Welcome to our latest round-up of horror and dark fiction aimed at children and the YA market. Most of the books are fairly new, others are older titles I’ve only recently stumbled across. I’m always on the lookout for new YA selections to include in future editions of Young Blood, so do get in touch if you have something we might be interested in reading. I also love making new discoveries and the first two books by Stephen Stromp are amongst my recent favourites. If any of these books take your fancy please click on the cover image or title to purchase a copy from your local Amazon store. Purchasing through affiliate links helps to keep pay for the running cost of this site. In the Graveyard Antemortem (2016) by Stephen Stromp
I’m going to start by introducing an author who we have never featured on Ginger Nuts before, but whom has impressed by greatly with his two novels and one novella. Occasionally I read a book and I cannot decide whether it is YA or adult, nobody fits that bill better than Stephen Stromp with his trippy blend of genre bending fantasy horror. I’ve now read all his stuff and I’m none the wiser! Adult or YA? Who knows, but it’s terrific either way…
Although “In the Graveyard Antemortem” has been marketed as a YA title, when I read it I wasn’t so sure, so I tracked the author down and asked him directly, this is what he had to say: “I agree it doesn't completely fit in YA, although it was partly marketed as such. I guess I consider it YA for adults. Most of the readers who contacted me saying they really connected with the book were adults. I think it really works for adults looking back to their teen years and maybe equating it to the horror movies they loved growing up.” Either way, older teens or adults would enjoy this brilliant book equally, it would really challenge adventurous teenage readers. Seventeen-year-old Lisa is looking forward to leaving high school when her father is murdered, having a dysfunctional brother, she is forced to live with an uncle she never knew existed. This very strange uncle is the owner of Grand Hallow, which is the biggest funeral and mortuary business in America. This huge mortuary is a bizarre, but brilliant, setting for much of the novel. Set in the early 1980s, it has terrific sense of time and place with Lisa trying to cope with the death of her father, maintain her friendships and the exceptionally strange place she is sent to live. Supernatural elements are slowly integrated into the plot, it bobs and weaves in all sorts of directions and is busting with all sorts of larger than life characters. I read this as if it was an adult novel, but strong teen readers would find much to enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an exceptionally quirky read, but highly recommended for AGES FOURTEEN+ who don’t mind a little bit of cannibalism in their YA. Also recommended for TEENAGERS WHO ARE IN THEIR FORTIES! Stephen Stromp went on to say about writing YA which adults also enjoy: “To me, what makes it work with adults [In the Graveyard Antemortem] is it's written from an adult perspective, with adult language, as if the main character is looking back at her teen years when recalling the story. It also doesn't shy away from the gory elements, which are quite graphic at times. It also references many things the YA market wouldn't necessarily identify with today (being set in the 80s). But despite that, I do think it works for YA too. It keeps the teen B-movie horror vibe. And I didn't worry too much about the gore being over the top. It's so over the top in parts, it's silly. When I was 15 and 16, I saw gory movies and read pretty gory stuff - and loved it. And as for as the 80s references, I never minded being exposed to references I didn't understand as a young adult. It just lets you know there's a bigger world to explore.” Where the Cats Will Not Follow by Stephen StromP
Stephen Stromp’s brand new novel is in many ways even weirder than his predecessor, and you really must admire an author who repeatedly comes up with such off-the-wall fiction. This was a recent winner on the ‘Amazon Scout’ system and fair play to them for publishing such a different book. Again, they have this dreamy fantasy horror novel listed as YA, however, if you ask the author he may disagree. I have the feeling Stromp would sell a lot more books if he wrote fiction which was easier to categorise. However, that is not really his style, and this is another beauty for older teens and adults alike.
The novel focuses on a young man coming-of-age against the backdrop of his struggle to understand whether he possess the ability to read the future through dreams, or he is in some way delusional. For much of the time he is protected by his elder brother who helps him manipulate these nightmares and the demons who lurk there and begin to bleed into our world. The book beautifully blends horror, fantasy and surrealism and refuses to sit comfortably in any of those boxes, with terrific sequences involving flying cars, demon hoards mini tornadoes made of metal and sexy tree women. It’s set over many years and Ayden is an exceptionally fractured, but nevertheless engaging, unreliable narrator and it’s one of those books which is difficult to compare to anything else. Like Stromp’s previous novel, this is probably acquired taste, but an adventurous teenager AGED FOURTEEN+ might love it, but equally, it may well have them running for safer more mainstream YA ground! How to Hang a Witch by Adriana MatheR
I’ve heard “How to Hang a Witch” the debut novel from Adriana Mather caused quite a stir in America, and should you read this engagingly modern take on the Salem Witch Trials it is easy to see why. Sixteen-year-old, Samantha Mather is a descendant of one of the leaders involved in the original Salem Witch Trials and when the novel opens she is arriving in her ancestral town for the first time, not really knowing what to expect. Until then her father has not allowed her to visit the home of her birth, however, after an accident he is in a coma, so Sam and her stepmother must relocate to Salem from New York.
