Best of 2024: Middle Grade Horror and Dark Fiction

Best of 2024: Middle Grade Horror and Dark Fiction

Here are my top ticks for 2024, featuring my favourite Middle Grade horror and dark fiction titles. Due to my own YA Horror 400 almanac being published last June I read and reviewed less than in most other years. Nevertheless, there are a nice selection of books which are presented alphabetically by author. Amongst the mix there is some historical fiction, werewolves, nightmares, haunted boarding schools, zombies and lots of sequels. Click back on the Young Blood site for my accompanying Young Adult ‘Best of 2024’ which was recently published by Ginger Nuts of Horror. 

Nicholas Bowling – The Undying of Obedience Wellrest

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicken House;

Nicholas Bowling is one of the finest writers of children’s historical fiction in the UK, skilfully and artfully moving around different periods. In his latest historical we head to the period of graverobbing, bodysnatching, alchemy and medical exploration of the eighteen century. This entertaining gothic mystery has a split first-person narrative ‘Ned’ and ‘Bede’ (short for Obedience) and the two characters could not be more different. When the story opens the pair do not know each other, as they come from different class systems which rarely cross paths. Ned is the grandson of the local gravedigger, who is also the custodian of the local graveyard. Bede is the sixteen-year-old daughter of the local landowner who hopes to marry her off to a wealthy man of science, Phineas Mordaunt. Bede, a spirited young woman, has other ideas.

The two meet early in the story but their narratives do not genuinely connect until further into the book as Bede has concerns of why Mordaunt is so interested in her family history. In particular a nameless grave associated with her descendant Uncle Herbert, who was rumoured to practice alchemy and conduct research into life after death. Ned is sucked into their orbit, takes a fancy to Bebe, and aids her in a deepening mystery involving disappearing bodies and the search for a diary Herbert might have hidden in a grave.

Best of 2024: Middle Grade Horror and Dark Fiction

This was a highly engaging historical thriller, with Bebe dreaming of studying science at university, but being held back because of her gender. The situation of Ned helps provide solid background on the plight of the lower classes, the suspicions, the graverobbing and how tough life was for those less well off. The plot plays its cards close to its chest and for much of the story the reader is unsure whether there is anything magical (or alchemy related) going on, but a nice plot reveal/twist in the riveting finish blows that mystery wide open. AGE RANGE 12+ 

Gabriel Dylan – Shiver Point 2: A Tap At The Window

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Piccadilly Press; 

I enjoyed the first Shiver Point novel It Came from the Woods, but I am delighted to reveal that book two A Tap at the Window is stronger, it probably has the same level of scares, but the mystery, background and the interactions with the child characters is more developed and it is clear this series is going places. In the original a small group of (almost) misfits band together to battle sluglike alien invasion in their small town of Shiver Point. In A Tap at the Window the same kids, who have formed their own version of the Scooby Gang (the Shiver Squad), vowing to protect their town from anything dodgy.

When the action kicks off the kids are bored as not much has happened around town since they scuppered the slug invasion. However, things soon pick up when one of the gang spots a group of other kids sneaking away from the abandoned and sinister Darkraven Farm. Soon strange things happen with Alex, Oli, Sophia, Mo and Riley sucked into a new mystery which also gets them into hot water at school. I loved the full range of the five characters which complement and amplify each other from very timid Mo to the usually perfect Sophia taking one for the team at the cost of losing all her hard-earned school badges.

Riley’s cool science project robot was also great and I enjoyed seeing how that filtered into a story which was slightly more complex than its predecessor. This was an engaging sequel and is perfect for the top end of primary/lower secondary school and parents can be rest assured it isn’t too scary (unless you really are creeped out by scarecrows). AGE RANGE 9-12 

Gabriel Dylan – Shiver Point 3: Under the Howling Moon

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Piccadilly Press; 

I enjoyed both It Came from the Woods and its A Tap at the Window, with Under the Howling Moon continuing the series. In the first two books a group of kids formed the Shiver Squad, vowing to protect their town from anything supernatural. The books are written as standalone reads and there are few references to earlier events, so kids could happily read this without having read its predecessors. 

