Since the Goosebumps movie trailer dropped last month, I've
had creepies on the brain. It's hard to believe it has been more than twenty
years since the first Goosebumps book was released. Whether you read
the books as a preteen, peeked inside them as a parent, or just saw an
episode or two of its popular TV adaptation, you are probably familiar with
the series and its supernatural mysteries.
Undoubtedly, paranormal elements have become a staple in young adult
literature since the 90s, with particular groups—such as vampires,
werewolves, and zombies—stealing the spotlight in various forms. But what’s
new in this genre? Has it all been done before? we might ask. Stine’s
creatures went beyond the usual supernatural suspects, and thankfully some
authors still follow in his innovative footsteps.
In honor of R.L. Stine’s things that go bump in the night, I thought I would
spotlight a few new YA novels with strikingly original takes on the
supernatural. These books are, of course, more mature, dark, and romantic
than the Stine era counterparts, but they are every bit as inventive and
chilling.
As a long-time fan of Egyptian mythology, I
am thrilled about the upcoming release of Reawakened, which features a
resurrected mummy and an arcane quest. And it gets better—that resurrected
mummy isn’t all tatters and bones. Instead, he’s a handsome Egyptian prince
who’s very lively…and dreamy.
About: The first book in a new multi-book series from
New York Times bestselling author, Colleen Houck, about a teenage girl
entangled in an epic Egyptian quest full of romance, adventure, and
mythology!
When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art
one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a
live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a
thousand years of mummification.
And she really can’t imagine being
chosen
to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe.
But fate
has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must
travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil,
shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.
From New York
Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two
star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a
journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.
This gothic historical fantasy, by NYT
bestselling Jessica Day George, has a refreshingly traditional take on
vampire and shapeshifter lore. Sweeping readers off to a lush setting,
George thrusts her teenage heiress protagonists into a struggle between the
Romanian monarchy and the infamous Dracula family.
About: As debutantes in 1890s New York City, cousins
Dacia and Lou knew little about about their mysterious Romanian relatives,
the Florescus. Now, upon turning seventeen, the girls must journey to
Romania--a journey that seems to be both reward and punishment--to meet
their cousins and their tyrant of a grandmother and to learn the secrets of
their family. Secrets spoken of in whispers. Dangerous secrets known as the
Claw, the Wing, and the Smoke.
But as dangerous as those family secrets might be, even more dangerous is
the centuries-old bond between the Florescus and the royal Dracula family,
and it seems that it's time for Dacia and Lou to give up their life in New
York society and take their place among the servants of the Draculas. When
the devilish heir, Mihai Dracula, sets his sights on Dacia as part of his
evil, power-hungry plan, the girls must accept or fight against this cruel
inheritance. Do they have the courage to break the shackles of their
upbringing and set the course of their own destiny?
This YA debut introduces a fascinating form
of magic called shadowshaping, in which users channel ancestral spirits into
art. Combine that with a vibrant Brooklyn setting and a deadly mystery, and
you have a creepy, fantastical story that the genre masters should be proud
of.
About: Paint a
mural. Start a battle. Change the world.
Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging out with her
friends. But
then a corpse crashes the first party of the season. Her stroke-ridden
grandfather starts
apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to
weep real
tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going
on.
With the help of a fellow artist named Robbie, Sierra discovers shadowshaping,
a thrilling
magic that infuses ancestral spirits into paintings, music, and stories. But
someone is
killing the shadowshapers one by one -- and the killer believes Sierra is
hiding their
greatest secret. Now she must unravel her family's past, take down the killer
in the
present, and save the future of shadowshaping for generations to come.
Full of a joyful, defiant spirit and writing as luscious as a Brooklyn summer
night,
Shadowshaper introduces a heroine and magic unlike anything else in fantasy
fiction, and
marks the YA debut of a bold new voice.