November 2025 YA & Middle Grade Horror Roundup: Ghosts, Monsters & Mysteries

November 2025, YA and Middle Grade Round Up

We have nine books this month and I’m going to start at the top: the return of Cliff McNish. Cliff has long since been one of my favourite authors and featured in my own YA Horror 400 almanac, so it was fantastic to read Lily’s Monster, his first new book in a few years. Since Cliff last had a YA horror novel out there have been many new writers on the scene, so it is great to have one of the old master’s back!

There is also the welcome return of the great Tom Deady, who also featured in the YA Horror 400. Tom’s latest The Ghost of Black Hill Road: Hopedale Mystery is a sequel to The Clearing, which has also been rebranded. Independent books struggle to get noticed in the children’s book world, but both Hopedale Mysteries are well worth putting at extra bit of effort to locate. 

Four other Middle Grade novels are reviewed, including the always excellent Phil Hickes who also featured in the YA Horror 400. With his latest spooky tale The Last Day of October Phil is writing for the publisher Barrington Stoke who specialise in dyslexia friendly and high quality fiction aimed at kids with lower reading ages.  We also have three authors featured on the page for the first time: Steve Crawley with Locker 13, Christopher Edge with Fear Files: Hide and Seek and Erin Entrada Kelly with The Last Resort. 

There are three further YA novels to explore, all of which are as much fantasy as they are horror. Finbar Hawkins had two books featured in the YA Horror 400, so it was great to have him back with Ghost. Elsewhere we have Andrew Najberg with The Neverborn Thief and Lisa M. Sylvan with Dangerous Girls. 

The books are reviewed alphabetically. 

November 2025 YA & Middle Grade Horror Roundup: Ghosts, Monsters & Mysteries

Steve ‘Creepy’ Crawley – Locker 13 (Creepy Crawley Spooky Mysteries Book 1)

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published

Coming in at a brief 114-pages Locker 13 (not to be confused with the RL Stine title of the same name) is an easy and fun read for the upper end of primary and younger secondary aged pupils who might struggle with longer books.

It is billed as book one in the Creepy Crawley Spooky Mysteries series, with the ending setting the scene nicely for book two, The House on Ravenswood Drive. It is easy to see where the series is heading: two best friends investigate supernatural occurrences in their creepy little town.

There are thousands of books similar to this set in America, so it was good to see one based in the UK. The two main characters are in Year 8 (ages 12-13) but they act like they are slightly younger, but this still fits nicely into the Middle Grade age range. Note also the rather unappealing cover, which the author says ChatGPT helped design. I would strongly advise rebranding this with a design by a human by the time book two arrives as this current design is unlikely to appeal to many children. 

As part of a detention Molly Carter opens locker 13, inside she finds a diary written by students who vanished years earlier. An old book then appears close to her in the library, with an owl motif which looks incredibly like the design of her jumper. Going into Scooby Doo mode, she and her best friend begin to investigate, being helped by the elderly school librarian and Molly’s granny.

The story is reminiscent of many others, but I enjoyed the manner in which it tackled memory and those who came close to the secret were erased and disappear, like they never existed. When other pupils begin to act zombie like and distant Molly realises their classmates are forgetting they exist and she has to save them, whilst uncovering a personal destiny which will be picked up in book two.  This was an undemanding easy read supernatural mystery with pleasant interactions between the two main characters. AGE RANGE 8-12.

Tom Deady – The Ghost of Black Hill Road: Hopedale Mystery book 2

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas E Deady

Tom Deady’s excellent supernatural murder mystery The Clearing (2021) was one of my top picks in The YA Horror 400 almanac, and this great book has recently been republished and rebranded as The Witch of Hopedale, with a new style cover. It is difficult for independent and small press releases to get any coverage in the children’s book world, which is dominated by a few big publishing houses.

I have several copies of The Clearing in my school library and for the last couple of years it featured on our 100 Book Challenge for Year eight pupils. The sequel has been a few years coming, but is well worth the wait, with The Ghost of Black Hill Road being a standalone mystery but remains strongly connected to the events of book one. If you are buying this for your library I strongly advise you to buy them as a two book package and recommend reading them in the correct order.

