 We hope you have enjoyed following our ‘Top 100’ YA novels published across the previous decade and find something for yourself or a loved one to check out. It is very much a personal choice and includes a fantastic blend of ghosts, vampires, zombies, and good old-fashioned scares. For the first time, we are releasing numbers 51-100 which include novels which are also well worth having a closer look at. We are delighted to crown the amazing Amy Lukavics the Ginger Nuts ‘Queen of YA Horror’ as all four of her published novels are ranked within the top 100 at 4, 12, 23 and 51. My daughter, who helped with the list, had also read all of Amy’s novels argued that I should switch around 23 and 51! Perhaps, but in the end of the day all 4 are terrific. This incredible author deserves every plaudit possible and her brand of edgy, angsty, and varied YA horror needs to be made as widely available as possible. Amy is followed by the uber-cool Frances Hardinge, who has three entries in the top 100, positioned at 17, 53 and 79. This British author effortlessly blends horror with fantasy and historical fiction, with number 17 Cuckoo Song her closest novel to straight horror and is regularly recommended by horror legend Ramsey Campbell. In the UK Frances is a literary institution, but lesser known in the USA, so check her out if you have not sampled her unique blend of genre-blending. A group of other authors made impressive double appearances in our top 100. Most impressively Alden Bell who scored number one with The Reapers are the Angels, and 11 with When We Were Animals, writing as Joshua Gaylord. What can I say about the amazing Alden/Josh? I love the guy and hope we see another novel from him soon. Others recording fine doubles were Melvin Burgess who is not especially seen as a horror author, Dawn Kurtagich, Jeyn Roberts, Juno Dawson, Courtney Alameda and William Hussey. Well done to all. Melvin Burgess, Bill Hussey and Juno Dawson have all been around for years and are very well known in the UK, and I am sure the others have exciting careers in front of them. All highly accomplished writers and represent the very best in what dark YA fiction has to offer. For the last number of years women have been responsible for much of the fantastic YA horror fiction published and this is reflected in the fact that 55 of the 100 selected were written by females. This is fantastic to see, and Ginger Nuts of Horror is happy to acknowledge the tremendous lift women given the genre. It is a shame so little foreign language YA horror is translated into English and as a result, sadly, the 100 books selected are predominately from the USA or the UK, with Rin Chupeco being the major exception. Approximately 56 were from authors who were from the USA or Canada, around 42 were from the UK or Ireland, with a couple of other countries represented also. We felt this was a strong international spread with the USA rightfully leading the charge. The only international book prize for YA horror is the Horror Writer’s Association Stoker Award, who have had a YA category for the last decade. However, if you are looking for recommendations, I would urge caution as their shortlists have frequently featured very mediocre novels and weak winners. The fact that zero of their last ten winners are featured in this top 100 tells its own story, although some of those shortlisted are. Also, the YA Stoker, even though it is an international award only seems to celebrate American authors, this top 100 is considerably more balanced. I have not featured sequels in the list, however, there is one particularly brand which has 4 entries in the top 100, Red Eye. This is the UK equivalent of 1990s Point Horror and after 12 books is an incredibly popular UK brand with a range of top authors on their books. Note also the total absence of the sub-genre Paranormal Romance, this is not because I had anything against angels, werewolves and vampires, but the big hitters of the genre all published their first books in the previous decade and sequels (which do not count) for this list. A very small selection of the 100 are what you might call ‘accessible adult’ titles, these are books originally released for adults which have either picked up YA audiences, or I believe they deserve to. This includes: Alden Bell – Reapers are the Angels (1), Neil Gaiman – Ocean at the End of the Lane (6), Joshua Gaylord – When We Were Animals (11), Richard Farren Barber – Closer Still (35), Victoria Dalpe – Parasite Life (40) and Michael Thomas Ford – Lily (44). 