Summer is officially here, and, at least where I am, it is hot. So I thought I’d kick off my summer of posts with a list of some summer and sun influenced YA horror novels. Now, I’ve read some of these, but not all of them, and I might have left some good ones off the list, so let me know if you have any opinions or recommendations to share.
Solstice: A Tropical Horror Comedy by Lorence Alison
This one is pretty new, and I’ll be posting a review of it sometime in the next week. Loosely based on the infamous Fyre Festival debacle, Solstice revolves around Adri, who disappoints her parents by running away to attend the much-hyped Solstice Festival with her best friend Elena. They’re disappointed to discover that the festival is a mess and nothing like the ads, but things get worse when a body turns up.
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
Lois Duncan’s novel was the basis for one of my favorite 90’s teen horror films. The book is a lot different than the movie, but the basic plot is essentially the same: a group of teens cover up a deadly accident and a year later begin receiving notes with the titular warning. Subsequently, attempts are made on their lives.
The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein (Middle Grade)
Grabenstein’s novel is the first in a series about a boy named Zack, who moves to an old house in a new town with his father and new stepmother. The series is actually Middle Grade, but I read this one a few years ago and liked it so much, I wanted to include it. In Crossroads, Zack spends his summer facing off against the evil spirit of a man killed years before in a fiery car crash near his house. With the help of his new stepmother and a mysterious young boy, can Zack save himself and everyone else from this malevolent entity?
Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy
Camp So-and-So concerns a group of girls who plan on spending the summer at a prestigious camp run by a famous philanthropist, but all is not as it seems in this novel from Mary McCoy (Dead to Me). I haven’t actually read this one yet, but it sounds super mysterious. I hope on getting to it this summer, so check back here for a review sometime in the near future.
And finally, if those don’t satisfy you, you can always check the following books by R.L. Stine. I haven’t read them, but Stine can always be counted on for a pulpy good time.
YA Horror 