Cover Story: Supernatural and the Paranormal

Here are our librarians' picks of the best teen reads in the Supernatural and the Paranormal genre.

The Girl Who Broke the Sea

A Connors

When Lily and her Mum arrive at Deephaven, an experimental deep-sea research station three miles below the sea level, they are both hoping that she will be able to get a fresh start and leave her troubled past behind. But something else is lurking in the deep sea, something very old, and it doesn’t want to be alone anymore. Combining action-filled sci-fi with ancient mythology, this is a thrilling tale set at the bottom of the undiscovered ocean.   

9780702317583 Scholastic: 2023 

Stone

Finbar Hawkins

Steeped in folklore and witchcraft, this is a modern tale of coming to terms with unimaginable grief. After Sam’s Dad dies suddenly he finds himself adrift in his life and attempts to connect with ancient traditions to make peace with his guilt. Scrying stones, tea-leaves, witchy romance and Norse gods all play a part in this meditative and eerily beautiful tale of finding joy after a great loss. 

9781838935658 Zephyr: 2023 ebook available 

A Forgery of Roses

Jessica Olsen

Myra was born with the power to change a person’s appearance by painting their portrait  but must conceal her skill as many consider this magic to be evil. She struggles to make ends meet, so when she is offered a life-changing amount of money to paint a picture that will bring someone back to life she thinks this may be a way out of her troubles. In fact, her troubles are only just beginning. Horror-infused gothic romance. 

9780008592462 HarperCollins: 2022 ebook available 

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker 

J P Rose

Since he arrived in Jamaica strange things have been happening to Tyrese Walker. He suffers from  blackouts and hallucinations, and is plagued by swarms of insects. Tyrese is convinced that he is being haunted, but is it just the stress of his father’s death getting to him? The answer may lie in a mysterious grave hidden in the nearby forest. Atmospheric and spooky. 

9781839132407 Andersen Press: 2022 ebook available 

Scare Me 

Teri Terry

Liv is sick of her sister. Molly died at birth but has been haunting her ever since, and Liv is desperate for some peace. Then a strange boy turns up and proposes a solution.  All Liv has to do is to scare herself so much that it will lift the curtain between the living and the dead and she will then be able to confront Molly. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But confronting her greatest fears turns out to be a dangerous game. 

9781444962727 Hodder: 2023 

Bite Risk

S J Wills

Every night with a full moon Sel has to lock his Mum in a cage. If he didn’t she would literally tear him to pieces, because every full moon sees all the adults in Sel’s town turning into werewolves The town treats this weird situation as normal, but when even more outlandish things start to happen Sel begins to suspect that he has not been told the whole truth about what is going on. An effective mix of mystery and horror. 

9781398520943 Simon & Schuster: 2023 ebook available