10 Awesome Reads for X-Philes

Scarlett Undercover, by Jennifer Latham
A black Muslim Veronica Mars? Yes, please! Teenaged private eye Scarlett agrees to investigate the “suicide” of a local boy—and discovers a murderous conspiracy that might have a supernatural bent. Turns out the whole mess has to do with genies, an ancient royal line, and a relic everyone wants to get their hands on. Can Scarlett unravel the mystery? Or will she learn she and her family are caught up in the very heart of it?

Bone Gap, by Laura Ruby
Want something that will leave you haunted? The eerie, surreal Bone Gap is it. Two brothers—strong and silent Sean, and the confounding Finn—see the allure of newcomer Roza, an unsettling beauty. And they’re not the only ones. When Finn witnesses Roza’s disappearance, but is unable to explain exactly what happened, things begin to unravel. Painted in broad strokes and startling details, this book will leave you breathless and unsure of your footing, crossing lines between what’s real and what’s imagined into some other realm altogether.

Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi
In the first book of Mafi’s bestselling trilogy, a nearly catatonic Juliette, imprisoned for her deadly touch, is shocked out of her stupor by the arrival in her cell of a stranger—who turns out to be Adam, a familiar face. What kind of game are her captors in the Re-establishment playing? And will she submit, allowing them to use her as a pawn, a weapon in their machinations? Unraveling the mystery in a stream-of-consciousness style, Shatter Me will keep you flipping pages and freaking out.

Adaptation, by Malinda Lo
There’s always been something creepy about birds–and in Malinda Lo’s dark Adaptation, there’s good reason to be freaked. Flocks of them are crashing into planes, causing thousands of people to lose their lives. The country’s on a terror alert, and Reese, after recovering from an accident near the infamous Area 51, returns to a San Francisco on military lockdown to discover she and pal David have changed in inexplicable ways. She’s focused on a blooming relationship with pink-haired Amber, but the men in suits that are stalking her and David put a bit of a damper on things.

Shutter, by Courtney Alameda
Can you say creeptastic? I mean, just look at that cover! The last in the famed Van Helsing line, Micheline is a born ghost hunter, naturally, and she’s been training since she was a kid to take on the undead with her handy-dandy SLR or a bullet. But then a routine mission falls apart, and she and her merry band—including longtime love Ryder—are infected by a curse called the soulchain, with untethered spirits claiming their bodies. Then they face their gravest danger yet—and if they can’t beat the beast within a week, they’re all goners.

Unbreakable, by Kami Garcia
Everygirl Kennedy Waters is still reeling from the sudden death of her mom when she learns it was no accident—and that she’s the newest member of the Legion of the Black Dove, a ragtag team of teens (including hottie twins Jared and Lukas) charged with trapping paranormal entities. Through the course of book one, the introspective and shaken Kennedy learns to rely on her legion and herself as she takes on the monsters around and inside her.

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl, by Paige McKenzie
Moving from Austin, Texas, to rain-soaked Washington has been rough for Sunshine Griffith, and it’s not just because she’s the new girl at school. Her once-close relationship with her single mom, Kat, is tested when Sunshine goes mopey—then starts freaking as she’s haunted by the freaky spirits inhabiting her new house. The YA debut of teen internet star Paige McKenzie, whose YouTube series of the same name has 200,000 fans and counting, Sunshine Girl will have you keeping the lights on, even when it’s sunny out.

Roswell High, by Melinda Metz
This 10-book series, which spawned the cult teen TV drama that introduced the likes of Kathryn Heigl, Colin Hanks and Shiri Appleby, offered up alien angst in that most perfect of settings: high school. Throw in government conspiracy, a rogue cop, and, of course, a few forbidden romances, and you’ve got enough intrigue to get you through the whole set—and the spinoff books the TV series spawned (complete with kitchy, collectible covers!). In the mood for Max (Jason Behr) and Michael (Brendan Fehr) in the flesh? You can nab Season 1 on DVD!

Blood And Salt, by Kim Liggett
“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.” That’s the last thing Ash’s mom says to her before she disappears into the commune she once fled from. And after hearing that, how can you not be reeled in? Described as Romeo & Juliet meets Children of the Corn, Liggett’s debut—about a city girl who finds herself in a commune (read: cult!) in Kansas—promises something deliciously sinister. Ancient bloodlines, star-crossed lovers, and a deep, blood-soaked history confront Ash as she chases her mother into the heart of middle America, and discovers that, once you’re in, there may be no way out.

The X-Files: Calusari, by Garth Nix
Believe it or not, there’s an actual X-Files YA series—and the first book, Calusari, is written by none other than Garth Nix. The YA books feature Mulder and Scully themselves investigating cases lifted right from the TV show, especially from the monster-of-the-week episodes, like the voodoo-themed Fresh Bones and the cloning-inspired Eve.