To celebrate my 30 years as a school librarian, my almanac was published in late June, called THE YA HORROR 400. Which includes reviews of 400 of my favourite YA horror novels published between 2008-24, 90 brand new connecting commentary articles from authors such as Frances Hardinge and other big names, 40+ Top Tip lists of recommendations on subjects as varied as haunted houses, LGBTQIA+ horror, Black characters in horror and mental health. Plus many other features, lists, ‘Fear Factor’ gradings and topical suggestions. Even some very well known adult writers are featured, such as Ramsey Campbell and John Connolly, who I have interviewed for Ginger Nuts of Horror or other websites such as Horror DNA or InkHeist (I've written for many) and ultimately wanted my words to survive beyond the internet.
by Tony Jones
My earliest love for horror arrived via film rather than books. As a child I devoured classic Universal, Hammer and Roger Corman’s Poe cycle whenever they appeared on late night television. With my teenage years still some time away, a watershed moment was being terrified by Joe Dante’s The Howling, blessed with stunning special effects, incredibly realistic creatures and a level of sexuality I was yet unaware film could deliver. Well over forty years later I still devour horror with the same enthusiasm as that little kid mesmerised by those unforgettable werewolves.
Growing up in rural areas of Scotland in the pre-Goosebump and Point Horror days my first serious dive into the genre came via non-fiction, greedily absorbing books on the unknown, ghosts, poltergeists and vampires. I lived for our trips to public library and the secrets they housed. I have never forgotten a graphic photo of a severed leg, supposedly the only remains from a case of spontaneous human combustion. Was it true? Who knows. But I wanted to believe it and eagerly sought out similarly graphic books in the library. Although these days Christopher Maynard’s Usborne’s World of the Unknown: Ghosts (1977) looks incredibly old fashioned, this remains my true literary gateway into the world of horror and the unexplained. Like Fox Mulder I wanted to believe.
Becoming a teenager in the mid-eighties I read Robert Cormier and SE Hinton but whatever YA horror existed made little impression on me except for Lois Duncan’s Stranger With My Face. Instead I leap feet-first into adult fiction (when I was much too young) discovering Shaun Hutson, James Herbert, John Saul and Stephen King. I was attracted to the garish covers from this golden eighties era, crazy violence, loved talking about horror with kids at school, noting juicy sex scenes and trading titles. Already very knowledgeable, I got a kick out of other kids asking for tips (I was clearly a school librarian in the making!)
By 1994 I had graduated university with a Library Science degree and was working in my first school library and Goosebumps and Point Horror had since blown up in the UK. As they had arrived after I had stopped reading kids’ books I knew little about them and was stunned to see so many children obsessed with my favourite genre. I worked in an inner-city school with low literacy levels and these books were so popular they were stored in a separate cupboard to prevent theft. Children adored them, and I was amazed to find horror dominating the mainstream, this also invigorated my interest in YA during a period where I was mainly reading adult fantasy authors like David Eddings and Raymond Feist.
By 2000 I was working in another London school when Darren Shan arrived on the scene. In the UK his twelve book vampire series The Saga of Darren Shan was enormous and Darren even visited my school on two occasions. Shan’s enthusiasm for horror, and his bombastic author visits were infectious, drawing countless readers towards the genre. In the opening pages of Lord Loss a man is ripped in half by a demon, I recall thinking “My god, this is supposed to be a children’s book!” This was the type of horror I routinely and cheerfully recommended to young teens.
I have now been a school librarian for over thirty years and for most of those have balanced reading children’s books (not just horror) with adult fiction. Being well read is crucial to being a successful school librarian who engages naturally with young readers about literature.
The accessibility of horror authors in the online world later fired my interest in the genre. I recall shooting off an email to Adam Nevill after his second novel Apartment 16 around 2011, and whilst Adam has become incredibly successful, we have remained in touch and I have reviewed most of his books. I have similar correspondences with countless other authors. I still find it exhilarating that I am Facebook friends with Ramsey Campbell and if I direct message him, he will reply! The accessibility of our literary horror heroes is an endearing feature of the genre.
Around 2015 I started reviewing for the Ginger Nuts of Horror (GNOH), then Horror DNA and occasionally Ink Heist. Since 2016 I have reviewed a staggering number of books, both YA and adult. When I started out I only intended to review adult titles but was naturally drawn towards YA horror and within a year was managing my own sub-section of GNOH called ‘Young Blood’, focusing on YA and a lesser extent Middle Grade. Becoming increasingly successful, it is widely used by school librarians and others in education circles. Over the years I have met many school librarians who use the page, openly admit they do not read any horror, but trust my suggestions 100%. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing library professionals recommending ‘Young Blood’ on other social media or educational platforms.
