October begins spooky season for many people, and I find that this is the time when many readers begin to seek novels to celebrate the season. Getting into horror for the first time, or just to celebrate the season, often means that light horror novels are the best way to go. Even though I celebrate spooky season year-round and am partial to extreme horror, I have a large span of experience in light horror. I am always happy to share my favorites with readers during this time of year.
Below are 10 of my top picks for light horror that give you spooky vibes without being too scary. Each pick has a spooky rating out of 5 – the lower the rating, the tamer the book.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
When Coraline explores her new home, she steps through a door and into another house just like her own . . . except that it’s different. It’s a marvelous adventure until Coraline discovers that there’s also another mother and another father in the house. They want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to keep her forever!
Coraline must use all of her wits and every ounce of courage in order to save herself and return home.
Amazon Synopsis
Spooky Rating
2/5
Includes a sense of eeriness throughout with startling images.
Why I Chose It
Coraline was a book that terrified me when I was a kid. I was part of a book club at my elementary school, and this was the chosen book for us to read one month. I was so scared of it that I couldn’t finish it, but it has since become one of my favorite books of all time. Finishing this book was the first time I felt like I was conquering my fear, and it made me feel like I was taking some power back.
On a side note, the movie is excellent as well and would make for a great spooky movie night. The movie can be watched for free on the Roku channel with ads. (This is accurate as of 9/28/2022 – be sure to visit justwatch.com and look up where the movie can be streamed for free.)
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Make storytime a little spookier with fantasy master Ray Bradbury as he takes readers on a riveting trip though space and time to discover the true origins of Halloween.
Amazon Synopsis
Join the shadowy Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud as he takes eight trick-or-treaters on an unforgettable journey to find their missing friend, Pip. Travel through space and time, from the tombs of ancient Egypt to the gargoyles of Notre-Dame Cathedral, all the way to the cemeteries of Mexico on el Día de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Is Pip still alive? And if so, can his friends save him from a ghastly fate before it’s too late?
Spooky Rating
2/5
Includes Halloween exclusive spookiness that is tame and more fantasy focused.
Why I Chose It
You simply cannot celebrate spooky season without reading The Halloween Tree. This beautiful young adult novel celebrates Halloween and explores the history of Samhain in a way that is more fantasy than horror. While this book may be a little too spooky for some readers, it provides an excellent adventure into the holiday that is the focal point of spooky season. I highly recommend it!
Small Angels by Lauren Owen
The woods are stirring again. . . .
Amazon Synopsis
Lucia and her sisters grew up on the edge of Mockbeggar Woods. They knew it well—its danger, but also its beauty. As a lonely teenager, Kate was drawn to these sisters, who were unlike anyone she’d ever met. But when they brought her into the woods, something dark was awakened, and Kate has never been able to escape the terrible truth of what happened there.
Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church set alongside dense, green woods in the village that her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up in. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to learn of unsettling stories about Small Angels and Mockbeggar Woods. And worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn’t possibly be real.
Now, Kate is returning home for the first time in years—for Sam and Chloe’s wedding. But the woods are stirring again, and Kate must reconnect with Lucia, her first love, to protect Chloe, the village, and herself. An unforgettable novel about the memories that hold us back and those that show us the way forward, this is storytelling at its most magical. Enter Small Angels, if you dare.
Spooky Rating
3/5
This adult gothic novel features elements of creepy woods, ghostly memories, and unknown dark forces. While it isn’t graphic, it is spookier and fills the reader with uneasiness.
Why I Chose It
I just finished reading Small Angels by Lauren Owen (you can find my review of it here) and I am so glad that I chose to read it during spooky season. Not only does this adult gothic novel feature eerie prose, but the setting of the story is also enough to fill the reader with dread. This novel is a slow burn, so it allows the reader to absorb the spooky elements at their own pace. It is perfect for those who are fans of such classics as Dracula and Frankenstein.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark contains some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural events of all time. Walking corpses, dancing bones, knife-wielding madmen, and narrow escapes from death—they’re all here in this chilling collection of ghost stories. Make sure you read these books with the light ON!
Amazon Synopsis
Spooky Rating
3/5
This collection of scary stories contains some of the scariest stories that creeped me out when I was a kid. The illustrations themselves are nightmare inducing. However, some of the stories are humorous, and they all make for great Halloween stories to share with others. Just be aware that there are horror elements within, such as cannibalism, murder, and ghosts.
Why I Chose It
While this collection of stories (and its sequels) is scarier than the other picks I’ve chosen in this list, the stories are classics and perfect to read during spooky season, preferably with others. You can skip stories that you find too scary and move onto the ones that are a bit lighter. That is the beauty of short story collections – you get to pick and choose which ones you read.
The Fear Street Series by R.L. Stine
Fear Street is a teenage horror fiction series written by American author R. L. Stine, starting in 1989. In 1995, a series of books inspired by the Fear Street series, called Ghosts of Fear Street, was created for younger readers, and were more like the Goosebumps books in that they featured paranormal adversaries (monsters, aliens, etc.) and sometimes had twist endings.