Under the Howling Moon opens with Oli and his friends going on a camping trip, with his mechanic dad, to Howlmoor Forest for a birthday treat. But soon his dad goes missing, the moon is full, and campers abandon the site in their droves. The first half of the story sets the scene and the second involves the mystery, with a werewolf being suspected. Soon the Shiver Squad are researching werewolves and trying to figure out what has happened to Oli’s dad. This was a very easy short read and is a perfect gateway horror novel for younger children, or less confident readers just getting into the genre. The characters are engaging and realistic, with the story being confidently paced with short chapters and many smart horror film references.   Shiver Point 4: Beneath the Ghostly Graves will be with us in 2025. AGE RANGE 8-11

Daka Hermon – Nightmare King

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Press

I was a major fan of Daka Hermon’s debut Hide and Seeker (2020) and was delighted to hear that her sophomore Middle Grade novel Nightmare King (2023) was in the same ballpark. In the first novel a game of hide and seek goes horribly wrong and a group of kids are sucked into a shadow world called ‘The Nowhere’ ruled by a creature called the Seeker.

When I started reading the excellent Nightmare King I was unaware it had some connections with Hide and Seeker and when Justin pops up in the last quarter I almost leaped with joy! This is definitely a standalone novel, but the links to Hermon’s debut novel make it clear that we can expect a third. Interestingly, this story picks up the action a year after a disastrous game of tag left twelve-year-old Shane in a coma which his friends, twin sister and family thinking he might never wake up from.

Best of 2024: Middle Grade Horror and Dark Fiction

Nightmare King has great characters all the way through and this is balanced nicely with the brooding and developing supernatural story of Shane falling under the influence of the Nightmare King (the equivalent of the Seeker in the previous novel). After such a long spell in a coma Shane struggles with his health and is desperate to win his place back on the basketball team, whilst clashing with Travis who is a bully who plays in the same position. Shane is supported by his twin Sadie and best friend Doc and the friendship angle of the story is nicely played with the youngster bottling up his nightmares and increasing influence of the King on his life. Even though Shane shuns help he remained an engaging character and I enjoyed seeing how a seemingly fun and innocent game can be loaded with sinister twists and turns. AGE RANGE 10+

Phil Hickes – Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Usborne Publishing Ltd

Phil Hickes follows his excellent spooky Middle Grade Aveline Jones trilogy (2020-22) with Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls, which is aimed at the same younger age group. In Aveline Jones a young girl gets wrapped up in supernatural mysteries, Shadowhall Academy does not stray too far from that successful blueprint, instead this time moving the action to a creepy old girls’ boarding school, centring on a new girl nervous who is desperate to make friends.

As soon as I realised the main character was another ‘Jones’ I immediately clocked this eighties set novel was a prequel to Aveline Jones, as main character Lilian is the aunt in the other series. Coming in at around 200-pages Phil Hickes ensures the supernatural story dominates the plot from the very early stages which prevents the ‘dramas’ (bullying, struggling with homework etc) from having any hold on the plot. It was also quite old-fashioned, with eccentric doddery teachers and the young girls creeping around after lights out trying to solve an engaging mystery.

Best of 2024: Middle Grade Horror and Dark Fiction

Lilian is a first-time boarder at Shadowhall Academy, and after meeting her three roommates (Marian, Serena and Angela), becomes interested in finding out more about the school’s reputation for being haunted, especially after fellow new girl, the very nervous Angela, hears tapping through the wall near her bed. Lilian then opens up the panelling to find a little more than she bargained for and the mystery is off and running.  It’s a wonderful setting with atmosphere, terrible food and drafty corridors with the story’s strength being the developing friendship of the girls which compliments the mystery nicely. It is not so scary to prevent sleep and is perfect for Year 5 and above. Book two, Ghost Story Society arrives in February next year. AGE RANGE 8-12

Lora Senf – The Nighthouse Keeper (Bright Harbor Trilogy book 2)

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atheneum Books for Young Readers;

I was a huge fan of Lora Senf’s Middle Grade debut, The Clackity (2022) beautifully captured the trials of a little girl who lives in a (very) haunted town of Blight Harbor and goes up against a powerful supernatural being who has stolen her aunt, taking her to a spirit world. The Nighthouse Keeper picks up the story several weeks after Evie Von Rathe’s adventures in the strange world of seven houses, where the little girl once again, finds herself in the supernatural domain of the Nighthouse Keeper.

Blight Harbor is the seventh most haunted town in America and the ghosts are mostly harmless, with many being seen as members of the family or local tourist attractions. The story revolves around the sudden disappearance of many of the ghosts, all without warning or saying goodbye. Early in the novel Evie is invited to a mysterious council meeting, where she learns a terrible secret and how the disappearance of the ghosts has serious implications for the town.

