There’s just something so deliciously creepy about a haunted house. Creaking floorboards, ghostly footsteps on the stairs, an unknown figure standing in the window: there’s a reason these still make horror fans scream today. What would you do if you moved into a new house and realized you had a few not-so-welcome new roommates?
In the soon-to-be-released Diary of a Haunting, by M. Verano, Paige has to deal with exactly this problem after moving into an old, run-down mansion in Idaho with her mother and brother. After a series of unexplained incidents, she learns the frightening history behind the darkness that still lingers. You’ll have to wait until next week to check out Diary of a Haunting. To prepare yourself for it (and for all the great horror hitting shelves this fall), check out 5 more haunted house stories that’ll make you sleep with the lights on tonight.
The Vanishing Game, by Kate Kae Myers
Jocelyn and her twin brother, Jack, grew up in Seale House, a terrifying foster home that housed some very dark secrets. Though they swore they’d never return, after Jack is killed a mysterious letter brings Jocelyn back to the very place she spent her life avoiding. With the help of a childhood friend, she’s forced to face the very real and very frightening forces that inhabit Seale House.
Welcome to the Dark House, by Laurie Faria Stolarz
A confirmation of what we already knew was true: writing essays leads to nothing but trouble. Famous horror film director Justin Blake invites fans to write about their biggest fears, then invites the seven best authors to go behind the scenes on his newest project. Of course, things quickly start going awry, and as the body count rises, these teens suddenly have to face the very fears that brought them there in the first place.
Fiendish, by Brenna Yovanoff
Clementine has spent the last 10 years trapped in a cellar. As a child, a neighboring town was convinced her hometown was the root of some dark events, and burned it to the ground. Clementine, protected by an unknown magic, was stuck in the cellar until a local boy named Fisher found her and set her free. Now she’s determined to find out what happened 10 years ago, though she may not like what she discovers.
The Hunting Ground, by Cliff McNish
A classic “boys move into a new house, discover said house is violently haunted” tale. Elliott and his brother move with their parents into a serious fixer-upper, but unfortunately for them the house is already occupied by some spooky inhabitants. When Elliott finds an old diary, he begins to unravel the place’s secrets. But a particularly malicious ghost is out to stop him, and it’s up to the brothers to keep their family safe.
Amber House, by Kelly Moore
An old house with a mysterious family secret, hidden treasure, memories from the past coming alive: Amber House has it all. When Sarah’s family inherits Amber House, a huge estate in Maryland that’s been in the family for generations, she can’t figure out why her mother wants to get rid of it. That is, until she visits, begins to learn its secrets, and starts receiving visions of the house’s past that become increasingly threatening. Sarah has to deal with her family’s past if she doesn’t want it to wreak havoc on her future.