1. Alden Bell - Reapers are the Angels (2010) USA 2 .Kevin Brooks - The Bunker Diary (2013) UK 3. Peadar Ó Guilín – The Call (2016) IRELAND 4. Amy Lukavics - The Ravenous (2017) USA 5. Sarah Pinsborough - The Death House (2015) UK 6. Neil Gaiman – Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013) UK 7. Jonathan Maberry - Rot & Ruin (2010) USA 8. Dawn Kurtagich – The Creeper Man (2016) UK 9. Alex Bell - Frozen Charlotte (2014) UK 10. Rin Chupeco - The Girl from the Well (2014) PHILLIPINES 11. Joshua Gaylord – When We Were Animals (2015) USA 12. Amy Lukavics - Daughters Unto Devils (2015) USA 13. E. Lockhart – We Were Liars (2014) USA 14. Liana Gardner – Speak No Evil (2019) USA 15. Lindsey Barraclough - Long Lankin (2011) UK 16. Jeremy de Quidt – The Wrong Train (2016) UK 17. Frances Hardinge - Cuckoo Song (2012) UK 18. Kendare Blake - Anna Dressed in Blood (2011) USA 19. Jacqueline West – Last Things (2019) USA 20. Melvin Burgess – The Hit (2012) USA 21. Graham McNamee – Beyond (2012) CANADA 22. Lou Morgan – Sleepless (2014) UK 23. Amy Lukavics – The Women in the Walls (2016) USA 24. Dawn Kurtagich – The Dead House (2015) UK 25. Laura Bates – The Burning (2019) UK 26. Brenna Yovanoff - The Replacement (2010) USA 27. – Devils Unto Dust (2018) USA 28. Jeyn Roberts – When They Fade (2016) USA 29. Courtney Summers - This Is Not a Test (2012) USA 30. Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2011) USA 31. John Hornor Jacobs – Twelve Fingered Boy (2013) USA 32. Kaitlin Ward – Bleeding Earth (2015) USA 33. Kim Derting - The Body Finder (2010) USA 34. Barry Lyga - I Hunt Killers (2012) USA 35. Richard Farren Barber – Closer Still (2018) UK 36. Madeleine Roux – Asylum (2013) USA 37. Gabriel Dylan – Whiteout (2019) UK 38. Justine Ireland – Dread Nation (2018) USA 39. Robin Jarvis – Dancing Jax (2011) UK 40. Victoria Dalpe – Parasite Life (2016) USA 41. Marcus Sedgwick - White Crow (2010) UK 42. Courtney Alameda - Shutter (2015) USA 43. Rick Yancey - The Monstrumologist: The Terror Beneath (2010) USA 44. Michael Thomas Ford – Lily (2016) USA 45. Will Hill – Department 19 (2011) UK 46. Gretchen McNeil – Ten (2013) USA 47. Matthew Kirby - A Taste for Monsters (2016) USA 48. William Hussey -Jekyll's Mirror (2015) UK 49. Alex Gordon Smith – The Fury (2012) UK 50. Dave Shelton – Thirteen Chairs (2012) UK 51. Amy Lukavics – Nightingales (2016) USA 52. Jeyn Roberts – Dark Inside (2011) USA 53. Frances Hardinge – The Lie Tree (2015) UK 54. Gregory Hughes – Summertime of the Dead (2012) UK 55. Stephen Stromp - In the Graveyard Antemortem (2016) USA 56. Cliff McNish – The Hunting Ground (2011) UK 57. Kenneth Oppel – The Nest (2015) CANADA 58. Andrew Norriss – Jessica’s Ghost (2015) UK 59. Derek Landy – Demon Road (2015) UK 60. Dayna Lorntz – No Safety in Numbers (2012) USA 61. Matt Whyman – The Savages (2012) UK 62. Juno Dawson – Say Her Name (2014) UK 63. Rebecca Schaeffer – Not Even Bones (2018) USA 64. Gregg Hurwitz – The Rains (2016) USA 65. Jonathan Stroud - The Screaming Staircase (2012) UK 66. Isaac Marion - Warm Bodies (2010) USA 67. Patrick Ness - A Monster Calls (2011) UK 68. Holly Black - The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (2013) USA 69. Courtney Alameda - Pitch Dark (2018) USA 70. Katie Coyle – Vivian Versus the Apocalypse (2013) USA 71. Lily Herne – Deadlands (2013) USA 72. Edward Hogan – Saving Daylight (2012) UK 73. Pam Smy – Thornhill (2017) UK 74. Leo Hunt – 13 Days of Midnight (2015) UK 75. Michelle Harrison – Unrest (2012) UK 76. Jon Mayhew – Mortlock (2010) UK 77. Melvin Burgess – Hunger (2013) UK 78. Andrew Fukuda – The Hunt (2012) USA 79. Frances Hardinge – A Skinful of Shadows (2017) UK 80. William Hussey – Haunted (2013) UK 81. Daniel Kraus – Rotters (2011) USA 82. Elsie Chapman – Caster (2019) USA 83. Martin Stewart – Sacrifice Box (2018) UK 84. Elle Cosimano – Nearly Gone (2014) USA 85. Kali Wallace – Shallow Graves (2016) USA 86. Emmy Laybourne – Monument 14 (2012) USA 87. Amy Plum – Dream Fall (2017) USA 88. Jimmy Cajoleas - The Good Demon (2018) USA 89. Ilsa Bick – Ashes (2011) USA 90. Amelinda Bérubé – Here There Are Monsters (2019) USA 91. Matt Haig – The Radleys (2010) UK 92. Caitlin Kittredge – Dreaming Darkness (2019) USA 93. Maggie Stiefvater – Raven Boys (2012) USA 94. Juno Dawson – Under My Skin (2015) UK 95. Kate Harrison – Soul Beach (2011) UK 96. Stephanie Perkins – There’s Someone in Your House (2017) USA 97. Danielle Rollins – Burning (2016) USA 98. Kathleen Peacock – Deadly Hemlock (2012) USA 99. Laura Powell - Burn Mark (2012) UK 100. Bryony Pearce– Savage Island (2018) UK   THE HEART AND SOUL OF YA HORROR FICTION REVIEWS |
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