October Fright: Recs to Keep You Up All Night

Hope you are all enjoying your October. I was originally going to divide this post into three parts. I was going to recommend middle grade horror, then YA horror, then adult horror. Unfortunately, when I looked back at what I’ve read over the last couple of years, I discovered that I was seriously lacking in the YA department. I feel like there has been an influx of demand for YA horror, but most of these still are not out yet. Luckily for you, I did realize that over the last couple of years, I’ve read more adult horror than any other age group and I have all the recs for you as a result. I really want to explore more adult horror, so if you have any recs for me, let me know in the comments.

1. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Perfect for fans of haunted houses and those who enjoy exploring themes like colonialism in a horror setting.

    After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
    Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
    Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
    And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.”

2. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

One of the most intense books I’ve ever read. The squeamish should look away, but for those who don’t mind a bloodbath, you are in for one heck of a ride. 

    The creeping horror of Paul Tremblay meets Tommy Orange’s There There in a dark novel of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.
    Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.”

3. Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Cannibalism has never felt so plausible. Also avoid this one if you are squeamish. In fact, I’d recommend you eat dinner before picking this one up, not after.

    Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans —though no one calls them that anymore.
    His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.
    Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.”

4. Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

If you are in the mood for a good atmospheric horror novel, this is the one to reach for. Creepy witches abound and they are so very scary.

    A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.
    In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.
    But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.
    Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.”

5. When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

If you don’t mind a book that will have you looking over your shoulder, I highly recommend this one. It combines horror and gentrification in a thrilling package.

    The gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…
    Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.
    But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.
    When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?”

6. Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

I could not resist picking this one up at the beginning of the month. If you are in need of a quick, scary read this Halloween, this is the one. It’s deliciously creepy.

    Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.
    A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.
    It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.
    But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.
    And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.”

7. The Eartheater by Dolores Reyes

If horror isn’t really your genre and you lean more toward mysteries, this unique story might appeal more to you, especially if you like the magical realism that plays with darker elements.

    Electrifying and provocative, visceral and profound, a powerful literary debut novel about a young woman whose compulsion to eat earth gives her visions of murdered and missing people—an imaginative synthesis of mystery and magical realism that explores the dark tragedies of ordinary lives.
    Set in an unnamed slum in contemporary Argentina, Earth-eater is the story of a young woman who finds herself drawn to eating the earth—a compulsion that gives her visions of broken and lost lives. With her first taste of dirt, she learns the horrifying truth of her mother’s death. Disturbed by what she witnesses, the woman keeps her visions to herself. But when Earth-eater begins an unlikely relationship with a withdrawn police officer, word of her ability begins to spread, and soon desperate members of her community beg for her help, anxious to uncover the truth about their own loved ones.
    Surreal and haunting, spare yet complex, Earth-eater is a dark, emotionally resonant tale told from a feminist perspective that brilliantly explores the stories of those left behind—the women enduring the pain of uncertainty, whose lives have been shaped by violence and loss.”

What is your favorite adult horror novel? Do you have a recommendations for me?