Cover Story: Horror and ghost stories

Here are our librarians' picks of the best teen reads in the horror and ghost stories genre.

The Undying of Obedience Wellrest

Nicholas Bowling

Ned and Obedience are two teens thrown together by fate, science, and bodysnatching in this deliciously dark gothic mystery set in 1832. Ned has spent an isolated life as the grandson of a gravedigger but has begun to notice strange goings-on amongst the headstones. Obedience is dealing with her own problems; namely the arrival of a potential suitor who appears to have ulterior motives and a fixation on long-dead Uncle Herbert’s unusual scientific research. Frankenstein meets Tuck Everlasting in this gruesome yet charming read.

9781912626687 Chicken House: 2023

The Tall Man

Mary Cathleen Brown

The locals call it the Tall Man house, after a local legend who supposedly did terrible things there over two hundred years ago. So, when Tom hears a strange boy’s voice in the cellar of his new home, he suspects he might be hearing traces of the Tall Man’s crimes, echoing across time. Having stirred up dark forces from the past, Tom’s life may now be in danger in this scary time-travel mystery.

9781911427391 Everything with words: 2024

A Taste of Darkness

Various authors

A haunted doll, a deadly house party, creatures in the woods, teenage vampires, and demons from the underworld; the thirteen short stories that haunt these pages are guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. These atmospheric tales have enough twists and turns to keep even the most hardened horror fans guessing, and with renowned YA authors such as Louie Stowell and Kat Dunn contributing their eerie imaginings, we would advise against reading this collection before bedtime… Due to some gory moments, this is recommended for readers aged 13+.

9780702329173 Scholastic: 2023

100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Cafe

Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada

Our two authors, Julian and Chie, are travelling to Fear Mountain; home to spirits and strange apparitions, to help a young boy named Akira find his home. Short stories and manga are combined in this novel-with-a-difference as our protagonists encounter a variety of yokai monsters and famous ghosts including a ghost cat and a phantom skateboarder. Part cozy, part creepy, this second collaboration after 2021’s Tsunami Girl is sure to appeal to fans of manga and ghost stories alike.

9781913101886 Guppy Books: 2024

If I Have to be Haunted

Miranda Sun

Cara Tang can see ghosts, just as her grandmother could, but she steadfastly ignores them in an attempt to live a normal life. But when her classmate, the infuriatingly charming Zach Coleson, is murdered and his ghost begs her for help, she will have to face the supernatural world she has spent her life avoiding and embrace the power that she has long kept buried inside. A romantic, funny, and fantastical adventure that blends mythology and mystery in a magical quest across dimensions.

9780008612443 Magpie: 2024

Us in the Before and After

Jenny Valentine

Elk and Mab have been BFFs since they were eleven, with such a strong bond that not even death itself can divide them. Over a long, hot summer these two friends, one girl and one ghost, must grapple with their new reality, lingering tensions, and the tangled choices that led to that fatal night. Grief, love, and quantum physics are all woven together in this sensitive exploration of traumatic loss and its aftermath. Perfect for fans of John Green and Sarah Barnard.

9781471196584 Simon & Schuster: 2024