8 ’80s-Set YAs That Nail That Old School Stranger Things Vibe

Scowler, by Daniel Kraus
If you’re more into the creepy side of the show, look no further than Daniel Kraus’s Scowler. Set in the 1980s, it follows Ry and his mother and sister, barely scraping by on their farm and haunted by the memories of Ry’s father’s abuse. When a meteor falls from the sky and brings with it a man worse than Ry’s father, the boy draws on some imaginary friends from childhood to save his family. This monster may be even scarier than the Demogorgon.

Tell The Wolves I’m Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt
If Eleven had had the chance to grow up like a normal kid, eating Eggos and not being subjected to horrible experiments, I could totally see her enjoying this beautifully written book by Carol Rifka Brunt. When June’s beloved uncle dies in the 1980s, no one will tell her how, even if she was his favorite. She finds later that not only did he die of AIDs in an era that covered up those deaths, but he had a long-time boyfriend, Toby. Discovering more about her uncle than she ever did when he was alive, June tries to use this knowledge—and her newfound friendship with Toby—to repair the cracks in her family’s relationships. It’s a beautiful and moving book, and definitely one if you’re looking for a more literary take on the ’80s.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This book definitely gives me those lazy summer ’80s days vibes that the show so perfectly captures. Aristotle and Dante couldn’t be more different, even with the similarities in their names. When they meet at a swimming pool they’re initially hesitant of each other. But the two boys discover they have more in common than initially thought, especially as their friendship develops into something more. It’s a tender, wonderful book that will definitely appeal to fans of the show.

Last Dance at the Frosty Queen, by Richard Uhlig
Dustin is probably one of my favorite Stranger Things characters after Nancy, and I can totally see this book being about him once he becomes a teen. Arthur M. Flood plans to leave his small town far, far behind as soon as graduation hits. He’s sick of Kansas, sick of the dust, and sick of having nothing to do but sit on the dock of the lake—that is, until a girl swims up from the depths and turns his life “upside down.”

The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily M. Danforth
Okay, spoilers ahead (so look away if you haven’t watched yet), but I’m STILL mad about what happened to Barb in Season One. And while I know she’s probably not coming back, this story is what I would have wanted for her had she returned (minus the conversion camp.) While the story takes place largely in the 1990s, it does start in 1989 with that same small-town vibe Stranger Things works. The afternoon Cam’s parents die, she’s relieved—relieved they don’t have to know she was kissing a girl. As Cam grows up and explores her sexuality under the roof of her ultra-conservative family, she falls in love with Coley Taylor, a beautiful cowgirl who’s straight—or is she? It’s a fantastic novel, and the closest we’ll probably get to #JusticeForBarb.

Paper Covers Rock, by Jenny Hubbard
If the boys from the show were older and at an elite prep school rather than Hawkins, Indiana, their story could be similar to Hubbard’s Paper Covers Rock. Filled with angst and intrigue, it’s set against a perfectly 80’s backdrop. When Alex fails to save his friend from drowning at the start of his junior year, he’s devastated. To make matters worse, he and his friend Glenn, who was also there, aren’t telling the whole truth about their friend’s death. Then there’s the English teacher, Miss Dovecott, who knows more than she’s letting on. As their secrets and lies start to unravel, the boys will have to face what actually happened at the river.

We Are Still Tornadoes, by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen
One of the best parts of Stranger Things is the tumultuous relationship(s) between Nancy and Steve and Jonathan, with all of their feelings happening even as monsters take over Hawkins—and this ’80s-set YA nails that. Scott and Cath have been close since they were kids, and now that they’re off in separate colleges, they find their relationship tested. Told in a series of letters during 1982-1983, the book explores how the best friends do apart in an interesting format, and will definitely appeal to anyone interested in the nuances of relationships.

The Summer I Learned To Fly, by Dana Reinhardt
The protagonist of Reinhard’s novel would have fit right in with the boys and Eleven, for sure. Her name is Drew, and she’s definitely a loner, friends only with her pet rat and finding solace in her dead father’s Book of Lists. Her mother is too busy with her gourmet cheese shop to help Drew with much of anything. But when Drew goes searching for her rat in the alley behind the shop, she finds a mysterious boy named Emmett Crane, and definitely gets more than she bargained for. Not only does he know rats like she knows cheese (which is a lot), but the mystery of how he ended up in the alley—and their ensuing friendship—will consume the rest of her summer.