We love the thrills and chills of a good paranormal story. Without being tied down to scientific facts, we can simply let go and ride the author’s wild, imaginative storytelling to the final page. The best paranormal books are ones that, like these, make you a believer.
The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
No one can write a ghost story like Japan’s master of psychological horror, Mariko Koike. A young family moves into a sparkling new apartment building and almost immediately notices strange events. Gradually, other residents move out. The graveyard next door has somehow exerted a power upon their building, and now the young family finds itself alone in the high rise. Well…almost alone.
I Am Behind You by John Ajvide Lindqvist
One morning, four families wake up during a camping trip, look outside and see…nothing. The landscape has disappeared except for an endless ocean of grass. Enter the past, in physical form, confronting each person’s regrets, mistakes, and crimes. As the campers face off, they wonder if they’ll ever return to the present.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
Two decades have passed since a serial killer called “The Whisper Man” terrorized the small town of Featherbank by whispering into children’s bedroom windows at night, luring them outside. But while the killer was most definitely human, there are other voices that can’t be explained. Namely, the “imaginary” friends that follow young Jake and warn him about the whispers spoken at night…
The Institute by Stephen King
Children are disappearing. Not just any children, though. These boys and girls have paranormal abilities, valuable skills that put their families in danger. When Luke wakes up from his kidnapping, he’s in the Institute, where he learns exactly how prized his talents are. The kids know that if they play along, they get to live and eat. Disobey and they disappear, this time for real. Of course, there’s a third option: escape.
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
An idyllic family vacation in a remote New Hampshire cabin comes to an abrupt end when a group of strangers arrive. The family has been chosen to avert the apocalypse, but the solution is terrifying and death is a certainty. Psychologically devastating with a supernatural immediacy, Cabin is a thriller that will keep you awake at night.
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Hiram Walker was born a slave, soon traumatized by the sale of his mother. At a young age, he discovers that he has unique abilities. This power is what allows him to escape his master, fight for the freedom of others, wage war on slave owners, and even save his own life. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to call Walker a superhero.
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
Christopher and his mom, Kate, make a much-needed new start in a small town, but then Christopher disappears for six days and returns just as suddenly. New voices in Christopher’s head instruct him to construct a treehouse deep in the woods, but there’s a catch. If he ignores them, his mother and their new town will be in peril.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Dana has just celebrated her 26th birthday when she is pulled back in time to a plantation in Maryland. In a haze, all she can understand is that there is a young white boy in front of her, drowning. She saves him, then wakes up in the present. Again and again, Dana visits the past, to this boy and his family, and eventually realizes that her actions are dictating her own fate.
The Famished Road by Ben Okri
Azaro is an abiku, a child who can exist in both the spirit world and the human world. His ability to see the future puts him and his family in danger — rich and poor alike try to trap Azaro and use him for their own gain, as if he were the key to wealth in his impoverished town. As if that weren’t enough, Azaro battles spirits at every turn, ghosts trying desperately to drag him back into their world.
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Even if she wanted, Shana couldn’t wake her sleepwalking little sister. Soon, other sleepwalkers emerge and they all seem to be heading to the same place, with their awake caretakers in tow. As the mystery spreads, conflict grows. Some want to wake the wanderers, some want to kill them, and some want to follow them to the ends of the earth.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Fresh out of jail, Shadow has no family and no plans which works great for Mr. Wednesday who is in need of a bodyguard and a driver. As they set out across the country, Wednesday reveals his true identity, and their true cause: He’s Odin, and he must round up the Old Gods in preparation for an epic battle with the New Gods. Without worshipers they all die, so the less competition for human attention, the better.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Although vampire stories have been around for centuries, it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t have the sensual vampires of Twilight and True Blood without Rice’s classic book. The subject is Louis, who details the story of how he died, was reborn, and lived to tell about it. Like never before, Rice humanizes these creatures of the night and makes them irresistible to mortals.
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Casiopea Tun feels trapped in her small Mexican town, until she finds a mysterious box in her wealthy grandfather’s home. Inside is none other than the Mayan god of death. Upon his release, he offers Casiopea the adventure of a lifetime: restore him to this rightful throne, and all her dreams will come true.