I would recommend reading The Clackity before tackling The Nighthouse Keeper as they are interconnected and the town of Blight Harbor is a fine, vividly described, location. Structurally the stories are quite similar, with Evie going up against the odds to find the lost ghosts, with the reader finding out more about the Nighthouse Keeper at the story develops. The recurring theme of Evie searching for her parents bubbles in the background and, once again, Evie is blessed with cool supernatural sidekicks and has to deal with her anxiety issues problems with anxiety and magical doors which might or might not appear. I’ll be checking in for the third instalment The Loneliest Place later in the year. AGE RANGE 10-13

Justin Weinberger – Zombie Season 2: Dead in the Water

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Press 

I was a huge fan of Zombie Season and had high hopes for Zombie Season 2: Dead in the Water, however, it suffers slightly from middle book syndrome and I hope Rise of the Ancients later this year features slightly more action.  The original had an outstanding blend of pace, adventure, friendship, sympathetic characters and a highly original zombie plot. The creatures can pop up anywhere, so towns have the equivalent of tornado warnings and shelters should there be an uprising, and kids are taught zombie survival skills at school to aid survival. For a Middle Grade novel, the level of worldbuilding was extraordinarily impressive and this continues in Zombie Season 2.

Without going into too much detail, the kids Jules, Oliver and Regina all return to deal with the consequences of the huge zombie outbreak which destroyed their hometown of Redwood in the original. The story heads slightly into Silent Hill or Resident Evil or even Day of the Dead (intelligent zombies) territory with a dodgy corporation, HumaniTeam, experimenting on zombies who are supposed to be working on a superweapon (Project Cloudburst) the kids are suspicious of.  There is some sort of video game attached to this online via Scholastic and perhaps that it why it comes across as cartoony which could be perfect for engaging with reluctant readers. This is still a fun and easy undemanding read and it is important to read book one first. AGE RANGE 10/11+ 

SJ Wills – Bite Risk 2: Caught Dead

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Children’s UK

Back in 2023 I thoroughly enjoyed Bite Risk, the werewolf themed debut of SJ Wills. This was a clever update on the werewolf myth, with a sinister corporation pulling the shots in the town of Tremorglade, where when the full moon rises everybody over the age of fifteen turns into a monster. However, the town folks counteract the monthly transformation by caging themselves when the full moon rises. For the sake of spoilers I am not going to go into detail how Bite Risk connects to Caught Dead, except for the fact that the story is picked up six months after what is now referred to as ‘Rippocalypse’ from the end of book one.

Caught Dead has a useful potted guide summary of what went down in Bite Risk so this sequel could be read as a standalone novel, however, I would recommend reading Bite Risk first as the pair complement each other perfectly. Like its predecessor Caught Dead bridges the gap between Middle Grade and YA perfectly and could be read by anybody in secondary school. 

Best of 2024: Middle Grade Horror and Dark Fiction

Sel, Elena and Mika all return with their own narratives, which are built around when the next ‘Howl Night’ will occur as they are now all old enough to turn into werewolves. As the fact that werewolves exist is no longer a secret, hate groups have sprung up and tourists appear at Tremorglade hoping for some excitement. The main story develops around the arrival of a new, immensely powerful creature, which is so strong it can hunt and kill werewolves or cause deadly infections.

Caught Dead is loaded with lots of cool touches; Sel runs an online channel which explains the ins and outs of life at Tremorglade and life as a werewolf to prevent the spread of misinformation. This was another fast-paced action horror thriller, give a healthy dose of mad scientists and big guns thrown in, which concludes nicely for the third instalment Cold Blood which arrives in 2025. AGE RANGE 11/12+  

Tony Jones

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“The YA Horror 400 is such a good and constructive push for YA horror.” JEREMY DE QUIDT (YA author of The Wrong Train & The Toymaker)

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PHIL HICKES (Middle Grade author of the Aveline Jones and Shadowhall Academy series)

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“If you’ve ever wished there were an easily accessible almanac of YA horror, I’ve got great news, Tony Jones, who has been reviewing and supporting my work since I first started and is one of my biggest professional cheerleaders has released his YA Horror 400 almanac! I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to contribute to it, too. What a cool project! Go Tony!” AMY LUKAVICS (YA author of Daughters Unto Devils & The Ravenous)

“I want to alert English teachers and librarians to the most definitive resource I’ve ever seen highlighting the best YA horror novels since 2008. 400 of the best dark fiction for readers 9-15+ . Where do you go for advice yourself to know what to purchase? It’s all here. What do you give a middle-grade reader or teen with a taste for the darker side? This … and let them pick and choose their own! CLIFF McNISH (YA author of Breathe & The Hunting Ground)

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Lora Senf (Bram Stoker Award winning author of The Blight Harbor series)

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Further Reading