Staff Picks
Teen Horror & Thrillers | 2023 Releases
- Ashley S.
- Monday, October 16, 2023
Collection
In the mood for something a little scary and/or thrilling? Check out these 2023 releases to find the perfect title for this Halloween season!
Someone is Always Watching
Published in 2023
When their friend Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their dead principal, with no recollection of what happened, Blythe, Tucker, and Tanya soon discover their lives are a lie as the walls built around their real memories come crashing down.
And Don't Look Back
Published in 2023
After her mother's death, teen Harlow pieces together the truth of her family's past and what her mom was hiding from.
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight
Published in 2023
Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the "final girl" at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game, as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business.
Promise Boys
Published in 2023
J.B., Ramón, and Trey, students of the Urban Promise Prep School, must follow the school's strict rules, but when their principal is murdered, the three boys must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested.
Damned if You Do
Published in 2023
"Seven years ago, Cordelia Scott’s abusive father left without a word, and life has been normal ever since. The seventeen-year-old spends her days stage managing the school play (which is going great, if anyone asks), pining over her best friend, Veronica, and failing one too many pop quizzes. She’s never been sad that her father left, but she knows something is...missing. When her school guidance counselor, Fred, reveals during a session that he’s actually a demon, she learns that something is indeed missing: a piece of her actual soul. Why? She unwittingly made a deal with him to make her father disappear – then bargained to have the memory erased. To make matters worse, Fred is here to make another bargain: Help him with a “little” demonic problem, or she’s doomed to spend eternity in Hell with her father. The deal? Help Fred neutralize a rival demon, who means to do more harm in her hometown than your average demon deal"-- Provided by publisher.
Hex You
Published in 2023
As Hunter works to save her twin sister Mercy and demigod Khenti from the Ancient Egyptian Underworld, other evil threatens Goodeville, and the witch sisters must reunite and reconicle to stop Amphitrite and seal the gates to the underworld once and for all.
Submechanophobia
Published in 2023
Have you ever experienced a gut feeling that told you something was wrong? . . . Caden senses the underwater animatronics in Freddy's Fantasy Water Park have a mind of their own. Robbie knows deep down that the minds of the members of the Fazbear Fan Club have been taken over by something. And Abe can't shake the feeling that the animatronic assistants in his Fazplex Tower apartment are hiding things from him. But in the world of Five Nights at Freddy's, when something feels wrong, it's often too late to do anything about it . . .
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces
Published in 2023
Disgraced teen idol Sunny, comes face to face with Candie, her former bandmate, and the demons of their shared past when the two enter a K-pop competition that devolves into a deadly nightmare.
Infested
An MTV Fear Novel
Published in 2023
In a race against time, seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Manny must rescue his family from a malevolent spirit targeting his apartment building in the Bronx.
Holly Horror
Published in 2023
When teenage Evie moves with her mother and brother to a new home known by locals as the Horror House, where a teen mysteriously vanished without a trace many years ago, she becomes haunted by a terrifying bonneted specter.
This Delicious Death
Published in 2023
"When four best friends with a hunger for human flesh attend a music festival in the desert they discover a murderous plot to expose and vilify the girls and everyone like them. This summer is going to get gory."--Publisher's description
The Pledge
Published in 2023
Eighteen-year-old Sam is in danger once again when a copycat masked killer starts targeting fraternity brothers, forcing Sam to figure out who the killer is before he loses his second chance or the lives of any more of his friends.
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
Published in 2023
"Funeral Songs For Dying Girls is a young adult novel about an Indigenous girl who lives on the grounds of a cemetery with her widowed father."-- Provided by publisher.
The Last Girls Standing
Published in 2023
As the only two survivors of a summer camp massacre, Sloan and her girlfriend Cherry form a seemingly unbreakable bond, but as Sloan discovers more about the attack she begins to suspect Cherry may be more than just a survivor.
Too Scared to Sleep
Published in 2023
A garbage disposal that feeds on flesh… A beloved stuffed rabbit that cooks up your parents… Roses that require human blood to bloom… From blood-chilling horror to supernatural scares, this collection of short stories from debut author Andrew Duplessie offers something to stoke anyone's fear factor. But that's only the beginning. In a first-ever twist, each story also comes with a pulse-pounding video that deepens the horror. Point your phone at the QR code and be prepared to scream! Maybe even share it with your friends, if you dare.
The Lake House
Published in 2023
"Three girls who arrive to an abandoned island must outwit and outlast the mysterious killer who awaits them there"-- Provided by publisher.
Tag, You're Dead
Published in 2023
Seveneen-year-old social media influencer Anton starts a livestreamed and high-stakes game of Tag to find a new assistant, but four contestants have ulterior motives.
