Halloween Book Tag

This is Halloween, everybody scream! October is such a fun month. The leaves are changing (at least up north), Halloween decorations start, and people get ready to read and watch something spooky. Last year we came up with a list of 31 YA Books to Read Before Halloween. This year, we created a Halloween book tag.

Get ready for some mysteries, thrillers and horrors. After all, what’s Halloween season without a spooky book. What’s your favorite October read? Let us know in the comments! 

1. Favorite Scary Book

Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Samantha wakes up from a horrible accident with amnesia. She has no idea how she came to be involved in the terrible accident that led to the death of her best friend, Cassie. Before the accident, Samantha had the perfect life: the hottest boyfriend, endless wealth, and a posse of friends. After she wakes up, Samantha tries to reinvent herself and grows closer to her brother’s best friend while the two try to piece together the night of Cassie’s death. This book had a very shocking ending full of many twist and turns. It kept us up at night after finishing just thinking about it. The mystery was engaging and left you dying (pun intended) to piece together the night of Cassie’s death. Definitely snag this one if you are looking for an excellent thriller with an equally stellar romance!

2. A Book with Witches

The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith. When Cassie Blake moved to New Salem, Massachusetts, she didn’t believe in witches, let alone think she could be one. This town is weird in more ways than one and suddenly, she finds herself with a mysterious group that she needs to join. Cassie completes the circle of 12…a witches coven. But, dark magic is in New Salem and Cassie has to grow into her powers quickly or face the consequences. 

3. A Book with Vampires

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. This is a cult YA series about Rose Hathaway, a teen with human and vampire blood– a dhampir. Rose attends St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-in-training. After two years on the run protecting her best friend, Lissa– a mortal Moroi vampire princess with the rare gift for harnessing earth magic– the duo returns to St. Vladimir’s after coming under attack by Strigoi, immortal (read: evil) vampires. Along the way, Rose falls for her hunky instructor, Dimitri, and finds herself in constant danger when the Strigoi begin targeting Moroi and dhampir. October screams vampires! So if you’re in the mood for a vampire romance, look no further. 

4. An Easy YA Book Costume

A Shadowhunter! Literally anyone can pull off this costume. You can either be a specific character or just go as a generic Shadowhunter. All you have to do is dress in black and draw some of the runes on your arms. It’s a perfect DIY costume for your virtual Halloween party this year. Plus, any Cassandra Clare fans would recognize you immediately. 

5. Scariest Book Cover

The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This cover tells you everything you need to know: this book is terrifying. Small town murder mysteries are also a must in October. The Dead List tells the story of Ella, an average American teen trying to finish her senior year of high school in one piece…quite literally. There is a killer on the loose, and he is after Ella. Ella has to piece together why someone would want her dead. This novel can best be described as IT meets Criminal Minds.

6. A Spooky Historical Book

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco. We know this is the second book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, but it’s easily the creepiest. Set in a castle in late 19th century Romania, Audrey Rose Wasworth and Thomas Creswell take on a mystery on the alleged resurgence of Vlad the Impaler. What’s better than a murder mystery set in a foreign land in the middle of nowhere?! Plus, if you need a touch of romance with your mysteries, Audrey Rose and Thomas won’t disappoint. 

7. A Book with a Halloween Theme Park 

Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus. Not only does McManus deliver a chilling murder mystery, a creepy amusement park makes it that much more enjoyable. When Ellery and Ezra move from LA to a small town in Vermont, unsolved murders seem to be the norm…some of which have to do with the amusement park they started working at. Christy loves to visit Halloween haunts at amusement parks, so she loved reading this one!

8. A Twisty Murder Mystery

All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban. See, twisted is even in the title. A scholarship dinner turns fatal when six students are locked in a room and have an hour to decide their fates. One person must be killed or they all die. How can they choose and, more importantly, how are they all connected? This ending was…wow. Talk about a twist! Definitely check this out if you’re looking for an unexpected murder mystery. 

9. A Book set on Halloween 

All Hallow’s Eve by Vivian Vande Velde. This collection of short stories set on Halloween is perfect for an October 31st spent indoors.  Ready to feel afraid? Then pick this book up immediately. 

10. A Scary Book on Your TBR

Killing November by Adriana Mather. We have this book and plan to read it ASAP. It’s set at a school completely off the grid and the classes consist of mastering weapons and the art of deception. November Adley learns quickly that this school is tough and survival is everything. When her classmate is killed, November has to understand where she fits into this messy situation. We’re excited to read Killing November and think of it as a more mature version of Gallagher Girls. 

11. A Book That Kept You Up at Night

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This book is about gifted seventeen-year-old profiler, Cassie, who is recruited with other teens for the FBI’s newest project, the Naturals program. The Naturals program recruits only the best and brightest teens. Their task? Unlocking infamous cold cases using their special talents. Among the cast of characters is sarcastic Michael, who can read emotions, and broody Dean, who is also a gifted profiler. When a killer strikes, Cassie is sucked into a dangerous case that closely resembles that of her own mother’s murder a decade earlier. Barnes is a psychiatrist by trade, so she definitely did a great job of selling the creepy serial killer vibes in this series.

12. A Book With a Shocking Ending 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. This one had us surprised from start to finish. The murder mystery is much more complicated than meets they eye. Pip is determined to revisit a case closed five years ago. With help from Raj, the suspected murderer’s brother, Pip can clear his name. The question: who was the real killer and is the person much closer than Pip thinks?

13. The Scariest Book Based Halloween Costume

If you really want to scare your friends, we recommend going as Jack the Ripper. Whether you’re fascinated by the history of the true case or love the book by Kerri Maniscalco, this costume is bound to freak out your friends. Google costumes for this one and you’ll be sure to find something awesome.