The Kids Are Alright: YA Horror Books for 12 to 13 Year Olds, Reviewed by Kids

Horror rules the Year 8 shelves, and the readers reviewing it know why.

The Kids Are Alright| The Young Blood Library | Tony Jones

Many who use the Young Blood section of Ginger Nuts of Horror realise I am a school librarian and my tips help purchase new stock. My latest series of articles is perfect for this task, as I will be sharing horror titles featured in my own school, based on our ‘100 Book Challenge’, which has been running successfully since 2023. 

The 100 Book Challenge has proven to be a huge hit and has driven library borrowing. Over the course of a school year, if a pupil manages to read 20 books from the list they win the Gold Award, Silver for 15 and 10 for Bronze. There is a massive range of novels on each of the lists, with this article showcasing horror and other dark fiction titles.

Each age group, Year 6 (age 10-11), Year 7 (11-12), Year 8 (12-13), Year 9 (13-14), Year 10-11 (14-16) and Sixth Form (16-18) have their own unique lists. Every year I update each list by around 30% and these articles include horror titles ranging from all the lists, 2023 to 2026 and heading into 2027, not just the current selection. 

Our library catalogue system has in excess of 11,000 pupil reviews which have been driven by the 100 Book Challenge. To qualify for our Gold, Silver or Bronze Awards, pupils must submit reviews of a minimum of 50 words, which must then be added to the catalogue. It is not uncommon for books which have single digit reviews on Amazon to have significant numbers on our system. A notable example would be Melinda Salisbury’s AI thriller Adelaide which has 18 reviews on Amazon but 113 on ours! 

All the reviews below have been taken from our library catalogue and have been written by pupils for the 100 Book Challenge activity. I have edited them slightly and they illustrate how popular the horror genre is with our younger readers.

These are for the 12-13 age group (Year 8) and the next feature, coming soon, will focus on ages 13-14 (Year 9) 

Click here for the previous two articles on the 10-11 and 11 to 12 age groups: 

https://gnofhorror.com/the-kids-are-alright-horror-books-for-10-year-olds/

https://gnofhorror.com/the-kids-are-alright-horror-books-for-11-12-part-2/

Horror is thriving with young readers, and the proof sits in a school library catalogue: over 11,000 pupil reviews, driven by a 100 Book Challenge that keeps children reading. This list of titles for 12 to 13 year olds shows exactly what hooks them, chosen and reviewed by the readers themselves.

The Kids Are Alright: YA Horror Books for 12 to 13 Year Olds, Reviewed by Kids

Lindsay Barraclough – Long Lankin (series)

ALICE WRITES: A bone chilling mystery set in the rural countryside of England after the first world war about an actual creepy character from English folklore. This story chilled me to my very core, slowly getting darker and darker until the true nature of Long Lankin is revealed. I loved the way Lindsey Barraclough added in the history captivating the reader attention and making them want to learn more about Long Lankin and Aphra Rushes. The book itself alternates between three quite different characters with defined personalities and a distinct perspective of the events that unfold. Warning: DO NOT READ AT NIGHT!

Alex Bell – The Lighthouse

LEOLA WRITES: This book was a recommendation from a friend who loves horror and recommended other Red Eye novels. Straight away I was hooked and eager to read chapter after chapter as the strange events in the lighthouse escalate. The island setting was fascinating, a Guana bird filled island with the only proper structure being a lighthouse. Brilliant! I really liked the difference between the two sisters, making it more lifelike and realistic whilst making me laugh. Most importantly the horror part of this book was very enjoyable and I thought this was a good mix of gory and calmer scene. Overall I loved this book and will recommend to other friends.

Alice Broadway – Ink (series)

LAUREN WRITES: This was such an incredible book, set in a place where every time something important happens to you e.g. birthdays or getting a new job, you get a tattoo inspired by it. Every time a person dies, they make a book made out of their tattooed skin to give to their family for them to read their marks and remember them. This book is packed with plot twists and shocking revelations that had me at the edge of my seat. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing this book is, so if you want to be seriously entertained then grab this book from the library immediately!!!

Elsie Chapman – Dualed (series)

ISABEL WRITES: I enjoyed this dystopian themed book for Hunger Games fans. It features a fifteen-year-old girl called West, who lives in a world where everyone has a twin. The only thing is … you have to kill them or be killed once your status becomes active at the age of twenty. You only have one month to complete the task or you both die. This was a truly gripping book and definitely one of my faster reads of the year as I just couldn’t stop.