In a world where YA fiction is dominated by bitchy, unlikable and backstabbing characters The Witch of Hopedale is totally refreshing, with fantastic characters, supportive friendship groups and a complex multi-stranded supernatural mystery which keeps its supernatural story on the backburner until well into the action.

If you are looking for smalltown YA horror do not look any further than  The Witch of Hopedale as you are going to have a great time with Hannah and Ashley, who have just started high school. In the first novel they uncovered a dangerous cult and the ripple effect of that story continues in this sequel after the girls befriend new girl Dawn. Meanwhile, Hannah has her first boyfriend and is being watched by a creepy boy in her class, who also has his own dark narrative.

All the main characters have their own trials and tribulations (the parents too) whilst the supernatural story bubbles in the background. Even if much of the book is pretty cute it also tackles serious subjects such as stalking and Hannah visits a therapist regarding her missing mother and her struggles after her ordeal in book one. The interactions between Hannah, Ashley and Dawn were pitch perfect, if slightly young for high school ages, but even still this book deserves to be a massive hit. One of my favourite YA releases of 2025. AGE RANGE 12/13+

Christopher Edge – Fear Files: Hide and Seek 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Walker Books

I am a big fan of Christopher Edge and have usually found his short, fast-paced and often highly original fiction perfect for reluctant readers. He had recently been on a fine run of form with his Escape Room series (two books thus far) and The Black Hole Cinema Club. His latest Fear Files: Hide and Seek, which already has a sequel Fear Files: Trick of the Light announced, is not quite of the same standard, I found it to be slightly unchallenging and lacking the more rounded sympathetic characters to be found in other Middle Grade horror, such as Gabriel Dylan’s Shiver Point or Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes.

It is certainly a speedy read and should still be good fun for children at the top end of primary or lower secondary who are looking for something not too difficult. The text is nicely broken up by encyclopedia entries and X-Files-style comments that hint towards a wider supernatural or extraterrestrial conspiracy, which will undoubtedly be explored in the sequel. 

After joining his best friend, Sol, and his family on a camping trip, Adam is feeling slightly bored as his friend does not want to play games or explore the area. He decides to go for a walk, with Sol joining him, and they stumble upon a strange town hidden in the forest. All the buildings are cheerily decorated, but silent, with nobody around. Adam quickly finds himself in the middle of a huge game of hide and seek after lots of other children mysteriously appear.

Something called the ITTER (I Think This Explains Rhyme) is doing the seeking and after teaming up with a couple of other kids Adam realises he is fighting or hiding for his life. The whole book is based around this single game and it could have done with fanning out more, also Sol disappears for most of the story, before it has time to explore their friendship dynamics. I will be interested to see which direction the series heads in with book two with this sure to be another hit with reluctant readers and kids who enjoy short pacey fiction. AGE RANGE 8-12. 

Finbar Hawkins – Ghost

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zephyr

Both previous novels by Finbar Hawkins, Witch (2020) and Stone (2022) feature in my own YA Horror 400 almanac, so I was delighted to jump into his third novel, Ghost. His latest features the same type of earthy natural magic as his debut. There are also stylistic overlaps with Witch, such as authentic historical settings and in one of the three narratives a teenager who uses herbs to cure ailments is accused of being a witch.

The story of Sarah Gibson, set in 1783, is one of three interconnecting narratives, after the death of her mother loses her home as a servant and ends up living in the woods which link the stories together. Using the skills taught by her mother, and her own resourcefulness, she trades her skills with the locals, building a reputation as a wise woman. 

However, Sarah can also feel the presence of other restless spirits, which take us back to the year 60AD and a Roman slave called Anna, who is captured from her family before going on the run in the same woods. Elsewhere the three narratives are interconnected in the present day by Marie, who has a host of personal problems, and after dropping out of art school goes to stay with her aunt who lives beside the woods.

Marie sees images of the other two girls, as well as her dead uncle and feels the same presence as the other girls. Grounding the story in the present day, although steeped in old magic, Marie realises only she can free the trapped spirits of the girls who preceded her and move on with her own life. A thoughtful and well-structured fantasy horror drama with an ancient evil lurking in the background. AGE RANGE 12+ 

Phil Hickes – The Last Day of October

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barrington Stoke

I am a huge fan of Middle Grade horror author Phil Hickes and was delighted to feature both his trilogy Aveline Jones (2020-2) and duology Shadowhall Academy (2024-5) in my own YA Horror 400 almanac. Phil writes accessible and relatable gateway horror novels aimed at kids at the top of primary or lower secondary who do not want to be scared too much. His latest, The Last Day of October is more of the same, but this time out is for distinguished published Barrington Stoke who specialise in dyslexia friendly ‘high-low’ books.

