THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR DISSECTS THE NOVELS ON THE YA STOKER PRELIMINARY LIST

Since 2017 Ginger Nuts of Horror has reviewed all the books which feature on the Preliminary Ballot of the YA section of the prestigious Bram Stoker Award and I am happy to announce that this year boasts is a very strong collection of ten titles. Arguably, the best they have selected in many years. Eight of the featured novels have all previously been reviewed in ‘Young Blood’, the YA section of Ginger Nuts of Horror, so it looks like the Stoker judges have been keeping an eye on what we have been reviewing. At some point half the field will be cut for the Final Ballot and good luck to all those involved.

ADAM CESARE – CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (9/10)
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Clown in a Cornfield is undoubtedly the most read (and anticipated) YA horror novel by adults in several years and it more than matched its pre-publication hype. This highly impressive teen debut from adult horror author Adam Cesare ticked many of the boxes required for a sure-fire YA hit: gore, engaging characters, great kill scenes and a sly sense of humour. I do love a ‘Final Girl’ and main character Quinn Maybrook was a great lead, particularly when the body count spirals in the second half of the story. Clown in a Cornfield truly is a book of two halves in which the first establishes the plot with the story exploding in the second stanza. Upon arrival in the sleepy and remote small town of Kettle Strings (Missouri) Quinn and her father Doctor Glen Maybrook are quickly sucked into a white-knuckle ride which, like many of the b-horror films it is inspired by, most of the bloodthirsty action takes place over a single night.


What of the clowns? This part of the plot is inspired by ‘Frendo’, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat which has been associated with the town for decades.  If you have watched many of the slasher films Clown in the Cornfield plays homage to, you’ll realise these films were all about the kill sequences and in this regard the novel does not hold back on the gore which involves chainsaws, shotguns and crossbows. The clown action sequences were outstanding set pieces and are guaranteed to nail any teenage reader to the page as the body count spirals. I hope this highly entertaining novel is taken in the spirit in which it is intended: old fashioned gore, unrelenting action and gleefully violent fun which is played out with a nice group of teenage characters. First and foremost, teen fiction is a form of escapism, which is supposed to be fun, and in that respect this novel is an absolute winner. AGE 13/14+

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DANIEL KRAUS – BENT HEAVENS (9/10)
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Kraus has a superb back-catalogue of dark/horror YA fiction, including the highly recommended Rotters, and this latest release maintains this high standard. Eighteen-year-old Liv Fleming leads this genre-bending thriller which dances around horror and science fiction in a very convincing, Ohio, small-town setting. Teenage readers will easily tap into the troubled psyche and angst of a girl whose world was turned upside down when her father disappeared two years earlier, but it is the circumstances surrounding her father which makes this story fascinating. Lee Fleming was a very popular English teacher at the school Liv attended and before he disappeared indefinitely, vanished for a much shorter period before reappearing, naked, on the school campus. He was not the same man and was deeply psychologically traumatised claiming to have been abducted by aliens, with patchy memories of being experimented upon. Officially, it was presumed he suffered a mental breakdown and the family struggled to cope with the very public emotional fallout.

