5 horror books that will stay with you
Of all the literary genres, one is by far the most divisive – horror. You either love the chills and thrills or hate that feeling of terror. If you’re one of the former, we’ve got five books that will stay with you long after you close that back cover.
1. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Danielewski’s 2000 debut bestseller House of Leaves isn’t your ordinary horror novel. If its unconventional page layout and use of footnotes doesn’t stick with you, its plot certainly will. The book tells the story of a family who move to a new house, only to find it’s bigger on the inside – much, much bigger. This one will certainly keep you up at night!
2. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
Drawing comparisons to Hitchcock, Malerman’s debut psychological horror novel Bird Box follows Malorie and her four-year-old twins as they try to survive in a world inhabited by something which causes all who see it to commit murder and suicide. They must leave the sanctuary of their house, but they mustn’t be seen… nor must they see.
3. The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
A star author in Japan, Koike’s popular 1986 novel is finally being translated into English, set to be released next month. When a young couple move into an apartment building located right next to a graveyard, something doesn’t seem quite right. Their neighbours start vacating the block one by one until all that’s left are the young couple and someone (or something) in the basement…
4. Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Feel like being scared out of your skin? Hex should do it. Set in the town of Black Spring, its inhabitants can never leave, lest their dark secret be revealed – the secret that their town is home to a 300-year-old witch whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Legend has it, if someone should cut those stitches, the whole town will perish.
5. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of vampire novels out there, but none quite like Let the Right One In. It follows the relationship between Oskar and Eli, the latter of whom is a centuries-old vampire who was turned at the age of 12 and maintains the body and mind of a child. The way the novel treats real-world issues in a supernatural setting will definitely have you thinking.
What’s your favourite horror novel of all time? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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