February 28, 2023 was an essential release day for the young adult horror/thriller genre! I have always been a big fan of YA horror/thrillers and I have found that most of my favorite novels fall under this label. In recent years, it seems that YA horror has been really taking off, and so many of these novels are excellent reads for readers of all ages. While YA horror novels tend to not be as extreme as other forms of horror, they are deliciously spooky and are ideal reads for anyone looking to enter the horror genre or for readers who prefer a lighter form of horror.
I hope that you enjoy reading about these exciting new releases, and that you decide to take a chance on them! You will not be disappointed.
She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
A house with a terrifying appetite haunts a broken family in this atmospheric horror, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic.
When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.
But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat.
Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home her family has always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.
Goodreads Synopsis
I have been waiting for this novel to come out for so long, and I was super excited to learn that it was chosen as the Barnes and Noble young adult book club pick for March! I ran to Barnes and Noble bright and early on the release day to pick up my copy and caught them just as they were putting the books out and setting up the display. The Barnes and Noble edition comes with exclusive artwork, an alternative cover, and a bonus chapter. You can check out the special edition here.
The Island by Natasha Preston
Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestsellers The Twin and The Lake, another pulse-pounding read from the undisputed queen of YA thrillers!
They said goodbye to their friends and family for the weekend. They weren’t counting on forever.
Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.
When the teens arrive, they’re stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.
But soon they’ll discover that something’s missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.
Goodreads Synopsis
Natasha Preston has been an auto buy author for me for quite some time, and I pre-ordered The Island months ago. Preston’s horror/thriller novels are always very dark and intense, and I just fly through the pages. If you haven’t read The Cellar by her, pick it up now! It is one of the best books I have ever read.
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.
Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…
A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?
As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.
Goodreads Synopsis
As soon as I heard that Delicious Monsters was reminiscent of The Haunting of Hill House, I couldn’t help but snatch it up. This is a new author to me, and I have a feeling that she is quickly going to become one of my favorites. Her writing is phenomenal, and this story is darkly beautiful.
Young adult novels are some of the best written novels in the publishing world that I have read, and I am a firm believer that they are perfect for readers of all ages. I hope that you are able to take a chance on some of these novels, and that you might just find a new favorite author. Enjoy!
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The Horror Maven 