Once Lee Fleming returns after his first disappearance, he becomes obsessed with aliens and constructs a series of six very dangerous traps in the woodland surrounding his house and names them; Amputator, Hangman’s Noose, Crusher, Neckbreaker, Abyss and Hard Passage. I found Bent Heavens to be a great read and it has enough strings in its bow to attract differing types of teen readers with its convincing blend of horror, drama, and thriller. In the end the story did not go where many readers might expect it to and is backed up an impressive twist (although I saw it coming) which was also completely heart-breaking. Ultimately, even though Liv might not have been the most sympathetic of characters, her pain and grief were convincingly portrayed in a powerful novel about the lengths people will go to know the truth. Even if the answers are going to provide more pain, there is at least closure. AGE 13+
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ERICA WATERS – GHOST WOOD SONG (8.5/10)
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The debut novel from Erica Waters, Ghost Wood Song, has a unique position in YA horror; the first I have ever read which features bluegrass music as a major theme. Hell, how many mid-teens even know what bluegrass is? I just asked my fifteen-year-old daughter and she responded with “that weird hillbilly banjo music that kid from Deliverance played” so perhaps a few might! Shady Grove is named after a famous bluegrass tune and longs to follow in her late father’s footsteps by playing old school bluegrass music and part of the conflict comes from the fact that the other members of her band, including Sarah (who Shady has a thing for), want to play more modern or mainstream tunes. Older teens looking for a slow-burning drama with a strong musical theme and supernatural overtones will find much escapism in these pages.
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Family dynamics play a key part of story after a death in the family, whilst Shady struggles to get over the death of her father, continually returning to one of his favourite songs. She believes that her father’s fiddle had the power to conjure up the dead and is set on finding it and although the supernatural story was interesting, I was more drawn to Shady’s relationships with Sarah and others. The music scenes genuinely sparkled, as they should in novels with this kind of vibe, and I thought Shady was very cool in sticking to her guns and not selling out. Ghost Wood Song also had an outstanding ending and although it will be too slow for some teens, those who enjoy a thoughtful read, with well-drawn characters are in for a treat. AGE 13/14+
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DARREN CHARLTON – WRANGLESTONE (8.5/10)
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Whilst zombies dominated the adult horror market a few years ago, they were a mere blip on the YA landscape and never amounted to much. It has also become trendy to write zombie novels without the dreaded ‘Z’ word ever used and in Darren Charlton’s excellent Wranglstone we have another, instead the Zs are referred to as the ‘Restless Dead’. It might be a zombie yarn, but at heart it is also a love story between two boys who find each other in a novel which has its own clever take on the zombie mythology. The ‘Wranglestone’ of the title is an excellent location for what is effectively a survival story set a generation or so after a zombie holocaust. Most people are dead and the story focusses upon a group of survivors who live on an island and follow very strict rules and regulations, for example, not accepting newcomers. Early in the story everybody is edgy as when winter arrives, the lake will freeze and that will bring the Restless Dead to their doorsteps.

You could argue that Wranglestone is not a horror novel, for long periods the zombies are in the background, with the focus more on Peter and Cooper and their place in the community. Cooper, on the other hand, is more outgoing and has more of a role as a hunter and defender, showing Peter the ropes in how they go about defending their home.  I thought the story had excellent world-building, a credible backstory and was a fresh take on the zombie yarn. Adult connoisseurs on the ‘Z’ subject will undoubtedly have come across most of the ideas elsewhere, but for a teenage reader it was excellent stuff and the final third throws some very entertaining curveballs and decent twists about the darker side and origins of Wranglestone. It was also refreshing to read about a teenager who knew he was gay from the outset, there was no questioning or ambiguity, he had been attracted to Cooper since day one and that was that. AGE 12/13+

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ESTELLE LAURE - MAYHEM (7.5/10)
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I always enjoy authors who change directions with their fiction and with her third YA novel Estelle Laure edges away from teen dramas into the world of the supernatural with the beguiling Mayhem. The novel begins with sixteen-year-old Mayhem Brayburn and her single parent mother, Roxy, returning to the family home in the seaside town of Santa Maria where her father died when she was a baby. Much of the story is built around Mayhem’s return to her hometown and the secrets connecting her to her family and their unconventional history. Mayhem deals with the family dynamics in the Brayburn family and the vaguely explained hold they exert over the town they live just outside. In the time Roxy has been away her sister Elle has fostered three other children who are key characters in the novel and in the convincing relationships Mayhem builds when she uncovers her past.   