The Night in Question
An Agathas Mystery
Published in 2023
When Iris and Alice's high school dance at the infamous Levy Castle, the site of starlet Mona Moody's unsolved death in the 1940s, is interrupted by a violent assault, they pull out their murder boards and get back to work.
Those We Drown
Published in 2023
When seventeen-year-old friends Liv and Will are accepted in a semester-at-sea program, they are excited to spend six weeks aboard the luxury cruise ship The Eos, but after Will disappears the first night, Liv grows suspicious that something sinister is lurking below deck.
The Legacies
Published in 2023
During the annual initiation of members into the exclusive Legacy Club, the surprise nomination of Tori Tasso, a scholarship student, jeopardizes the club's clandestine truths and leads to a perilous Legacy Ball where one attendee does not make it out alive.
Where Echoes Die
A Novel
Published in 2023
Sisters Beck and Avery travel to an isolated Arizona town to investigate its connection to their mother's death, but uncover more than they anticipated.
Only She Came Back
Published in 2023
When true-crime fanatic Sam discovers her former classmate is the prime suspect in a potential murder case, their newfound friendship reveals there is more to the case than anyone knows.
Girl Forgotten
Published in 2023
When seventeen-year-old Piper Gray starts a true crime podcast investigating a seventeen-year-old murder cold case, she puts her life in danger as she digs deep into the mysteries of the past.
Shadow Coven
Published in 2023
After defeating the wolves Jailah, Logan, Iris, and Thalia are ready to pursue their separate studies, but when witches start going missing, and Thalia is convinced her father is responsible, the coven is surrounded by magical and mundane threats and must work together to protect themselves and their magic.
Kill Joy
Published in 2023
"Pip is not in the mood for her friend's murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920s fancy dress and pretending that their town is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder. But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn't the only case on her mind"-- Provided by publisher.
The Forest Demands Its Due
Published in 2023
When the murder of his classmate at an elite boarding school seems to be forgotten overnight, seventeen-year-old Douglas must confront centuries of secrets in the school's past and a vengeful creature in the forest surrounding the campus.
The Dark Place
Published in 2023
Seventeen-year-old Hylee is mysteriously sucked back in time to the worst night of her life and must solve the mystery behind her brother Bubba's disappearance.
Monstrous
Published in 2023
When seventeen-year-old Latavia is presented as a human sacrifice to an ancient beast, she is determined to do whatever it takes to survive--even if that includes making a deal with the monster and endangering her crush and family.
Scarlet Veil
Published in 2023
After being sworn in as the Chasseurs' first huntswoman, Célie wants to protect Belterra alongside her fiancé and captain, Jean Luc, but her past haunts her -- like how she failed to protect her sister -- and a new evil is rising, with its mesmerizing eyes locked on her.
No One Left but You
Published in 2023
When seventeen-year-old trans guy Max meets Gloss, he loses himself in an all-consuming relationship, but after his ex-summer romance turned bully turns up dead and Gloss takes the blame, Max veers dangerously close to being implicated as he desperately tries to uncover the truth.
All the Dead Lie Down
Published in 2023
Newly orphaned seventeen-year old Marin accepts a nanny position for an acclaimed horror writer and her mother's childhood friend, but she soon realizes all is not well at Lovelace House and must unravel its secrets before they consume her.
A Long Stretch of Bad Days
Published in 2023
"A lifetime of hard work has put Lydia Chass on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind--until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs one more credit to graduate. An unexpected partnership forms as the two remake Lydia's town history podcast to investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days--a week when Henley was hit by a tornado, a flash food, as well as its first, only, and unsolved murder. As their investigation unearths buried secrets, some don't want them to see the light. When the threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them"-- Provided by publisher.
One of Us is Back
Published in 2023
A member of the Bayview Crew disappears and everyone feels like they could be next, but the situation suddenly worsens when someone unexpectedly returns to Bayview.
Night of the Living Queers
13 Tales of Terror & Delight
Published in 2023
A collection of 13 horror stories all written by queer authors of color and each told through the lens of a teenager of color about the Halloween night that changed their lives forever.
The Library of Shadows
Published in 2023
"Radcliffe Prep. The third most haunted school in the country, where a student disappearance isn't uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father. Not literally, of course. She doesn't believe in ghosts. Going to her dad's school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was. But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe--probably--definitely--a real ghost. And an annoying one at that. When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library's secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did. Except following in her father's footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren't just myth. And if she isn't careful, she'll be next"-- Provided by publisher.
