this one up!
My Heart Is a Chainsaw, Stephen Graham Jones. The main character in this one is a horror expert. So much so that she is convinced a slasher is happening in her town, and that the new girl in town is in fact the Final Girl. This sounds gory and amazing!
You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight, Kalynn Bayron. Set in a horror camp for adults where you can go to live out your horror movie dreams, our main character plays the Final Girl. However, things start to become a bit too real when someone turns up actually dead.
Ghost Story/ Haunted House
Dark Matter, Michelle Paver. Set on a boat in Norway, this novel encapsulates the isolation and eeriness of the polar night. Recommended by @amandallwyd
The Woman in Black, Susan Hill. This has been recommended by two people on Instagram, @amandallwyd and @mel_lovesbooks. Set in a creepy old house where there is a woman in black that appears, but the villagers wonโt talk about herโฆ Iโm creeped out.
The Silent Companions, Laura Purcell. A historical horror following a main character who moves to a crumbling old house while pregnant. While there she discovers a locked door with a creepy room behind it. Sometimes you should just leave the door locked. Recommended by @mel_lovesbooks
I donโt think Iโm quite ready for this final section, but if youโre braver than me, then here are three final recs
Gives us nightmares!
Sacrificial Waters, A D Jones. A group discovers a cave in a forest with a natural pool. Until they discover they have awakened a malevolent force of evil. Recommended by @lauren.bookstagram3
Pet Semetery, Stephen King. Another classic from Stephen King. This creepy tale will make your skin shiver. I think itโs one that belongs in the freezer. Recommended by @books_catsandtea
The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty. Unsurprisingly, I have not watched this film, but Iโve seen enough clips and memes to know that Iโm scared of it and the book. Lex has recommended this one- for a braver person than me!
If you want more recommendations, check out Jenโs horror video on our Youtube, or send us a Whatsapp for a tailored rec. If youโre already a horror fan, make sure you are signed up to our Whatsapp Broadcast list on 07928 621902.