The convincing developing friendship of the four children was crucial to the success of the book and for most of the time their relationships dominated the plot and the supernatural element lurked in the background. The subtle supernatural angle revolves around what makes the Brayburn’s different from everybody else in Santa Maria, with added conflict thrown in because the three other children are not Brayburn by blood. At a certain point, the ‘magic’ is explained away because the town is built upon a ‘Psychic Vortex’ where weird stuff can happen. Although I enjoyed Mayhem, its success with real teen readers will depend on how well they connect with Mayhem as a leading character and their interest in the family vibes which dominate the story. Other readers may find it a tad slow, but for those teens who enjoy thoughtful dramas with a supernatural twist it was highly engaging. AGE 13+

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LESLIE KAREN LUTZ – FRACTURED TIDE (7/10)
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Fractured Tide action kicks off with Sia on a scuba-diving trip; her mother owns a boat and together they entertain tourist on day excursions. Whilst on a dive around a popular ship-wreck site with a large group of teenagers they think they are being stalked by a shark, but quickly realise this is something much nastier lurking in the water which quickly claims its first victim. From that point on, which is still quite early in the novel, expect the unexpected. Monsters, time-travel, Bermuda Triangle style shenanigans, weird sinkholes, time repeating itself and all sorts of outlandish stuff are thrown into a convoluted mix. I am not going to go into any details about any of this part of Fractured Tide, just don’t expect it to make much sense, as it is as much X-Files as thriller.

Fractured Tide has an odd narrative style which some readers might find both frustrating and a tension killer. The whole story is told in the first person, present tense, by seventeen-year-old Sia in the form of journal entries written to her absent father. As Sia has a lot of swimming and diving experience the others look at her for leadership as events continue to get more outlandish and she holds things together admirably due to the lack of adult leadership. Her mother appears in patches and she also must watch out for her little brother Felix.  Fractured Tide might have had a broader YA appeal if there had been more than one POV, including the underutilised Ben. Some of the reveals were handled very nicely and Fractured Tide keeps the reader guessing until the bitter end, which is no surprise as the story is wild. Even if you pick a few holes in the outlandish plot it was still very good fun. AGE 12+

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​ANN DAVILA CARDINAL – CATEGORY FIVE (FIVE MIDNIGHTS BOOK 2) (7/10)

Category Five is a welcome sequel to the YA Bram Stoker Award nominated Five Midnights (2020). Although this continuation of the story of teenager Lupe, who is half Puerto Rican and half American, is not as strong as the original, it is a very readable sequel, which has the same strong cultural feel of its predecessor. In Five Midnights, Lupe and her friends were stalked by the Puerto Rican version of the bogieman in a novel which had a neat sense of time and place which convincingly blended with the supernatural. Category Five does its best to repeat the same trick but lacks the freshness of the original and as another spooky mystery unfolds, Scooby Doo, Shaggy, and the gang sprang to mind in a story which although has its moments, lacked scares in the supernatural area of the story.
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Much of the action takes place on the island of Vieques, not far from the Puerto Rican coast, some months after a devastating category five hurricane. Around the same time, a new holiday resort is being built on the island when strange things begin to happen, weird lights are seen, and before long there are dead bodies, some missing their hearts. Ghostly figures are also sighted which are introduced in a superb prologue. Meanwhile, Lupe is back in Puerto Rica visiting her police chief uncle and the story picks up the developing romance with Javier from the end of the previous novel. The supernatural mystery itself was slightly old hat and when revealed the concept will be very familiar to adult readers, however, it worked fine within a less demanding YA context. The strength of the novel was undoubtedly its setting, coupled with its vivid connection to local culture. Lupe was also a great character, unable to speak proper Spanish (and very pale skinned) her search for identity, as a ‘gringa’ with the locals was an enthralling read and was perhaps more engrossing than the supernatural story itself. AGE 13+

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​ASH PARSONS - GIRLS SAVE THE WORLD IN THIS ONE (7/10)