I love horror for its ability to unsettle, get under the skin, shock, suspend reality and provide the ultimate form of escapism. A few years back I reread Pet Semetary and the jerky unsettling movements of the reanimated cat Church brought on a nightmare, where I thought the cat was hiding in my bedroom. No matter how old you are, or ‘experienced’ a reader, scares can still lurk in the night. Ultimately I enjoy very dark fiction and as this feature is part of a ’31 Days of Horror’ series, here are 31 of my favourite YA horror writers, all of which are featured in my recent book The YA Horror 400. If you are looking to build a collection, here is a terrific starting point:
Courtney Alameda, Kalynn Bayron, Alex Bell, Tori Bovalino, Rin Chupuco, Kayla Cottingham, Kat Ellis, Kathryn Foxfield, Ann Fraistat, Tara Goedjen, William Hussey, Justina Ireland, Tiffany D Jackson, Daniel Kraus, Dawn Kurtagich, Jessica Lewis, Amy Lukavics, Jonathan Maberry, Tess James-Mackey, Kate Alice Marshall, Mindy McGinnis, Cynthia Murphy, Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Pinborough, Melinda Salisbury, Jonathan Stroud, Deirdre Sullivan, Krystal Sutherland, Vincent Tirado, Erica Waters and Suzanne Young.
Over the years the ’Young Blood’ section of GNOH has evolved from an occasional feature to a near-monthly column where I review as many as ten books at a time. The YA Horror 400 features substantial rewrites of my favourite 400 reviews from novels published between 2008 and 2024. Ultimately I wanted my reviews to reach an audience beyond the GNOH online readership and for my work to exist independently of the website. I incorporated a substantial range of new information and extensive appendices, including the ‘best’ of a decade of writing for GNOH.
As well as the 400 reviews, The YA Horror 400 contains ninety brand new short accompanying features from authors included in the book. If you want to know why Rory Power, Erica Waters or Amy Lukavics write horror, this book will be very enlightening. It is backed up by 25 author interview excerpts from my years as a reviewer, including Adam Cesare, John Connolly and Ramsey Campbell.
Brief notes on each book are provided, as is an age suitability range and a ‘fear factor’ score. How scary is a book is a fascinating question, what I give a 9/10 might be completely different to your grade. However, I’m fairly sure anything I rate 8/10 or higher to will have most readers jumping! Spread across the A-Z are forty genre based ‘Top Tip’ features including haunted houses, dreams and nightmares, coming-of-age horror, dystopian landscapes, historical horror, environmental terrors and LGBTQIA+ representation. Many of which are personal favourites and ideal for librarians looking to develop collections.
In the appendices the feature article The Psychotronic Book Club: adventures in getting older teens to read (horror) is the closest to my heart and a number of the graduates of my reading group are thanked in the acknowledgements. My club (in tribute) borrows its title from the iconic Michael Weldon book The Psychotronic Encyclopaedia of Film (1989) and has been brightening my day for the last fifteen years. This senior book club (ages 15+) read six books in a school year, broadly chosen under the term ‘cult’ fiction and in recent years have had a major horror focus. We read accessible adult novels, not YA.
Over the last few years we have discussed Adam Nevill (Last Days), Alison Rumfitt (Tell Me I’m Worthless), Iain Banks (The Wasp Factory), AM Shine (The Watchers), Iain Reid (Foe), Toby Luff (Ration), Stephen King (The Long Walk), Paul Tremblay (A Head Full of Ghosts), Josh Malerman (Bird Box), Alden Bell (The Reapers are the Angels), Nick Cutter (The Deep), Joshua Gaylord (When We Were Animals), Agustine Bazerrica (Tender is the Flesh) and Gus Moreno (This Thing Between Us). Looking forward, in the autumn we will be reading Philip Fracassi (Boys in the Valley) and Tim McGregor (Wasps in the Ice Cream). Some of my favourite author, such as Adam Nevill, Alden Bell, Stephen King, and Paul Tremblay, have had multiple titles studied. I also like to revisit my absolute favourite novels every few years with a new group of students, such as Alden Bell’s The Reapers are the Angels or King’s The Long Walk.
Being able to engage with teenagers about horror (and the power of fiction) is one of the highlights of my job which can deliver lifelong impressions which stretch beyond school. I recall one of my favourite authors Scott Sigler visiting London from the USA, I was one of many fans who pitched up for an informal pub get together and book signing. It was also overwhelming to bump into a former member of my Psychotronic Book Club, Reuben, whom I had introduced to Sigler some years earlier. Reading horror as a teen creates lifelong readers!
Emanuel School Senior Librarian & Archivist
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