October has finally made its way back around, officially marking the start of Spooky Season. Most people absolutely adore this time of year, or at least the people I associate myself with. From horror movies to halloween candy, this month offers something that can fit everybody’s interests.Â
So, what about us readers? What are the options we’re given for horror and, my personal favorite as a psychology student, psychological thriller novels in these late months?
I’ve compiled a list of my favorite four horror/thriller novels I’ve read within the past year so I can recommend them to others. These are all, in my opinion, entirely entrancing and impossible to put down:
1) The Need
Starting off strong, “The Need” by Helen Phillips tells the story of a mother, Molly, with two young children under the age of 5 while her husband is on a work trip. There’s little to no wait for this story to start; the opening pages open with a horrifying encounter with an intruder, a doppelgänger of “Molly” lurking around her household. Throughout the story, themes of motherhood, identity, and horror are explored in an almost memoir style novel, filled with dark comedy and the exploration for the true self in the midst of a life crisis. The way the narrator tells the story leaves for an open mystery until the very last pages. Check out Phillp’s page about her book here. Â
2) Black Chalk
Black Chalk Black Chalk” by Christopher J. Yates follows 6 best friends throughout their first year at Oxford University who have decided to spice up their freshman year by inventing a ”game” to their agenda. With money as the top prize, these 6 friends participate in increasingly embarrassing and harmful public challenges in order to win this game. Eventually, their friend group starts to crumble, and by the end of the book, only five students remain. The story is mainly told through reflection by one of the friends, whose identity remains a mystery for most of the novel. Overall, I definitely found this book the most intriguing as it has the most stereotypical “mystery” factors while still maintaining this level of psychological thrill that kept me reading from cover to cover.Â
3) The First Day of Spring
“The First Day of Spring” by Nancy Tucker is the book that re-sparked my love of reading. An absolute one-sitting read, I’ve found this novel to be very dark, very complicated, and very disturbing, so proceed with caution. In this novel, there is a neglected child, Chrissie, and the two perspectives Tucker has given us on her life; her at a mere 8 years old, in the opening in the book. At this point, little Chrissie has just taken the life of a neighborhood kid. As that case unravels and the ramifications of her actions start building up, we’re also given the life story of Julia. Julia is the name that Chrissie chooses to go by in her adult life, and her focus now is taking care of her own daughter, Molly, while living with her actions and reflecting upon the decisions she’s made so many years ago. Overall, this novel is tough to get through, but genuinely magnificent and such a beautiful read. Get a copy here!
4) With Love from the inside
“With Love from the Inside” is Angela Pisel’s debut novel about a mother and daughter and the renewal of their relationship even under unique circumstances. Grace Bradshaw is on death row for the alleged murder of her infant son via munchausen by proxy, and only has her daughter, Sophie Logan, to contact. Sophie, however, had started a completely different life within the decade since her mom was incarcerated, with no one besides her mother knowing the details of her “past” life. Her husband, children, and friends are kept in the dark about who she once was through great effort and many close calls. Throughout the story, Grace tries harder and harder to get into contact with Sophie before her execution date, to explain her innocence and the yearning for the few last conversations she can have with her daughter. Once again, this novel was beyond encapsulating, heartbreaking, and disturbing, but a beautiful display of raw and deep love between two family members. Â
All in all, these books add horror and thriller elements to such raw and beautifully written stories, making for a scary good month for reading!