Suddenly a Murder
Published in 2023
Eighteen-year-old Izzy Morales and her six friends celebrate the end of high school with a 1920s themed getaway, but when one teen ends up murdered everyone becomes a suspect.
At the Speed of Lies
Published in 2023
"High school junior Quinn Calvet gets caught up in the disappearance of kids in a nearby town, soon beginning to suspect more to the story than anyone understands, and it is up to her to figure out what's going on"--Provided by publisher.
The Changing Man
Published in 2023
As a scholarship student at the prestigious Nithercott School, seventeen-year-old Ife feels like an outcast, but when a missing classmate reappears and acts strange, Ife teams up with two other students to investigate the school's decades-old legend of the Changing Man.
Wrath Becomes Her
Published in 2023
Lithuania, 1943. A father drowns in the all-consuming grief of a daughter killed by the Nazis. He can't bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can use kishuf, an ancient and profane magic to create a golem in her image. A Nazi killer, to avenge her death. When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose thrumming within her. But she can also feel glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognizes the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren't hers, and Vera doesn't know if she gets or deserves to have a life beyond what she was made for. Vera's strength feels limitless until she learns that there are others who would channel kishuf for means far less noble than avenging a daughter's death. As she confronts the very basest of humanity, Vera will need more than what her creator gave her: Not just a reason to fight, but a reason to live.-- Publisher's description.
The Haunting
Published in 2023
On Halloween, a copycat killer may be stalking a town still reeling from murders that took place one year earlier.
The Island
Published in 2023
A visit to a private amusement park is the trip of a lifetime for a group of teen influencers, until they learn that getting off the island alive is not part of the plan.
Four Found Dead
Published in 2023
When a deranged murderer traps Jo and her friends in a defunct shopping center, their only chance of survival is to navigate the sprawling ruins of the mall and outwit the killer before they strike again.
Delicious Monsters
Published in 2023
Told in alternating timelines, seventeen-year-old Daisy and her mother move into her deceased uncle's mansion, only to find horrors waiting inside, and ten years later, Brittney investigates the mystery behind the Miracle Mansion that turned her mother's life around.
Your Lonely Nights Are over
Published in 2023
[T]wo gay teen BFFs find their friendship tested when a serial killer starts targeting their school’s Queer Club. Dearie and Cole are inseparable, unlikeable, and (in bad luck for them) totally unbelievable. From the day they met, Dearie and Cole have been two against the world. But whenever something bad happens at Stone Grove High School, they get blamed. Why? They’re beautiful, flirtatious, dangerously clever queen bees, and they’re always ready to call out their fellow students. But they’ve never faced a bigger threat than surviving senior year, when Mr. Sandman, a famous, never-caught serial killer emerges from a long retirement -- and his hunting ground is their school Queer Club. As evidence and bodies begin piling up and suspicion points at Dearie and Cole, they will need to do whatever it takes to unmask the real killer before they and the rest of Queer Club are taken down. But they’re not getting away from the killer without a fight. Along the way, they must confront dark truths hidden beneath the surface of their small desert community. When the world is stacked against them and every flop they know is a suspect, can Dearie and Cole stop Mr. Sandman’s rampage? Or will their lonely nights soon be over...
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me
Published in 2023
"Laure Mesny is a perfectionist with an axe to grind. Despite being constantly overlooked in the elite and cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet, she will do anything to prove that a Black girl can take center stage. To level the playing field, Laure ventures deep into the depths of the Catacombs and strikes a deal with a pulsating river of blood. The primordial power Laure gains promises influence and adoration, everything she's dreamed of and worked toward. With retribution on her mind, she surpasses her bitter and privileged peers, leaving broken bodies behind her on her climb to stardom. But even as undeniable as she is, Laure is not the only monster around. And her vicious desires make her a perfect target for slaughter. As she descends into madness and the mystifying underworld beneath her, she is faced with the ultimate choice: continue to break herself for scraps of validation or succumb to the darkness that wants her exactly as she is--monstrous heart and all. That is, if the god-killer doesn't catch her first"-- Provided by publisher.
Find Him Where You Left Him Dead
Published in 2023
Summoned by the ghost of Ian, the friend they left for dead, Owen, Madeline, Emerson and Dax must restart the deadly game they never finished in order to bring Ian home, entering into a hell-scape of Japanese underworlds where they must make the ultimate sacrifice.
