1. Marissa Meyers’ Renegades Trilogy
First up on the list is a new release of this fall, the conclusion to the amazingly written Renegades Trilogy by Marissa Meyer. Renegades opened up the futuristic world where a portion of the population are prodigies who possess super powered abilities and there is an ever present conflict between the Renegade heroes and the Anarchists, and Archenemies delved deeper to explore that world. The trilogy follows Nova, an Anarchist spy who wants revenge against the Renegades for not being able to save her family, and Adrian, a Renegade and the son of two of the Renegades’ strongest leaders. The third and final book Supernova is releasing this November, and I do not doubt that it will be thrilling and suspenseful if it’s anything like the first two books. I strongly recommend this trilogy to anyone who loves superheroes, or has liked any of Marissa Meyer’s previous books.
2. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
I don’t think any spooky season would be complete without And Then There Were None written by none other than the Queen of Murder Mysteries herself. Incredibly suspenseful, this book keeps the reader on the edge of their seats waiting for what will happen next, who will die next, and most importantly who is the murderer. And Then There Were None tells the story of ten guests, each hiding their own dark and vile past, invited to a weekend stay on a private island owned by a millionaire. And slowly they’re all picked off, one by one until there is no one left. I highly recommend this classic to just about anyone, and especially for everyone who loves horror movies.
3. Kiersten White’s The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a retelling of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, a classic horror novel telling the story of Victor Frankenstein and the monster he creates. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a Kiersten White’s reimagining of the tale of Frankenstein, with a focus on Elizabeth’s story. The story follows Elizabeth Lavenza, a starving young girl who ingratiates herself the the Frankenstein family and becomes befriends Victor Frankenstein. She’s given a new life in the lap of luxury as part of the Frankenstein family, but it comes with a price. I think that Kiersten White’s re-imagination of Frankenstein is very interesting in that gives another perspective on the relationship between Elizabeth and Victor Frankenstein. I recommend this book to anyone who has read Frankenstein, or any of Kiersten White’s other books.
4. Gena Showalter’s The Evil Queen
The Evil Queen is a retelling of the classic fairytale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in a universe where two worlds exist: the modern world and the land of Enchantia, where fairy tales predict the course of the future. The book centers around Everly Morrow, a teenage girl living in the mortal realm who has no idea her destiny is to become the Evil Queen of Snow White’s tale. In a turn of harrowing events, Everly journeys to Enchantia and struggles to fall to her dark destiny or resist becoming the villain and queen she’s prophesied to be. Its world is also very three dimensional in the vividness and fantastical element of the land of Enchantia, dynamics between Everly and her family and love interest Roth Charmaine, and the rich magic system. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Land of Stories or The Shadow Queen.
5. Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep
The Wicked Deep is probably one of my favorite books of all time, and is a pretty creepy supernatural tale. The book is set in a small coastal town called Sparrow that is haunted every summer by the Swan sisters, who died by drowning after being accused of witches in the harbor. The story is told through chapters that alternate between the current time and flashbacks to the Swan sisters’ past in the era of witch trials. This tale follows Penny Talbot, Hazel Swan, and Bo, three characters whose summers are tangled together and the town’s continual witch hunt for the Swan sisters. Undeniably spooky and paranormal, this book is a perfect read for the spooky season.
The Roar 