Scary Fantasy

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea's April Genevieve Tucholke. Each story draws from a classic tale or two - sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not - to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat.

Kelly’s been a celebrity ever since she defeated the Boogeyman and his army of nightmares on Halloween. But now all the other monsters want revenge. And if Kelly’s going to survive Babysitter Bootcamp, she’ll have to face the Spider Queen, whose wicked web turns her parents, BFF, and middle-school teachers into mindless minions. All in a night’s work!

Sixteen-year-old Blake has always been the responsible one in his dysfunctional family. Quinn is his brother's opposite - a thrill-seeker who's always chasing the next scary rush. Quinn and Blake are in for the surprise of their lives when they're thrust into the world of a bizarre phantom carnival - and their souls are the price of admission. In order to save his brother, and himself, Blake must survive seven different carnival rides before dawn. Seven rides sounds easy. But each ride is full of unexpected dangers, because each ride is a reflection of one of Blake's deepest fears.

To rescue her boyfriend Tom and her cousin Zach from the evil Julian, Jenny Thornton and her friends--Audrey, Michael, and Dee--venture into the Shadow World, armed only with a set of runes that hold the key to the doors of hell.

When Veronica and her friend, Kirk, decide to investigate why, they stumble upon a more sinister plot than they ever could have imagined. One of Veronica’s high school teachers is crippled by the fact that his dead daughter has never returned as a ghost, and he’s haunted by the possibility that she’s waiting to reappear within a fresh body. Veronica seems like the perfect host. And even if he’s wrong, what’s the harm in creating one more ghost?

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Deveaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory’s brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: She’s become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades - the city’s secret ghost-fighting police - are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London.

When Skeleton Keys discovers newly unimagined Lucky all alone, he’s determined to reunite the little creature with the boy who imagined him. But Stanley is nowhere to be found. The search leads them to the Kingdom - a hidden world for unimaginaries. As they scour the streets for any sign of Stanley, the Kingdom comes under attack from a rampaging gorilla. Lucky is convinced it’s the work of Stanley’s wild imaginings. But what is Stanley up to, and can Skeleton Keys track him down before the entire place is reduced to rubble?

In this universe, many different realities exist simultaneously. You have to be careful when it comes to what you think about, wish for, and especially what you say. Thoughts and words have more power than you know, and you can turn your sense of reality into one you may not like. We were given the ability to create... so make sure your creation is as positive as you know how to be. If it is not, then be very mindful of what needs to change, because eventually, your own creation could end up being your own worst nightmare. This is The Scary.

Twelve-year-old Caroline is a Hurricane Child, born on Water Island during a storm. Coming into this world during a hurricane is unlucky, and Caroline has had her share of bad luck already. She's hated by everyone in her small school, she can see things that no one else can see, and - worst of all - her mother left home one day and never came back. With no friends and days filled with heartache, Caroline is determined to find her mother. When a new student, Kalinda, arrives, Caroline's luck begins to turn around. Kalinda, a solemn girl from Barbados, seems to see the things Caroline sees, too.

Imagine a far-away planet where dinosaur type creatures still exist. But they have grown to be quite clever and have some of the habits and ways of humans. This is a story of how some of them live and play together, some of them are cute and some are silly, and there are a couple of rather scary ones. Dapzie and Daffy and their kids, Billy and Milly, are the main characters in this strange and funny tale.

Randall just wanted to have a fun summer vacation with his family, visiting Grandma at her cabin on a lake in the Wisconsin Northwoods. Then everything went horribly wrong. Join 15-year-old Randall, and his younger brother Josh, as they fight for their lives on the eve of an elderly undead apocalypse.

Not many people can see the dead (and not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he's got bad news for them: the members of the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site. But the dead aren't going to take it lying down - especially since it's Halloween tomorrow. Besides, they're beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were...well...alive. Particularly if they break a few rules.

Justin Somper, internationally acclaimed author of young adult fiction, returns with the exciting sequel to the thrilling Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean. This swashbuckling adventure takes the bold seafaring twins,Connor and Grace, across the treacherous oceans where the notorious vampirates prowl.

Aidan and Olivia live in a creaky old house on the edge of a dirty, swampy lake. Craving some excitement, they convince their parents to let them camp out by the lakeshore under a full moon, with only their dog for company. Aidan loves to scare his sister and has plenty of funny tricks up his sleeve for their campout. But the twins are about to find out that the creepy old book that washed ashore, Tales from the Scaremaster, has a mind of its own - and its mind is set on scares beyond Aidan's wildest dreams!

For a century Bram Stoker's Dracula has reigned supreme as the undisputed masterpiece of horror writing. We have all grown up under the shadow of the elegant Count, at once an attractive, brutal, and erotic creature of the night. A skilled and imaginative cast, including Brian Cox as Van Helsing and Heathcote Williams as Dracula, brings this classic horror story to life!

Samantha and Rachel used to be friends. But then Rachel betrayed Samantha...and Samantha decided to make her life a living nightmare. Then one day, Sam and Rachel found themselves in a fight by a lake. Samantha pushed Rachel...and watched as Rachel fell back. And back. Into the water. And gone. No way to save her. No way she could be alive. The next day, Rachel shows up to school as if nothing happened. And now she's the one who wants to make her former friend's life a living nightmare....

Following the shocking battle at Icegaard, Phoenix and her friends gather with the Hunters, desperate to unite the warring clans before their enemy, the Master, attacks Ember. The Cavern of Light may offer hope in the form of a legendary weapon, but it lies deep in goblin territory, in the terrifying dark zone of the underground caves. The friends must brave the unknown, facing new and deadly creatures in search of a way to save their world. As an epic final showdown draws near, Phoenix struggles to protect her friends, determined not to lose anyone else she loves.

Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life. As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing?

Joss McMillan’s perfect life crashes down the night he witnesses his sister’s murder - at the hands of a vampire. He then finds out his family’s secret heritage: They are part of the Slayer Society, a group whose mission is to rid the world of vampires. Joss is their new recruit. As Joss trains, bent on seeking revenge for his sister, he discovers powers that could make him the youngest, strongest Slayer in history. But there is a traitor in the Society, one whose identity would shake Joss to the core... if the traitor doesn’t kill him first.

It’s time for Joss McMillan to prove himself as a Slayer. He failed to kill the vampire Vladimir Tod, but now he’s getting a second chance to make things right. He is in New York City, sent by the Slayer Society to hunt down a serial-killing vampire. Joss will lead his Slayer team and stop the murderer. But all is not as it appears. When the team discovers that there is more than one suspect on the killing rampage, Joss must use all his skill to save the innocent people of New York City. Joss’s status as a Slayer - and his very life - depend on it.