R. L. Stine stopped writing Fear Street after penning the Fear Street Seniors spin-off in 1999. In summer 2005, he brought Fear Street back with the three-part Fear Street Nights miniseries.
As of 2010, over 80 million copies of Fear Street have been sold.[2]
R. L. Stine revived the book series in October 2014.[1] In July 2021, a trilogy of films based on the franchise was released weekly on Netflix.
Wikipedia
Spooky Rating
3/5
The spooky rating varies from book to book in the series, but I would give them an average of 3 out of 5. They are scary, but in my opinion, they have been toned down because they are written for young adults.
Why I Chose Them
The beauty of the Fear Street novels is that they are fairly short, which makes them quick reads. There are also various shoot-offs in the same series, such as Fear Street Cheerleaders and Fear Street Super Chiller. This gives you plenty of options to choose the novels that appeal to you. However, some favorite novels in the series include The Surprise Party, The Face, and The Mind Reader. I would just suggest you go to your local used bookstore or thrift store and see what you can find. That’s where I’ve found most of my copies. (Also, there is a trilogy on Netflix based on the Fear Street series that is fun and sure to give you chills without going overboard – give it a try!)
Joyland by Stephen King
Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.
Amazon Synopsis
“I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts. That combo made Hard Case Crime the perfect venue for this book, which is one of my favorites. I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book.” – Stephen King
Spooky Rating
2/5
The spooky elements throughout the novel seem to be secondhand to the coming-of-age story, as well as the mystery that is at the center of the novel. While there are elements of murder and ghosts, they are very tame.
Why I Chose It
Joyland happens to be one of my favorite novels of all time. I am a big Stephen King fan, but I love this novel so much because it has King’s unique voice while giving the reader a story completely different from his other works. It is a coming-of-age story with ghostly elements throughout, so it gives you that spookiness you want for spooky season reading, but it’s a full-on mystery as well. You can’t go wrong with this one.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.
Amazon Synopsis
In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.
But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.
Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.
Spooky Rating
2/5
There are some mentions of animal sacrifice as well as witchy and occult elements throughout. But other than that, this novel provides a sense of eeriness with very tame elements of horror.
Why I Chose It
I recently read The Year of the Witching (you can check out my review here) and found that it was a perfect novel to read during spooky season. While the story does provide horror elements such as creepy woods, witches, cult rituals, and animal sacrifice, the atmosphere it provided was more dark and eerie than nightmare inducing. If you are a fan of witches and stories that are set in a cult with a spooky setting, you will love this novel.
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
A dark, twisty thriller about a centuries-old, ivy-covered boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past. The dangerous romance and atmospheric setting makes it a perfect read for fans of dark academia.
Amazon Synopsis
Felicity Morrow is back at the Dalloway School. Perched in the Catskill Mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to finish high school. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.
Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s past. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind now, but it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget.
It’s Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she has already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called method writer. She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity to help her research the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.
And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway—and herself.
Spooky Rating
1/5
The eeriness of the school setting with elements of witchcraft creates a spooky reading vibe without inducing too much fear. This is perfect for those seeking a thriller novel more than a horror novel that still is perfect for spooky season.
Why I Chose It
When I first read this novel last year, I loved the dark academia vibe because it created an eerie atmosphere, and I was enthralled with the witchy elements. I wouldn’t consider this novel necessarily a horror novel, but it is a thriller, and each page is packed with spookiness that adds up as the reader continues to read. If you would like a darker storyline that provides spooky elements such as witches and dark academia, A Lesson in Vengeance would be a great place to start.
Horrid by Katrina Leno
Following her father’s death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor’s doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone … and more tormented.
As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident “bad seed,” struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane’s mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won’t reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the “storage room” her mom has kept locked isn’t for storage at all–it’s a little girl’s bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears …
Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more … horrid?
Amazon Synopsis
Spooky Rating
2/5
This novel features elements of horror such as an old house, a mysterious room left untouched, and ghosts of the past. I would say that there is a heavy eeriness about this novel that provides some fear, but it is minimal.
Why I Chose It
Horrid is a young adult novel that provides the reader with a light spooky story set in autumn. Its vibes are perfect for spooky season, and I personally appreciate its elements of mental illness and grief. This book would make for a great October book club pick as well!
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation. In this edge-of-your-seat mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake, the truth is as hard to believe as it is to find.
Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood.
Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene—covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody.
Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?
Amazon Synopsis
Spooky Rating
2/5
The beauty of this novel is that it reads like a true crime, and while the crimes are gruesome, the true crime forefront leaves a barrier between the readers and the crimes.
Why I Chose It
I am a huge fan of true crime, and honestly, some true crime novels have given me more scares than horror novels have. That is why I chose this novel, because it reads like a true crime while providing the reader with elements of horror. While it is a young adult novel, it isn’t as toned down as some YA horror novels are, so it is a great pick for spooky season.
I hope you enjoy picking and choosing which of these light horror novels you would like to fill your spooky season to-be-read list with! The majority of these novels are classified as young adult, but they all provide spooky elements that are sure to fill you with unease. Drop a comment and let me know which one is your favorite! I’m dying to know.
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The Horror Maven 