What’s the Scariest Book You’ve Ever Read?
October is the perfect time to embrace a little fright, and what better way to get into the Halloween spirit than with a scary story?
What makes a book scary? Maybe it’s a creepy story that you couldn’t put down, or one you had to put down because it was too scary. Maybe a particular scene stayed with you long after you finished the book, or maybe you read something as a child (or as an adult!) that made you think twice about turning off the lights at bedtime.
We asked our library staff to share a book or story that has scared them, and it’s quite a list! From childhood favorites to nail-biting thrillers that were simply too frightening to finish, these are the books that stuck with them.
If you’re looking for your next spooky read this Halloween season, read on… if you dare!
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher terrified me so thoroughly that I had to get it out of my house and send it back to the library whence it came. But it was already too late. The unsettling feeling that a wall can have an opening behind the wallpaper that leads into another place with an eerie repeating landscape... and you might lose the place you entered from... ugh! I couldn't get it out of my head, but I didn't think I could read it, either. I tried having a friend read it for me to tell me how it ends, but after several haunted months, I gave up and picked the horrible thing up again. It got worse, and I read it in great chunks, trying not to panic. I cannot say the ending was the closure I needed, as scenes still live in my brain, and telling myself the book was ridiculous only sometimes helps. – Katharine Argall, Youth Services Programmer, Port Royal Branch
One short story that lives rent-free in my mind is The Spider by Hanns Heinz Ewers. I love that although it tells a straightforward narrative (with a great twist) it doesn’t explain everything. Fear lives in the imagination, and leaving elements of the tale unknown allows the story to really crawl under one’s skin. – Joshua Strnad, Youth Services Manager, St. Helena Branch Library
I am 44 years old. I read Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn when I was in the 4th grade. I thought I was grown up and ready for a scare. I. WAS. WRONG. To this very day, this book haunts me. I remember not sleeping for nights in a row and not being able to tell my mom why, because I didn’t want to get in trouble for reading a scary book. – Acey Deiwert, Youth Services Programmer, Bluffton Branch Library
I've enjoyed spooky books for as long as I can remember, and one that sticks out to me is Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I read it in elementary school, and the illustrations and stories have stayed with me. Creepy! -Traci Cox, Marketing & Communications Manager, Beaufort County Library
I loved, and was scared by, the Goosebumps book Ghost Beach! The cover was very spooky, but I was obsessed with ghost stories, so I read it in third grade. I ended up skipping to the end just to satisfy my curiosity without continuing to scare myself, but then the twist ending creeped me out more! Soon after reading it, I stayed with my grandparents, who lived in a beach town up North, and the similarities to the book were a little too close for comfort. But now, I look back on the book very nostalgically! – Cassandra Knoppel, Senior Librarian, Beaufort District Collection
One that scared me recently is Misery by Stephen King! Definitely 10/10 spookies! - Olivia Perry, Youth Services Programmer, St. Helena Branch
I'm currently reading the adult fiction novel, Winterset Hollow, by Jonathan Edward Durham, and I love it! I would describe it as a twisted fairytale with talking animals who wear clothes — the sort you may find enchanting when you're a child (think Beatrix Potter). However, this cast of characters is hiding a dark secret. When a group of fans of the cherished classic book, featuring the same title, stumble upon the island folk during an exploration to learn more about the beloved author, they quickly learn there is some truth to the old phrase — "never meet your heroes." – Leigh Ramey, User Experience Librarian, Beaufort County Library
The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden is an unpredictable psychological thriller and the sequel to The Housemaid. Millie Calloway is the protagonist who works for a wealthy couple, Douglas and Wendy Garrick as a maid in Manhattan. Wendy Garrick stays behind a locked bedroom door for most of the story and seems to be in real danger. Millie sees blood on Wendy’s clothes, in the bathroom all over the counter and on the floors and she hears Wendy crying and arguing with Douglas. When Millie attempts to check on Wendy she refuses to come out of her room, and when she finally does see Wendy, she is covered in bruises and has a split lip. Millie has earned a reputation for herself among New York’s wealthy housewives as someone who can help abused women get out of hopeless situations. The Housemaid’s Secret has so many scary twists and turns, the last few chapters were so suspenseful and made me wonder if the protagonist would survive the entire ordeal. This one was eerie and difficult to put down. – Holly Jones, Manager, Lobeco Branch Library
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - this is one of the few books that truly messed with my head. – Ryan Easterbrooks, Librarian, Beaufort Library
My suggestion is the Cassidy Blake series by Victoria Schwab. The books follow a girl and her parents as they travel the world to film a supernatural TV show. The twist is that Cassidy died and came back, and now she can see ghosts and even cross the veil. It's super spooky for a middle-grade series!– Alyssa Krob, Digital Resources Librarian (Audiobook series and eBook also available)
I read Pet Sematary by Stephen King when I was in high school, and it terrified me. There was something truly horrifying about beloved pets coming back from the dead, looking the same but not acting the same. Super creepy! - Linda Biesecker, Library Assistant, Beaufort Library
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. Dark! Jess, a Brit and the main character, has her brother go missing in Paris. She does not speak French! How do you get help, much less the truth, when you do not know what anyone is saying? – Ellen Kelley, Library Assistant, Beaufort Library
Mine would be The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. It might just be the best ghost story I've ever read! – Emma Maines, Information Services Librarian, Hilton Head Branch Library