Harvest House
Published in 2023
"Deftly leading readers to the literary crossroads of contemporary realism and haunting mystery, Cynthia Leitich Smith revisits the world of her American Indian Youth Literature Award winner Hearts Unbroken. Halloween is near, and Hughie Wolfe is volunteering at a new rural attraction: Harvest House. He's excited to take part in the fun, spooky show--until he learns that an actor playing the vengeful spirit of an "Indian maiden," a ghost inspired by local legend, will headline. Folklore aside, unusual things have been happening at night at the crossroads near Harvest House. A creepy man is stalking teenage girls and young women, particularly Indigenous women; dogs are fretful and on edge; and wild animals are behaving strangely. While Hughie weighs how and when to speak up about the bigoted legend, he and his friends begin to investigate the crossroads and whether it might be haunted after all. As Moon rises on All Hallow's Eve, will they be able to protect themselves and their community? Gripping and evocative, Harvest House showcases a versatile storyteller at her spooky, unsettling best."-- Publisher marketing.
There's No Way I'd Die First
Published in 2023
"Seventeen-year-old Noelle Layne knows horror. Every trope, every warning sign, every survival tactic. She even leads a successful movie club dedicated to the genre. Who better to throw the ultimate, most exclusive Halloween party on all of Long Island? With some of the top influencers in her school on the guest list, including gorgeous singer-songwriter Archer Mitchell, her popularity is bound to spike. She could really use the social boost for an upcoming brand expansion. Nothing is going to ruin this party. Except...maybe the low budget It clown she hired for a stirring round of tag. He axes one of her classmates. From the looks of his devilish grin and bag full of killer tricks, he's just getting started. A murderous clown is out for blood, but Noelle has been waiting her entire life to prove that she's a Final Girl"-- Provided by publisher.
House Of Ash And Bone
Published in 2023
Seventeen-year-old Josephine Jagger is a talented writer with special abilities she doesn't fully understand. Over the years she has developed methods to cope with the voices she hears in her head, but the old house her family has inherited in Vermont makes Josephine question what's real and what's not more than anything she's ever encountered before. It's filled with shadows, and whispers, and the unshakable feeling of being watched. Josephine then catches her first glimpse of a shadowy woman with long hair, pale skin, an impossibly wide smile and hollow pits for eyes. Her name is Dorcas, the ghost of a witch who died three hundred years ago. She has summoned the family to Vermont to ensnare them - then consume them - in order to rise from the grave and live again...
We Don't Swim Here
Published in 2023
She is the reason no one goes in the water. And she will make them pay. A chilling new novel for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Lamar Giles, and Ryan Douglass. Bronwyn is only supposed to be in rural Hillwoods for a year. Her grandmother is in hospice, and her father needs to get her affairs in order. And they're all meant to make some final memories together. Except Bronwyn is miserable. Her grandmother is dying, everyone is standoffish, and she can't even go swimming. All she hears are warnings about going in the water, despite a gorgeous lake. And a pool at the abandoned rec center. And another in the high school basement. Anais tries her hardest to protect Bronwyn from the shadows of Hillwoods. She follows her own rituals to avoid any unnecessary attention--and if she can just get Bronwyn to stop asking questions, she can protect her too. The less Bronwyn pays attention to Hillwoods, the less Hillwoods will pay attention to Bronwyn. She doesn't get that the lore is, well, truth. History. Pain. The living aren't the only ones who seek retribution when they're wronged. But when Bronwyn does more exploring than she should, they are both in for danger they couldn't expect.
She is a Haunting
Published in 2023
Seventeen-year-old bisexual Jade Nguyen is spending the summer in Vietnam at the French colonial house her estranged father is fixing up as a vacation rental, but unbeknownst to her family, the house and its ghosts have other plans.
Lying in the Deep
Published in 2023
When her boyfriend leaves her for her best friend, Jade joins a semester long cruise program unaware that the two are also onboard, and when her ex-boyfriend is murdered and his new girlfriend goes missing, Jade must dig into her shipmates' lives to find the murderer and clear her name.
Hatchet Girls
Published in 2023
In Fall River, Massachusetts, home to New England's infamous Bridgewater Triangle, Tessa must prove her brother innocent of murdering his girlfriend's parents with an axe, a mystery that proves all too close to the Lizzie Borden murders one hundred years earlier.
Their Vicious Games
Published in 2023
Eighteen-year-old Adina Walker, a scholarship student at a prestigious academy, faces the consequences of a single mistake and competes in a high-stakes contest hosted by the wealthy Remington family, where she uncovers unsettling truths about the sponsors and the contest's high stakes.
Murder on a School Night
Published in 2023
After a high school party ends in the death of a popular girl who was suffocated with a menstrual cup, amateur sleuths Kelly and Annie must stop a menstrual murderer when a second student turns up dead with a sanitary pad across the eyes.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
Published in 2023
Set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, sixteen-year-old autistic transgender boy Silas must expose a power-hungry secret society while confined to a cruel finishing school designed to turn him into the perfect wife.