Jamie Costello – Monochrome

CHARLOTE WRITES: Monochrome is a dystopian novel about the problems in our world in relation to large corporations, the government, and the environment. It explores how, if we as humans don’t step up and question the people in charge, we will end up like this: devoid of life, colour and energy. This book also looks into how the environment you are in affects your mental health, as most people after the “Greyout” feel much less happy and energetic when colour disappears from their lives. This is shown in how Grace’s mum reacts to the Greyout and the complex conspiracy which follows

Juno Dawson – Say Her Name 

LEIA WRITES: This is one of my favourite horror books of all time. This book has beautifully written characters and many interesting plot points. The book is about a group of girls in a boarding school who do a Bloody Mary prank and from that moment strange things start happening as they realise they have activated a freaky curse. The book is very captivating and definitely something I would recommend for fans of speedy horror thrillers.

Tom Deady – The Clearing (series)

OLEK WRITES: This was a terrific book. It took me through a maze of plot twists, heartwarming moments and more. It starts with a girl called Hannah walking her dog and everything seems normal. That is until her dog brings her a shoe with a decomposed human foot inside! That was only the start… as Hannah and her friend Ashley try to find out what is happening in the woods behind Hannah’s house, soon finding themselves in deadly danger.

Gabriel Dylan – Whiteout

JOEL WRITES: I enjoyed Whiteout as I like thrilling adventure books that keeps the reader awake and wondering what will happen next. A school takes Year 12 pupils on a ski trip in a remote area of the Austrian Alps. It all goes fine for the first few days but then a storm comes and then lots of mysterious vampire like creatures start killing the students and teachers. After a lot of blood being spread and killing everywhere the battle for survival is on. 

Kathryn Foxfield – Tag, You’re Dead 

OLIVER SAYS: Tag You’re Dead is an amazing book about a virtual reality game hosted by a tech millionaire. My favourite character is Grayson who is playing the game for their own secret reasons. The contestants compete for £100,000 and are challenged at a version of “Shadow City” in which they have to tag other players or run from ghosts with the help of VR smart glasses. I would highly recommend this to all readers as it is set in an intense version of central London. The book also includes scenes of murder mystery about the strange death of one of the contestant’s friends.

Kathryn Foxfield – Getting Away With Murder 

DYLAN WRITES: Twin sisters Saffron and Georgia are almost polar opposites but one thing they have in common is playing the game, Sole Survivor. When eight people are invited to test out an escape room, it starts off as a fun test run but soon becomes more sinister. As the AI controlling the escape room forces them to play the dangerous game, the numbers of people start dropping. The writing in this book is incredible and all the motives become clearer as the story develops. All the twists and turns keep you reading and wondering what will happen next in what turns out to be the worst work experience ever!

Michael Grant – Gone (series) 

GEORGINA WRITES: I adored this book! It follows the plot of when adults suddenly disappear and children are left to fend for themselves in a big dome called the FAYZ. Some children begin to develop supernatural powers such as Sam, who can shoot beams of light out of his hands and others have some sinister powers. This book was gripping with an exciting 400 hour countdown. I enjoyed the whole series and have recommended to all my friends.

Frances Hardinge – Deeplight

MAUD WRITES: I really enjoyed reading this, although I found the start a bit slow, the story of the Gods soon became clear and I soon found it easy to relate to the main character Hark. Throughout the book, it becomes apparent that Jelt (Hark’s best friend) is changing due to the God heart, a powerful, addictive substance he found. At the end there, is a big plot twist and Hark has to face an almost impossible decision. I would rate this book very highly; it is extremely gripping and set in a wonderfully developed fantasy world.

Frances Hardinge – Unraveller

MILLA WRITES: This book is about a girl called Nettle who was once cursed and a boy called Kellen, who unravelled her curse. Ever since, Nettle has followed him around with the pair becoming best friends. Then he starts losing control of his power, and everywhere he goes, rugs, clothes and tapestries start unravelling. Its only then he realises he has been cursed. This was a really good book and a fascinating, clever, fantasy novel. Definitely read it!

Charlie Higson – The Enemy (series) 

CILLIAN WRITES: The Enemy is a superb and thrilling horror novel. It is about some kids who live in London after a plague that effects everyone over the age of fourteen and either kills them straight away or turns them into mindless zombie-like creatures who hunt the children. The kids have to survive, living in shop gangs, and try to get to Buckingham Palace where they believe there is safety. But there is a twist at the tale and an amazing hair-raising scene at London Zoo along the way.