Spunky, spiky and very quick to lose her temper, Sam, is not too happy and soon gets into trouble when she starts her new school in Salem. The problem with this quirky little town is that everyone knows she is a ‘Mather’ and even after multiple generations of past history there are plenty of others out there, descendants of the so-called ‘witches’, who would rather she was gone or even dead. What we have here is a very entertaining supernatural yarn aimed at teenage girls, with lots of school bitchiness, supernatural goings on, ghosts, hauntings, ancient curses and a nice dose of romance. The author plays around with the true facts, but there are enough of them around to get readers interested in the original Salem story. A fun supernatural recommendation for AGES THIRTEEN+ and more likely to appeal to girls. The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson
“The Wren Hunt” by Mary Hunt was a strange one, and is probably too challenging for many kids, it takes its time getting going, but is worth sticking with. It’s more dark fantasy than horror, but fans of the latter will happily cross genres with another highly impressive YA debut which cleverly utilises Irish mythology. Two supernatural factions (the Judges and the Augers) battle for survival in a version of modern day Ireland which is top heavy with magic, superstition, and strange goings on. The two factions are eternal enemies, and the main character is an Auger, ‘Wren Silke’, who has a powerful supernatural gift which is one of the main thrusts of the novel.
Wren is a really engaging character, and for the sake of her family, goes undercover, as an intern, at the family home of their sworn enemy hoping to discover anything which might tip the ancient battle in her family’s favour. However, with magic the reality is rarely black and white, and the teenager gets into trouble along the way, especially as her power and gift is slowly revealed. I’ve seen reviewers compare the use of Irish mythology to Peadar O’Guilin’s magnificent “The Call” duology but I can’t see this book having the same impact as those two books. It’s certainly very ambitious, the author does not talk down to her readers, and I really enjoyed this quirky mix of genres, which may confuse slightly younger kids. Recommended for kids AGES FOURTEEN+. Savage Island by Byrony PearcE
“Savage Island” by Byrony Pearce is the latest release from ‘Red Eye’, one of the only imprints releasing straight YA horror in the UK. If I’m completely honest this latest release is below their normal standard and I found it to be predictable, but that may be because I’ve read the likes of “Battle Royale” which may have inspired this book on some level. A group of teenagers enter a competition to win a million pounds in an endurance survival competition on an island near the Shetlands. Everything is secretive and social media is banned. Very quickly the friends realise the competition has a bit more than problem solving and one girl loses a finger and things then get worse in a fight for survival.
Although I found it pedestrian, easy to please teens might get a kick and fast paced read out of it, but stronger readers may seek more challenging reads. Obviously, the organisation behind the event have their own secret agenda, but by the time it was revealed my interest had waned. Throughout, the description of the remote Island was non-existent, which was a shame, as there was potential to do much more with the dark natural surroundings. I suppose you could call this ‘survival horror’, but it was more thriller than anything else. A solid easy read for kids not looking for something too challenging AGED ELEVEN+ and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sacrifice Box by Martin StewarT
Martin Stewart’s second YA novel “Sacrifice Box” was an intriguing little number which was very difficult to classify and because it is set in the 1980s has been compared to “Stand by Me” and “Stranger Things”. Neither of those comparisons do it any favours, as it really is its own odd little beast. What we have here is a genuinely atmospheric supernatural horror about the discovery of an ancient stone box hidden in the forest. Five kids, who are hanging out together over the summer find the box, they decide to each make a sacrifice: something special to them, committed to the box for ever. And they make a pact: they will never return to the box at night; they'll never visit it alone; and they'll never take back their offerings. However, the five kids, Sep, Arkle, Mack, Lamb and Hadley are not friends for life and once school starts up again the friendship disappears.
The story is told in tandem, four years later, a series of strange and terrifying events take place obviously connected to what went before. Someone broke the rules, but who? The old gang (kind of) get back together and investigate what the heck is going on. Although I really liked this book I fear many kids will find it too slow, as it does take its time, however, it’s worth sticking with it as the second half has some terrific scares and set pieces as the origins of the box is explored and how it has impacted other people. The island setting is particularly strong and the main character Sep, who is super bright, bullied, and dreams of escaping to the mainland is a superb main character. Recommended for those AGED FOURTEEN+ who want a genuine and challenging rather unique scare. This is an author to watch, his previous effort “River Keep” was an impressive dark fantasy novel. Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Silver Eyes |
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