These are short high interest novels aimed at older kids with lower reading ages. In recent years this publisher has attracted an impressive range of top horror and dark fiction authors including Melinda Salisbury, Cynthia Murthy and the late Marcus Sedgwick. They have also featured non-horror authors writing ghost stories, such as Hilary McKay and historical writers which touch on the supernatural, including Lucy Strange.

The Last Day of October is a very easy read, coming in at a short 88-pages, is brief even for a Barrington Stoke story. Sometimes these stories can be layered and be complex enough to have great discussions, such as Melinda Salisbury’s AdelAIDE, which my school is following for a book competition, but this tale is very straight forward and could have benefited from another couple of twist and turns.

Set on Halloween in a small town in Oregon, three best friends decide to spice up Halloween by trying to find a supposedly haunted house in a local forest. I enjoyed spending time with Cody, Sean and Duri and the story had a nice creepy vibe as they regret their decision when they come under the influence of the house. A fast read for either kids struggling with long books, have concentration problems or lower reading ages. There are also nice cliff hangers at the end of many of the chapters. AGE RANGE 8-11

Erin Entrada Kelly – The Last Resort

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic

Erin Entrada Kelly has a wide range of children’s fiction available and I have Hello Universe (2017), We Dream of Space (2020) and You Go First (2018) in my school library. This author usually concentrates on family dramas and this is the first time I have come across her writing a supernatural story, even if it still sits firmly camped in the family drama genre. The Last Resort, which promises to be the first in a series, concerns twelve-year-old Lila who relocates to Ohio with her family for the summer after the death of her grandfather Clem, whom she did not know, and owned a large guest house which they have inherited. 

This is not a particularly scary Middle Grade novel and is more about Lila’s personal journey who was having friendship troubles for being a dram queen and exaggeration. Her old friends found her slightly tiresome and were secretly pleased to see her head off to Ohio. Not long after arriving at the house Lila senses there is something wrong with it, haunted even, but as she is trying to turn over a new leaf tries to stay calm and not pass on her fears.

Along the way she meets an unlikely new friend in a boy who used to hang around with Clem and eventually the ghost of her grandfather appears. The story revolves around the fact the hotel is a location for ghosts passing onto the afterlife and Lila has a key role to play. It explores themes of family, friendship, and the afterlife whilst having a mystery element into discovering what actually happened to her grandfather. Book two will undoubtedly dip into the darker side of some of the ghosts. AGE RANGE 10-13

Cliff McNish – Lily’s Monster

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fox & Ink Books

Earlier in the millennium Cliff McNish authored several superb ghost and supernatural tales, the strongest being Breathe (2006), Angel (2007), Savannah Grey (2010) and The Hunting Ground (2011), which I was delighted to feature the latter in my own YA Horror 400 almanac. McNish returns in some style with Lily’s Monster which packs an emotional punch long before the supernatural narrative arrives, being a beautifully pitched drama concerning a teenager with trauma in her recent past regarding a death in her immediate family.

Guilt and grief are strong themes which throb throughout Lily’s Monster, and the scene which leads to the tragedy, told via flashbacks, is an outstanding piece of writing packing both a tragic and emotional wallop. The reader naturally expects the supernatural story to involve the obvious storyline of a family haunting reaching out from beyond the grave, however, McNish throws a curveball and takes the narrative in a completely different manner of haunting. A totally bizarre direction. 

Lily’s Monster opens with the family arriving at Gant House for a week-long holiday. Early in their stay, a little girl appears. She seems to be mute, but the family still figure out she is called Lily, and Holly’s father is immediately smitten by her. Far too smitten. It is obvious from the first sentence there is something off about Lily, with the creepy child beginning to influence the family.