Sara Holland – Everless (series)

HASAN WRITES: Everless is a really clever book which really grabbed my attention. It is set in an alternative world a few hundred years ago, where there is great divide between the rich and poor. You give away your blood, which is equal to time remaining in your life and this turns into iron coins – which are so valuable because they are equal to living longer. Because of this, the kingdom is full of very wealthy people who are hundreds of years old and the poor living shorter and shorter lives. This a really creepy tale with horror and romance both thrown in, but I could not put it down because of the unique storyline. 

Gregg Hurwitz – The Rains (series)

HAYDEN WRITES: This a terrific book about Chance Rain and his brother Patrick trying to survive in a world where everyone over the age of 18 is infected by a disease which makes them really violent. Set in a small American town, Patrick, Chance and Patrick’s girlfriend try to run away and find who is controlling all the parents and try to stop them. This was an amazing read and the idea of parents deliberately hunting their kids like dogs was super freaky. I read this for a whole week I could not put the book down.

Stephen King – Gwendy’s Button Box (series)

CASPAR WRITES: I really enjoyed Gwendy’s Button Box this brilliant thriller about a chocolate box which (sort of) grants wishes but at an unknown price. The pacing was spot on, with a fast moving story which quickly built up momentum in a great introduction to Stephen King. Although the book isn’t scary, the concept and main themes of the book are unsettling and leave you pondering what message King might be presenting. Be careful what you wish for! 

Patrice Lawrence – Elemental Detectives (series)

HENDRIK WRITES: The Elemental Detectives is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat fantasy book, set in an alternate version of London in 1749 where there are supernatural creatures based on the elements. It follows the story of Robert, a slave from Barbados, and Marisee, the Well Keeper’s daughter, who have to solve a strange mystery. When a sleeping sickness sweeps over London, the pair find themselves in the centre of the mystery. I particularly liked when Marisee and Robert visit the ghosts in Hyde Park, as it was very comical and a good example of how the author brings to life her startlingly original version of London. 

Ann Sie Lin – Rebel Skies (series)

LUCIA WRITES: This was a thrilling, fast-paced tale which was so vividly described  I felt myself totally immersed in Kurara’s story. Kurara is a servant who has the rare ability to bend paper to her will (a Crafter) making paper animals: ‘Shikigami’ which come to life. In a world similar to ancient Japan, she is recruited to work on a flying ship called the ‘Midori’ and learns more about being a Crafter.

On the ship she meets another Crafter called Himura, who guides her and teaches her more about being a Crafter and about Shikigami. Kurara has to find out about the truth of her past, and the real power behind being a Crafter in this terrific blend of fantasy and historical adventure.

Jennifer Lyle – Swarm

ZOE WRITES: Shur and her friends are at school when giant butterflies appear outside. They are enormous beings with meter long wingspans but worst of all they are deadly. I found this book excellent and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story. The suspense is unimaginably beautifully written as Shur and her friends are stuck in their home with chaos reigning outside. It has a smart balance of suspense, paranoia and fear surrounding what a bite from the nasty butterflies leads to. Stay inside everybody!

Stephanie Meyer – Twilight (series) 

PAIGE WRITES: This book follows teenage Bella Swan when she moves to Forks and has to navigate life in a new school. She falls in love with Edward Cullen, who is a 103 year old vampire disguised as a high schooler. The two have to get around Edward’s bloodlust for Bella, as well as the threat of a dangerous pack of hostile vampires. This book follows themes of self-restraint, desire, and the struggles between good and evil. It also shows the importance of free will, as Bella still is drawn toward Edward even knowing what he is.

Cynthia Murphy – The Midnight Game

OLIVER WRITES: I loved this book. It concerns a secret game which has rumours originating on Reddit where a group of people stay in a building (a primary school) at midnight and have to stay there until 3am with a burning candle. One of the rules of the game is if your candle goes out, you have to relight it within ten seconds or the Midnight Man will get you. I would definitely recommend this book when a group of online thrill seekers meet in the real world to find out whether the Midnight Man is real or just an urban myth. 

Cynthia Murphy – Signed Sealed Dead

DEA WRITES: This is a gripping story about a girl called Paige who moves from the UK to America with her family. She is staying at a new house where she makes friends with her neighbours Madison and Carter. But this is no ordinary house and is rumoured to be haunted. I love this cool mix of horror and thriller, which kept me guessing right till the very end. A spine chilling book that you can’t put down once you have started! Highly recommended!

