Summer camp, vacations, swimming…summer is the best, right? WRONG. At least not when it comes to these 5 horror novels!

Summer horror is one of my favorite forms of horror, because it turns such a “happy” season on its head. While not all of these books explicitly take place in the summer, they feature summer vibes due to their content.

The Depths by Nicole Lesperance

A tropical island full of secrets. Two Victorian ghosts, trapped for eternity. And a seventeen-year-old girl determined not to be next.

Eulalie Island should be a paradise, but to Addie Spencer, it’s more like a prison.

Forced to tag along to the remote island on her mother’s honeymoon, Addie isn’t thrilled about being trapped there for two weeks. The island is stunning, with its secluded beaches and forests full of white flowers. But there’s something eerie and unsettling about the place.

After Addie meets an enigmatic boy on the beach, all the flowers start turning pink. The island loves you, he tells her. But she can’t stop sleepwalking at night, the birds keep calling her name, and there’s a strange little girl in the woods who wants to play hide-and-seek. When Addie learns about two sisters who died on the island centuries ago, she wonders if there’s more to this place, things only she can see.

Beneath its gorgeous surface, Eulalie Island is hiding dark, tangled secrets. And if Addie doesn’t unravel them soon, the island might never let her go.

Goodreads Synopsis

What is scarier than going on vacation and realizing that the island you are on is trying to kill you? This novel took my breath away because the writing is so unique and vivid. While it is a young adult pick, I loved it, and I know that it will appeal to other adults as well.

Beach Bodies: A Beach Vacation Horror Anthology

A family’s vacation is cut short when the dead begin to rise. A strange hotel will do anything to keep its guests from leaving. A series of murders lead a local reporter on the hunt for a werewolf. A distraught man discovers he’s on a vacation from hell. Friends on vacation come face to face with an ancient curse.

Beach vacations are meant for relaxing and unwinding away from the drudgery of normal life. The sparkling sun, shimmering on cresting waves. A light breeze as you sit with toes in the sand, a cold drink in one hand. Utopia on an island. But what happens when that paradise suddenly becomes a purgatory of pain?

What will you do when the beaches fill with bodies and the waters run red with blood? When creatures crawl the coastline and the jungle teems with terror. How will you survive when a tropical respite becomes an arena of peril?

Beach Bodies features sixteen terrifying tales of beach vacation horror. For even more scares, check out the companion anthology Slice of Paradise out now from DarkLit Press.

This anthology includes stories by Scott Cole, Jay Alexander, Kelly Brocklehurst, Damien Casey, Leeroy Cross James, Max Christmas, Ronaldo Katwaroo, Nicholas A. Battaglia, Fox Claret Hill, Nat Whiston, Chelsea Paravel, Wendy Dalrymple, John Durgin, Jena Brown, Danielle Ramaekers, and Julie Sevens.

Goodreads Synopsis

The beauty of anthologies is that you get to hear so many unique voices all around a certain theme – and this one does not disappoint! It is filled with all matter of beach/summer based horror, and you are sure to find a new favorite story within.

The Troop by Nick Cutter

Once a year, scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip; a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story and a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder — shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry — stumbles upon their campsite, Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. An inexplicable horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival that will pit the troop against the elements, the infected … and one another.

Goodreads Synopsis

This read is such a tough one. It is splatterpunk, and there are some very dark and disturbing elements (be wary of scenes that depict animal cruelty). It has stuck with me even though I read it a few years ago, and I can’t seem to get it out of my head. It is the ultimate summer horror novel!

The Ruins by Scott Smith

Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything they could ever imagine. Two young couples are on a lazy Mexican vacation–sun-drenched days, drunken nights, making friends with fellow tourists. When the brother of one of those friends disappears, they decide to venture into the jungle to look for him. What started out as a fun day-trip slowly spirals into a nightmare when they find an ancient ruins site . . . and the terrifying presence that lurks there.

Goodreads Synopsis

This classic has long been hailed as one of the best horror novels of all time. It is a fantastic vacation horror novel, and perfect for your summer reading list. I highly recommend reading this before watching the movie adaptation if you can!

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night?

This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street.

Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business.

But the last weekend of the season, Charity’s co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity’s role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night, they’ll need figure out what this killer is after. Is there is more to the story of Mirror Lake and its dangerous past than Charity ever suspected?

Goodreads Synopsis

And finally, a young adult horror novel that just released and is a slasher that takes place in a summer camp! What more could you want? Even though this novel is labeled as young adult, I really enjoyed it as an adult. I think you will too!

Summer horror is such a specific brand of horror, and generally encompasses novels that are set in the summer, as well as those that feature summer themes, such as vacation, camping, summer camps, etc. I have given you a tasting of summer horror here, but there are so many more books to discover! Feel free to comment and let me know any summer horror novels that you recommend.