And that’s even before we get to the ‘ryss’sa’nikt…’ which whispers in the back and edges of the story. Upon reaching the end of Lily’s Monster, what the title refers to becomes much clearer, tackling challenging but universal subjects. Holly is genuinely put through the wringer and after a diet of sparrows and gruel (don’t ask) keeps fighting to survive in what develops into the worst holiday ever. Lily’s Monster is suitable for both older Middle Grade and most YA readers. It is outstanding to have the old master back writing supernatural fiction.  AGE RANGE 12/13+

Andrew Najberg – The Neverborn Thief

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crystal Cove Press

Crystal Lake have been attempting to make inroads into the children’s market for a couple of years, I don’t know if they have had much success, but they certainly have zero presence in the educational  platforms and resources I use. Neither to they appear to use authors with any track record for writing top quality fiction for kids.

I have sampled a few but have yet to read anything which truly impressed me or liked enough to review. Andrew Najberg’s The Neverborn Thief had its moments, but this rather workmanlike like dark fantasy novel has little chance of making inroads in what is an incredibly crowded fantasy marketplace. The story starts off great, Connor Brighton has a nightmare so real he thinks a creature is in his bedroom sitting on top of him, he wakes up sweating and sees something disappearing with part of his shadow. The Neverborn Thief concerns the effort to which Connor goes to retrieve his shadow after being shown a portal to another world in his closet. 

I found the Shadowlands fantasy world to be slightly drab, with Connor being repeatedly told how dangerous everything was, only for nothing much to happen for the next clutch of pages. I also struggled to identify who the book is aimed at; in many ways it is a coming of age story but does not read as a traditional fantasy story which younger readers might struggle with. Conner has to battle against the clock in trying to retrieve his shadow as the rest weakens without the missing half.

The narrative follows Connor through his journey, we watch things go from bad to worse as he learns first-hand about thieves, liars, cheats, killers, and the strange way in which Shadowlands operates. The kid is supposed to be eleven but acted like he was much older. The story veers from whimsical to very dark and if you are a fan of the fantasy of John Connolly, Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker then you might enjoy this. Perhaps it is a YA novel which will be more enjoyed by adults? It also made me think of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman, which included a fantasy world eerily similar to ours. AGE RANGE 13+

Lisa M. Sylvan – Dangerous Girls

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic

When I started reading Dangerous Girls, the debut of Lisa M. Sylvan, I had a nagging feeling I had been here before: a remote boarding school for girls with unique special powers. Sound familiar? It sure does. But even if the plot covers a well-trodden path I found myself warming to Imogen Brine and her strange classmates. Part of the charm of Dangerous Girls is that it totally avoids the two tropes or genres which are currently drowning YA fiction: romantasy and sapphic romances. I am sick to the death of both and can no longer be bothered reading or reviewing either.

Instead Dangerous Girls features one solitary kiss and even if a romance burns very slowly in the background the story is more about the girls who all have strange powers and are trying to discover their place in the world after being sent to a boarding school somewhere in the Outer Hebrides, the small islands off the west coast of Scotland.

Written in an almost dreamy style, slightly reminiscent of the excellent Wilder Girls by Rory Power, I found myself warming to Imogen’s attempts at overcoming being the new girl in the strangest of schools. Neither does Sylvan attempt to shunt Dangerous Girls into the realms of Dark Academia, instead the school is a supportive place and lacks the bitchiness you might expect to find in such a boarding school. Even the headteacher, in her own way, is cool. 

Imogen Brine believes her ‘gift’ is useless, what benefit could possibly come out of making poisonous flowers grow from your fingertips? Other girls can light fires, tell whether others are lying, stop objects moving and even control birds. The aim of the school is to help the girls control their gifts so that one day they can return home.

The story opens when Imogen arrives from London, and on her second day a deer is found dead with poisonous flowers growing from its corpse. Who else but Imogen could have killed the deer? Nobody else has her gift. The story quickly opens up into a thriller fantasy as the girls dig into the past of the school, looking for answers.

Perhaps the mystery element is answered slightly too early in the plot, but I still enjoyed how things played out. The story is also vague about where these powers came from, making comparisons to witches from hundreds of years ago. This was a subtle blend of genres, atmospheric and was a quiet thoughtful read which never felt the need to go crazy over the top. No sex, not much violence or swearing. AGE RANGE 12/13+

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