Graham McNamee – Beyond 

ALICE WRITES: What would you do if even your own shadow was against you? Jane has a habit of getting into accidents, life or death accidents to be specific, like putting a nail in her brain. But what if these weren’t genuine accidents? Her shadow seems to have a mind of its own, pulling her towards danger and only her best friend Lexi believes her. Can she survive her own shadow and uncover what dark secrets its hiding?

This was an absolute bone chiller, making fear and suspense so tangible, it had me on the edge of my seat. The perfect dark romance that is completely underhyped and deserves the spotlight as much as Frozen Charlotte and other better known horror companions. Five out of five stars in a heartbeat.

Patrick Ness – The Knife of Never Letting Go (series)

ARTURO WRITES: Todd Hewitt lives in a world filled with ‘noise’ (other people’s thoughts) where there are no women or girls at all, one of the novel’s big secrets. Todd is about to turn thirteen and learns what he will be made to do to be recognised as an adult. Todd then, with the help of his adoptive parents, helps him to escape Prentisstown and meets a girl with no ‘noise’ and befriends her. This book was emotionally thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Peader O’Guilin – The Call (series) 

JAKE WRITES: I loved this book in which people get taken away from modern day Ireland to the Grey Land (ancient magical Ireland) where they must survive 24 hours whilst being hunted by the deadly and cruel Sidhe, who are similar to vicious fairies. This story is based around a kid called Nessa who is less mobile than anyone else which makes her more likely to be killed when ‘Called’ to the Grey Land. This book is amazing throughout and difficult to put down.

Kenneth Oppel – The Nest

BEATRICE WRITES: This is an incredible horror story, a short read but very well written. It centres around Steve and his family and their new baby who is ill. Soon Steve starts having strange dreams of the queen of a hive of wasps and then the wasp nest appears in their back garden. The queen tells him she can save his younger brother but not everything is as it seems. This is a uniquely strange book where the more you read the more the lines of reality blur. It plays with what it means to be normal and I loved how realistic Steve and Nicole’s (his younger sister) relationship is.

Celia Rees – Witch Child (series)

HECTOR WRITES: I enjoyed this book because it is narrated in first person and in diary form, which are two of my favourite styles of writing because it makes me feel more immersed in the book. When Mary’s grandmother is hanged for witchcraft and eyes turn on her, she flees to America to get away. However those she is travelling with are equally suspicious. when she arrives in a town called Salem, she travels through the forest to a town called Beulah.

Ransom Riggs – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (series)

LEON WRITES:. This is a highly creative book with plenty of unexpected turns featuring strange old black and white photos which interconnect with the storyline. This book has terrific cliffhangers, chase scenes, and scares involving the story of a young man who follows his grandfather’s childhood tales to a tiny island close to Wales. He goes into a timeslip to an orphanage existing out of time full of children with weird powers. 

Lisa Stasse  – The Forsaken (series) 

CLEO WRITES: This book is amazing! It is set in a world where there is no crime because the government makes every teenager, when they are sixteen, take a genetic test that predicts whether they will be violent in the future. If someone fails the test they are sent to a remote island nicknamed ‘The Wheel.’ When sixteen-year-old Alenna fails the test and arrives on The Wheel her life completely changes as she has to learn to hunt, fight and, most importantly, survive. This book is perfect for people who enjoyed The Hunger Games series!

Rebecca Schaeffer – Not Even Bones (series)

AVA WRITES: Not Even Bones is a grim, heart-pumping tale of a girl called Nita who is an ‘Unnatural’ – a human who has some kind of special power, in Nita’s case, the ability to change and do things to her body such as enhancing her strength or healing herself. For her entire life, Nita has dissected Unnaturals and sold them online with her mother, but when her mother brings home an alive Unnatural, everything changes. This is a brilliant book. While quite brutal, Schaeffer’s incredible descriptions of the gore that Nita sees every day is amazing, and she perfectly explains the emotional roller coaster that takes place throughout the story.

Marcus Sedgwick – Wrath

AMELIA: Wrath is a suspenseful story which I struggled to put down. It’s about a girl called Cassie who can hear a noise that no one else can, which she believes is connected to Earth and it is trying to tell her something. This belief leads her to be bullied at school and her friend betraying her and telling everyone that she can hear this sound. Cassie then runs off to try and find the sound and Fitz gets worried and tries to find her. The ending is just fantastic.

