I just read The Bog Wife and I think it would be a great transition from teen to adult horror. The writing was super easy to read but still atmospheric. I was instantly sucked into the story!
It might not reflect the interests of your other followers, but I'd really love a video for people who want to get into horror/thriller books, but don't want to immediately start not being able to sleep from the scares
I was never much into horror until recently because of your recommendations! I love that even when you arent always a fan of a book you still find a way to find it's readers. Based on your recs i have loved books you've loved but also loved books you haven't but still convinced me to pick up! This list is great, so once again i am adding more books to my TBR 😂
My mind went immediately to the Haunting on Velkwood too!! Also T Kingfisher or Grady Hendrix would make for good transitional reads I feel, because they combine their horror with somewhat of a quirky, humorous or cozier twist so they feel more accessible whilst still being scary.
Some of my absolute faves on this list! Plus a lot that I've been meaning to get to! I'll have to move them up my list now I know they have the Kayla seal of approval!
another good one is Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman. follows two teen brothers who have to escape a strange carnival by surviving seven deadly rides by dawn or they're trapped there forever.. explores themes of fear, insecurities, regret, loss, guilt.. a fun quick read and honestly I think they should add it to required reading in junior/high school.
One of the first horror books I ever dove into as an adult was Meddling Kids, even if its more horror-comedy. It's a Scooby-Doo type of group of characters, you see them as young kids and then all of them suddenly returning to their hometown after being estranged. Theres a sapphic romance(ish) and its funny and spooky but still had themes of growing up and all that jazz. It's been YEARS but i remember loving it.
Bookmarking this for my next horror slump! I don't think I've read a single book from this video except for Carrie, so lots of books being added to my list. Thanks for yet another wonderful recommendation video!
I loved "My Best Friend's Exorcism". I lived through the 80s so it was very nostalgic. But I really liked it because it was such a layered story. Like you said it gives the same feeling as when you're losing a friend. I thought it also had a heavy subtext of friend falling into drug abuse (or anorexia or is being SAed etc). Like you can tell something really bad is happening to the friend but it's written as a horror metaphor.
i recommend mister magic by kiersten white! i think it’s easy to get into and mysterious, there’s also a friend group element and has the children’s show at the cente
Bad Graces by Kyrie McCauley would be a good rec for this I think.. group of young ladies get shipwrecked on a ... maybe-not-so-deserted island and something strange and somewhat fantastical happens with their bodies when they get injured.. reminded me a bit of Wilder Girls.. if you liked that one, I recommend this one. also Under the Surface by Diana Urban.. group of young "friends" get stuck in the Paris catacombs 😳 (suppose this would be more thriller/horror)
I would love to see a video from you about books you've disliked in the past but think would maybe like more today. I know you've done a lot of content about your past favorites and whether they hold up, but what about least favorites? Is there anything you've read and hated that you think would be up your alley now with the way your reading taste has developed? Sorry this doesn't have anything to do with the actual video 😅but I saw The Loop, thought damn that's a blast from the past and it made me think about this.
I started to get into horror this year (as a 31 year old) after falling in love with Bunny last year. Cackle by Rachel Harrison was a good start and I just finished Slewfoot.
I think Bad Cree by Jessica Johns really fits into this list! It features a younger protagonist who is trying to figure her life out and hevsily focuses on family and sisterhood in particular.
I just picked up kill creek and you showed it and now I’m scared i won’t vibe with it. I have to keep watching to see where you place it in the video but😅
