The best spooky YA books - zombies, ghosts, and demons, oh my!

I love White Smoke because it takes all the best elements of a classic haunted house story and weaves them with the very real horrors of shady politicians, misinformation, racism, and bedbugs. Marigold is a fantastic main character who remains compassionate and fierce as she grapples with the mistakes of her past. I think what I loved most about this book is the way it plays with the idea of what it means for people and places to be haunted. White Smoke is also fantastically creepy, with sharp writing that kept me turning pages right up to the end.

Rin Chupeco is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her writing is lyrical without being overdone, and her worldbuilding is always top-notch. The world of The Bone Witch is soaked in magic both beautiful and terrible. Tea doesn’t mean to raise her brother from the dead, but once she does there is no going back. She is a bone witch, powerful and terrible, but also still very much a girl trying to remain herself as the world forces its expectations upon her. This book is great if you want something with spooky vibes that isn’t actively trying to scare you.

I love this book because it feels like stepping into a creepy fairytale. The restless dead wander the shadowy forest surrounding Ryn’s small village. Ryn is an apprentice gravedigger and normally the dead hold no fear for her. But their numbers are growing and now Ryn might be the only one who can save her people from being destroyed by an ancient curse. This book is still firmly in the category of fantasy rather than horror. I love that Ryn’s position as a gravedigger gives her a unique perspective on death that allows her to face problems others would rather ignore. This book is also the only one I’ve ever read that turns a slightly rotted goat into a loveable character.

Dread Nation is an alternate history in which the dead rise from the battlefields of Gettysburg. As the states struggle to deal with the undead crisis, black and native children are forced into combat schools and trained to defend wealthy white patrons. If you’re itching for a classic zombie apocalypse story with a twist, this is your book. Ireland’s writing is sharp, tight, and unflinching. This book is a fast-paced adventure full of ravenous zombie hoards and bold heroines. One thing I especially love about Dread Nation is the fight scenes which are frequent, bloody, and a whole lot of fun.

The Good Demon is unlike anything else I’ve read. It’s eerie, intimate, and spellbinding. Clare’s demon was her best friend, her Only, right up until her parents called a priest to cast the demon out. Now the only thing Clare wants is to get her demon back. It’s hard to say more about this book other than that it is very, very, good. The horror elements are scary in the way of abandoned houses and shadows seen from the corner of your eye. If you like your stories strange and moody and your characters flawed, you should definitely give this book a try.