Bookstagram – i.e. the book-verse of Instagram – is buzzing with Halloween recommendations right now. I love a good spooky read (as long as it’s not graphic horror), so I bought some of the recommendations I came across to see whether they were really worth the hype. So without further ado, let’s dive in, beginning with –
The Sun Down Motel, Simone St. James
In November, 1982, Vivian Delaney mysteriously disappears without a trace from her night job at the Sun Down Motel. The case is never solved, which bothers Vivian’s niece Carly who, decades later, decides to take a break from college to see if she can uncover the truth behind her aunt’s disappearance. Through the course of her search, Carly ends up unveiling other, more disturbing revelations that might be connected to her aunt’s story, along with the eerie realisation that the Sun Down Motel is never truly empty…
This book is great for those who enjoy murder mysteries and can handle a touch of the supernatural. I liked that the supernatural element here wasn’t too gory and also served to develop the plot, as opposed to simply scaring the socks off the reader. The book is fast-paced and easy to follow, making it a dark but entertaining read overall.
Rating: 3.5/5
It Follows You, Keran Pantth Joshi
This book is a series of short horror stories, but to be honest, I could not finish this one on account of it being riddled with grammar issues and odd phrasing (these things tend to distract me a lot). For example, in the first story the author used the word “blurted” three times in two pages, and continued to use the same word repeatedly in the following pages, until eventually it became all I could see.
Another example:
“Subliminally you foray into its realm
And slowly it creeps into your mind helm” (mind helm?)
There were a host of other issues scattered throughout the little that I read (“His long beard neatly tied hair in a pony…”), but I will not harp on about them.
The stories themselves seemed rather absurd. The first one was about a bride, later discovered to be the spawn of Satan – because she only eats meat – and it was foretold that she would grow into her full demonic form after ‘losing her virginity’.
Convenient, was the word that came to mind.
The second story features a woman who is desperate to get married, especially after finding out that her college rival just got married herself. The protagonist figures that if she gets married in the same year as her rival, then it ‘won’t count’.
It was at this point that I stopped reading.
Rating: 1/5
House of Hollow, Krystal Sutherland
Three sisters go missing as children, only to return a month later with no memory of what happened. Their parents are beyond themselves with relief to have their children back, but soon their father begins to claim that these three girls are not his daughters. As the girls grow up, strange things seem to happen around them and no one knows why. And when the eldest daughter goes missing again a decade later, her sisters set out to find her, and discover the dark truth of their disappearance along the way.
This is a fast-paced and highly engaging read, plunging you into an eerie exploration of life, death and the world in between. The book is spooky without having any jump-scares or excessive gore and violence, but will still leave you feeling a touch unsettled after reading it. The feminist undercurrent that follows the stories of the three sisters gives the book a bit more depth as well, overall making it a thoroughly enjoyable Halloween read.
Rating: 3.5/5
Carrie, Stephen King
I picked up this book expecting some classic Stephen King jump scares and spooky monsters, but was very surprised to find a deeply insightful plot.
The story revolves around Carrie White, who has a genetic inclination that gives her the power of telekinesis. However, she’s only vaguely aware of her abilities, and spends most of her life repressed by a sadistic, religiously fanatic mother, as well as being ostracised and severely bullied by her peers at school. But things only keep getting worse, until Carrie reaches a tipping point that pushes her telekinetic powers to their maximum potential, leading to deadly consequences.
Stephen King has done an admirable job of depicting the female experience, and as a reader, one really feels the immeasurable pain, sadness and helplessness that dominates most of Carrie’s life of abuse and loneliness. The book strongly reminded me of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, and I can imagine Carrie to be a version of what Matilda might have become if she never found someone to love and care for her.
This book is disturbing, but not scary – rather, it leaves the reader feeling deeply sad.
Rating: 3/5
The Once and Future Witches, Alix E. Harrow
In a world where the memory of witches being burned at the stake is still painfully fresh, three sisters embark on a quest to find the lost land of witchcraft in an attempt to bring freedom to the women around them – women shackled by social repression and insecure men, unable even to glimpse at freedom or imagine the possibility of having their own power. The shadows watch their every move, and the three sisters must be prepared to fight to the death if they ever hope to succeed.
This was a thoroughly entertaining read, blending the thrill of magic with the mystery and action of a treasure hunt, with several intriguing plot twists and fairy tales imaginatively retold along the way – truly everything you could ask for in a Halloween read. The strong feminist narrative that courses through the entire story grounds an otherwise fantastical tale in a harsh reality, wherein the reader can feel the yearning of the female characters – representing generations of women – to simply be allowed to exist as equals, the deep anger of being forced into repression, and the power in the voices that unite towards a common cause.
Rating: 4/5
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson
Five years ago a girl from Pippa’s school named Andie Bell went missing. Her boyfriend at the time, Salil ‘Sal’ Singh was a key suspect – only to be found dead soon after Andie disappeared. Sal was declared guilty, and his death was ruled a suicide. With that, Andie Bell’s case was closed and everything went back to normal. But Pip is not convinced, and takes it upon herself to investigate this case as a topic for her school project – an undertaking that becomes more dangerous as Pip digs deeper and comes closer to the truth.
The endless twists and turns in the plot make this book a very interesting read. With its simple language and quick pace, this reminded me a bit of my Nancy Drew days. I sped through the book, and it kept me engaged the entire time – not just with the murder mystery, but also in its examination of social justice, racism and the dangers of media trials – with a truly unexpected ending.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton
This one was the scariest I read so far, but for very different reasons. There are no ghosts or demons, but rather humanity at its worst. If the musical Grease were to explore a direction leaning more towards realism, I imagine the outcome would be very similar to this book.
The Outsiders is set in an environment where class distinctions are absolute, so deeply entrenched that they become a part of its populations’ identity: the rich ‘Socs’ versus the poor ‘Greasers’. The relationship between the two groups has always been strained, but it reaches a breaking point when a Soc is killed, unleashing a domino effect that dives into explorations of identity within social contexts, empathy and love, and above all, the subjectivity of ‘goodness’, as well as the strength and courage it takes to be good when all the cards are stacked against you.
I was quite surprised to find out that the author was only seventeen years old when she wrote this book – considering the graphic violence and depth of social insight involved. Not only did she put herself through college from this book, but also won an award for an outstanding contribution to young adult literature.
Rating: 4/5
The Devotion of Suspect X, Keigo Higashino
This is not your average murder mystery – here, you know who the killer is right from the start.
The book begins with a crime being committed, after which the reader gets to witness the police investigation as well as the perpetrator’s moves to avoid detection unfold in parallel.
Personally, I prefer the thrill and suspense of a one-sided murder mystery – but that’s just my subjective opinion. With this book, I could still appreciate the brilliance of the author’s strategic storytelling that allows the reader to follow both sides of the same crime, and still surprise us in the end.
Overall, this book is an example of truly masterful storytelling, with fascinating twists and turns along the way.
Rating: 3.5/5
With that, we come to the end of all the Halloween-themed books I encountered on bookstagram in the recent past. I hope you found this helpful, and happy Halloween!