The right YA horror book can definitely become a mood. It is a mix of genres that brings in horror into anything. This is what YA horror is about – science fiction, drama and fantasy mixed with horror. You have more than just monsters. Sometimes, you can forget about creatures and zombies. You might as well have a thrilling horror story with a natural disaster or a serial killer.
Now, no matter what mood you are after, chances are you can mix horror into a good story based on your preferences. You might be in the mood for some extraterrestrial creatures. How about a pandemic? Or perhaps the end of the world… All in all, here are some of the best YA horror books from the last 5 years – you will not be disappointed.
The Inbox, by Daniel Ortiz
This thrilling story follows Devon Owens’ story. He is 23 years old and he has no idea what to do with his life. Everything changes to 180 degrees when he gets an apparently inoffensive message over the Internet. The stranger drops an unsolicited message and Devon bites it. He replies and starts playing a game.
Things go in completely a different directions. Go through a few more chapters and everything is escalated to another level. The story goes pretty sinister as Devon is trapped in an incredible horror story over the Internet. What is even worse is the fact that it seems there is no escape – will he manage to get out of it safely?
There’s Someone Inside Your House, by Stephanie Perkins
The story revolves around Makani Young. She is sent away from Hawaii and ends up living with her grandmother in Osborne – a small town from Nebraska where everyone knows everyone. Just like everyone other teenager, she makes a few friends and even ends up flirting with a few guys around the local high school. She looks normal, but her past is not.
Makani is still struggling to get over some horror stories from her past. Later on, students from her high school end up dead one after another. A series of murders rocks the small town. As the police is getting closer to the killer, the secrets from Makani’s past tend to come out. Is this related to the murders? Will she manage to get back to normal?
Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland
Dread Nation covers a girl’s story through a totally hostile world – with a series of horror hints, based on your imagination. Jane McKeene has an interesting training schedule. She knows etiquette and weaponry due to a combat school for black girls. Her career seems promising – she needs to protect the wealthy from an incredible pandemic that turns people into walking dead.
However, things go in the wrong direction and some events go unexplained. Families disappear one after another. As Jane starts investigating, she realizes a conspiracy and her whole world is turned upside down. She ends up fighting some unscrupulous enemies – far from home, alone in an empty world. Will she manage to make it back?
Sawkill Girls, by Claire Legran
Sawkill Girls follows three girls – Marion, Val and Zoey. Marion is new and aspiring to find the love of her life. Val is beautiful, well-educated and excellent at manipulating people. Finally, Zoey is a bit of everything. She is a bit upset and sad, as well as lonely and luckless. At a first glance, it sounds like three girls who have absolutely nothing in common.
Somehow, the three come together and their stories go in the same direction after they end up on the Sawkill Rock. It sounds like a heavenly place. Horses roam around freely, water and cliffs provide excellent landscapes and so on. However, there is a legend… The legend of a monster and girls who keep disappearing for decades already. Will the three girls share the same fate?
Infidel, by Pornsak Pichetshote
Infidel may seem a bit unrealistic at first, but the problem evolves into a dramatic issue later on. A Muslim lady and a bunch of other people move into a building that seems to be haunted. The interesting part is that all the entities tend to feed off xenophobia and pretty much everyone in the building has a different race or religion.
The story builds tension as you go through each chapter. It thrills and pushes your imagination to another level. What makes it so exciting? The fact that it is like nothing you have read before. The story is unique. The fact that entities feed on things that people cannot control is also unique. It is a horror story that seems pretty believable.
Alice Isn’t Dead, by Joseph Fink
Mixing a bunch of horror features, a rich imagination and a fast paced thriller action, Joseph Fink’s story covers a truck driver who refuses to believe love is dead. Keisha Taylor has a good life with her wife Alice. But one day she disappears. Months go by and no one can find her – the police assume she is dead. Keisha holds a funeral and tries to move on with her life.
But whenever a tragedy strikes the USA, she keeps seeing Alice in the news. She is always somewhere in the background. Again, then again and again. She shows up at every major tragedy. Keisha gets a new job as a truck driver, only to be able to drive across the USA and search for her wife. The discoveries she makes go way beyond her – and your – expectations.
Dracul, by Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker
If you love Dracula, the story around the Romanian count and all the movies around it, you will probably love this release too. The story takes place in 1868. Bram Stoker is 21 years old. He is about to face the evil that no one wants to see. He only has a rifle, a few crucifixes and some holy water – he only has to survive one night, but he is also desperate to take note of what he witnesses too.
It sounds similar to Dracula’s original story, but there are some plot twists. This book is practically a prequel to the original Dracula. It is based on texts and notes left behind by the traditional author. The thriller is supernatural and brings in a plethora of horror accents around Dracula, Bram Stocker and the women around them.
The World Of Lore, by Aaron Mahnke
You know it. You have felt it before and you are frightened by it. Sometimes, you walk into a room or a house and you feel off. Sometimes, it happens as you get into a town. The atmosphere is unsettling and you feel like something is lingering around. The darkness takes you over, even if you cannot actually see it. You simply feel it and it drives you crazy.
This book takes you to the Stanley Hotel from Colorado – great views and a beautiful atmosphere as a new century is about to kick in. One thing leads to another and you end up in England, then back to the USA and so on. Is it a travel book? No. It is a book that takes you from one place to another – some of the darkest places on the planet with lingering evil around.
The Atrocities, by Jeremy C. Shipp
The Atrocities follows an unusual story. It may sound more like a fantasy book, but things go horrible before you even realize it. Isabella comes from a good family. She benefits from private education, but things go wrong. She seems to have a perfect life ahead, but she dies. Her parents want to ensure her education will not be affected. Wait, what?
Therefore, Isabella’s tutor Ms Valdez shows up and tries to find the girl. She goes through one maze after another – some of them quite terrifying. But then, she realizes there is no girl. However, she has an unusual feeling. There is no physical girl, but she feels like Isabella is still there. Can she go on with her education after death?
The Rust Maidens, by Gwendolyn Kiste
Gwendolyn Kiste wrote this book like a modern movie. The action goes between past and present every now and then – it can be confusing, but it also reveals some mysteries that will make the book very exciting. The action takes place in 1980. Phoebe and Jacqueline are best friends in Cleveland, Ohio. They have just graduated, but the future looks dark. There is no industry and no potential for a good job.
The horror kicks in pretty fast. It begins with a few footprints of black water on a sidewalk. Later on, girls’ bodies go through a series of grotesque modifications. Their fingernails break and turn into glass, while their bones end up exposed through the flesh. They look corroded and more importantly, they look metallic. What is going on?
Bottom line, these are some of the best YA horror books from the last 5 years to stimulate your imagination and push it forward. Whether you are after the thrills or the action, there is something for everyone in there.