One Was Lost Author Natalie D. Richards Shares Her 13 Favorite Creepy Reads

Natalie D. Richards’ One Was Lost, out this month, centers on a handful of students cut off from the rest of their group during a school-mandated hiking trip. A flash flood leaves them stranded overnight, and when they wake up, their teacher chaperone is unconscious, and each student bears an inked word on their wrist: Darling, Dangerous, Deceptive, Damaged. The four teens must band together if they’re going to have a chance of surviving the woods.
Richard’s book is a perfect pick for creepy autumn reading—and here she is to share her own favorite spooky reads.
The leaves are turning, the air smells sweet and crisp, and Halloween is just around the corner. Which means it’s obviously time for some good old-fashioned creepy book reading, right? Well, you don’t need to look further than the YA shelves to find books that will scare you silly. Here’s my list of my 13 favorite scary reads.

The Walls Around Us, by Nova Ren Suma
This book has been described as Black Swan meets Orange is the New Black. I describe it as pure literary genius with a side of super spooky.

Project Cain, by Geoffrey Girard
A clone of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer? No, that’s not scary at all. (It’s terrifying.)

Find Me, by Romily Bernard
While it veers more toward thriller than horror, this heart-pounder will definitely give you goosebumps along the way.

Amity, by Micol Ostow
Remember that terrifying horror film about that old and incredibly evil haunted house with the murdered family? Yeah, Ostow wrote something inspired by that story. It’s quite possibly more frightening than the movie.

Asylum, by Madeleine Roux
Which is part photo album and part scary-as-crap haunting story.

Anna Dressed In Blood, by Kendare Blake
In which Kendare manages to write one of the creepiest ghost stories ever written AND makes it romantic. Yeah, she’s a genius.

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
Yes, this book is hyped beyond all belief thanks to the film, but it really is wonderful spooky fun.

The Female of the Species, by Mindy McGinnis
This book is maybe more disturbing than it is creepy, but’s definitely the kind of chilling read that belongs on a creepy books list!

Paper Valentine, by Brenna Yovanoff
This book is gorgeously written and one of the few serial killer books that has ever really scared me.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Genevieve Tucholke
This feels a little like a modern, violent version of Rebecca and it’s wonderful.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor
Demons and creatures come to life in a romantic epic of heartbreak and demon war. Which is a terrible description for this genius book. Read it.

The Body Finder, by Kimberly Derting
If you rolled Stephen King’s Pet Sematary and Firestarter into something fresh and young, it might feel a little like The Body Finder. Awesome read.

Reboot, by Amy Tintera
This dystopian is a complete thrill ride from start to finish. Go devour!