Girls Save the World in This One was the only comedy of the ten books on the preliminary list, and although it was some very funny moments it suffers from being much too long and perhaps being so stupid it becomes slightly hit and miss. But as it is billed as “Shaun of the Dead meets Clueless” you get what you pay for and a few moments had me snorting out loud and I also happily recommended it to my fifteen-year-old daughter who enjoys fiction with pop culture references and the world of fandom which is lightly explored and mocked in this book. It is also worth pointing out that the title Girls Save the World in This One is a total misfire, because girls save the world in every YA horror world these days with boys no longer getting a look in. The ridiculous story revolves around three best friends, June Blue, Imani and Siggy, and their day out to a zombie convention in their local town. Top of the bill is the opportunity of meeting the heartthrob of their favourite zombie apocalypse show, ‘Human Wasteland’ (remind you of anything?) and listen to panels, have photo opportunities, and meet other stars from the world of zombie film and television.
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These types of uber-fan conventions are more of an American phenomenon than anywhere else and one wonders whether some of the jokes may go over the head of British or other non-USA readers? Before long, the teenagers realise that there are real zombies at the event and the fight for survival, even if the novel lacked true threat, is on. Because of the ‘cosplay’ aspect there are those who are dressed up as zombies, who looked more like ‘real’ zombies than the actual zombies! Some of this was very amusing and before long the girls are fighting for survival along with the heroes of the TV show and other quirky veterans of zombie films. Although much of the dialogue was snappy and engaging, the problem with Girls Save the World in This One is that it was a one-joke book and playing it out over 400 odd pages was just too much.  This was dumb, but fun, and probably highly acquired taste. AGE 12+

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​MONIQUE SNYMAN - THE BONE CARVER (NIGHT WEAVER BOOK 2) (6/10)

The Bone Carver is a sequel to the entertaining fantasy horror The Night Weaver (2019) which reached the final ballot of the Bram Stoker YA Award a couple of years ago. This sequel which takes us back to the New England town of Shadow Grove, has the same main characters, locations and having read book one would be advisable before tackling this, however, there are recaps and it could also be read as a standalone novel. Shadow Grove is one of those weird towns where strange things happen and many people either take it for granted or turn a blind eye, as it is strongly connected to the fairy realm, with the supernatural bleeding into our world. The location is one of the great strengths of the book, as is Ridge Crest High School, both are very well drawn, and the author does a fine job of bringing to life.
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In this latest adventure high school senior Rachel Cleary (and her cool Scottish cousin Dougal) start finding strange little models in odd places around the school, which they connect to a rash of accidents around town. Although Rachel is stressed about her exams, she realises that something powerful has come across from the fairy realm and as her aunt has had an accident she has to turn to Orion Nebulius, the supernatural being who helped her defeat the Night Weaver in the previous book. Although The Bone Carver was an entertaining enough read it took a while to get going and ages for Rachel to firstly find and bring Orion into the action before the plot moved into the key story thread. Overall, although this was a solid sequel, the central story, once it was revealed could have been stronger, but Rachel is an engaging enough character to partially gloss over that crucial shortcoming. AGE 12+

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​AIDEN THOMAS - CEMETERY BOYS 6/10

Yadriel, a trans teenager, is the main character of Cemetery Boys, who comes from a long line of ‘brujos’ which is the Latin American term for ‘witch’ and within the context of this novel is very much part of their local culture and day-to-day life. Due to Yadriel’s sexuality he has clashes with his family and issues of acceptance with other members of the Latin East Los Angeles community where he lives. His best friend is his cousin Maritza who is supportive of his situation and helps him in his quest to become a recognised brujo, which is seen as a rights-of-passage in the Latin community. To do so the pair perform a ritual to find the ghost of his murdered cousin, Miguel, however, something goes from and instead they raise the ghost of another recently murdered teenage boy, Julian Diaz, who it turned out attended the same high school as Yadriel. Following the surprise appearance of the ghost (which few other people can see except for Yadriel and Maritza) the plot takes in a few murders, family drama, sexuality, and romance, all of which is handled with a relatively light touch.
   
Firstly, it was nice to see a trans character take the lead role in a YA horror novel, even if the ‘horror’ was very minimal, with the plot predominately dancing around the Latin supernatural angle and the personal situation of Yadriel. Lots of Spanish words are dropped into the text, which I found quite appealing, and had me reaching for Google translator. However, apart from the fact that Yadriel was trans and has both family and community problems because of it, he was presented in a relatively shallow manner.  It was also incredibly easy to see where the book was going with everything telegraphed right to the cute ending. Ultimately, Cemetery Boys has a very positive message about diversity and accepting people for being themselves, also giving the readers an insightful look into the Latin American community and some of the issues trans teens might face. I am sure many readers will love this book, however, I found the blend of romance and the supernatural slightly unconvincing, but nevertheless enjoyed it.    ​

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