Neal Shusterman – Scythe (series) 

ISLA WRITES: This book was so good and a great introduction to science and dystopian fiction. I particularly loved how it was told not only from the two main characters’ perspectives, but also from the gleaning journals of many of the Scythes. It was also really interesting to read a sci-fi novel that wasn’t necessarily about a dystopian society, however, by the end of the story, it’s clear that it’s becoming one. Scythe is filled with tension, and a huge amount of detail, making it a gripping and amazing book to read. I would highly recommend it!

Nicky Singer – The Survival Game

FINLAY WRITES: The Survival Game is an amazing book following Mhairi as she tries to escape Climate Change, heading for Scotland and the Isles of Arran. But with borders closing as nervous leaders try to stem the flow of refugees, will she make it? Her journey changes when she meets a young mute boy along the way who she takes under her wing, making it to the safety of the Isles of Arran, confronting dangers all the way. 

Teri Terry – Slated (series) 

IDRIS WRITES: Kyla has had her mind erased. All of her memories are gone. Nothing of her previous life remains. She’s been ‘Slated.’ Until she sees flashes of the past and goes on a hunt for the truth of her past. I absolutely loved this book! The conflicted character of Kyla is communicated to the readers in a powerful way throughout all of the books in the series, and the reveal of her past was conducted in a shocking way. This is definitely one of the best dystopian books, and Teri Terry creates an incredible, terrifying world in this series.

Teri Terry – Scare Me

SOFIA WRITES: Scare Me is an awesome book. Liv has her own problems but also see the ghost of her own twin sister, who died at birth. Liv is also tired of her twin always being around and giving unwanted advice. However, she meets Echo, who wants to find out why his mum died and tries to communicate with her from beyond the grave. Liv decides to help him by using her sister.

Melissa Welliver – My Love Life and the Apocalypse

DANIELA WRITES: I didn’t know anything at all about this book going into it, and enjoyed it so much more than I was expecting. It was dark and twisted and really funny, and I feel like it should have been marketed as more of a rom-com than a science fiction book.

Melissa Welliver – Soulmates and Other Ways to Die 

PAIGE WRITES: This is a smart high concept dystopian romance about a world where gene mutation links people to their ‘KinTwin’, or soulmate, making you feel their pain and die when they die. This book switches perspectives between Zoe and Milo, following them as they try to break the deadly bond and find a cure. However the two are extremely unlike, and become enemies once they meet. This book has themes of control vs freedom and destiny vs choice.

SM Wilson – Extinction Trials (series)

MIGUEL WRITES: The Extinction Trials is about a very over-populated continent called Earthasia, where there isn’t enough food to go round, and there is no healthcare for poor people. The government decides to send a group of ”finalists” to a close by continent dominated by dinosaurs called Piloria, because they need more space for housing, and to grow food. In return the finalists are promised better housing, more food, and healthcare.

The aim of these finalists is to bring back the eggs of some dinosaurs, so the government could infect them, and cause a disease in the species in the hope of wiping them out. The book is told from the perspective of a girl called Stormchaser, and a boy called Lincoln, which I thought was quite interesting, I had never really red anything about dinosaurs, but I really enjoyed this book as it was action packed different to what I normally read.

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Praise for the YA Horror 400 almanack

“Massive congrats to Tony Jones, his colossal almanac of teen horror is out! With a whopping 400 reviews, it’s a corker!” RL BOYLE (YA author of The Book of the Baku)

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“The YA Horror 400 is a spectacular resource for lovers of horror and YA fiction. It’s a comprehensive guide to the past 15+ years of YA horror with reviews and author insights on over 400 YA horror novels and books, including my ‘We Mostly Come Out at Night’. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to YA horror readers. 10/10!” ROB COSTELLO (YA author and editor of We Mostly Come Out at Night & The Dancing Bears)

“Thanks so much to Tony Jones for featuring FOUND in his awesome ‘YA Horror 400’ almanac and for the opportunity to talk about my love of found footage horror.” ANDY CULL (Adult author, editor and filmmaker of FOUND & Remains)

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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)

“This almanac is massive! Huge congratulations to Tony Jones on his new book on YA Horror! Very grateful to contribute a wee bit to it.” TIM McGREGOR (Adult author of Wasps in the Ice Cream)

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