What is going on in teen #canlit these days? While browsing the shelves at the library I see that apocalyptic fiction is still super popular, but I am also noticing tons of psychological thrillers and ghost stories. Just look at the new 2017 MYRCA list. It has a chilling combination of books about bullying, torture and suspense. Maybe readers want great page-turners that leave them on the edge of their seats? If you love to read books like that, check out a new one from our list of what frightens you the most:
Fear of bees
The Nest by Ken Oppel
In The Nest, Steven is a child who suffers from anxiety and whose family is dealing with a very sick baby. Stress levels at home are high and Steven is having strange dreams of angels which at first seem to be benevolent and later become more and more terrifying. Steven begins to think that his mind is playing tricks on him. Why are his dreams so real? Are the angels good or bad? Is he losing his mind? You won’t know until the very end of this psychological thriller.
Fear of ghosts
The Dogs by Allan Stratton
The Dogs is a spooky ghost story complete with a murder mystery to solve. Cameron and his paranoid mother have been on the run for years, never staying in one place for long. This time, they move into a creepy old house on the edge of a small town. At school, Cam is the target of the local bullies who frighten him with stories about phantom dogs haunting the farmhouse. When Cam starts hearing the howling of dogs at night and seeing ghosts, he realizes he just might be living on a cursed property.
Fear of the law
Prison Boy by Sharon McKay
This deeply moving novel is about Paxton who lives in a filthy slum in an orphanage called Pink House. When an abandoned baby is left on the house’s steps, Paxton names the baby Kai and takes on the role of an older brother. After discovering that Bell, the owner of the orphanage, plans to send the boys to different homes, Pax is so determined to stay with Kai that they run away to live out on the streets, alone. This novel is endorsed by Amnesty International for its realistic portrayal of the life of a child who has nowhere to turn for help. http://www.amnesty.ca/
Fear of the dark
MiNRS by Kevin Sylvester
Christopher Nichols and his parents are amongst the first wave of inhabitants to move to Perses, a planetoid that supplies Earth with metals and raw ore. As a two month communication blackout with Earth looms, the colonists are prepared with food and supplies. What they aren’t ready for is an alien attack that devastates the settlement and kills most of the colonists. Christopher and his friends survive the initial invasion, but are forced to hide deep underground in the mines. Without the ability to communicate with the surface, they struggle to survive with limited supplies.
Fear of death
The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
In this end-of-the-world novel, the planet is now ruled by a supercomputer who has dictated that all of the ruling families must provide their eldest child to be held as a hostage until their 18th birthday. This ensures that the world will remain at peace. Going to war means the death of your country’s hostage. Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy thought she was prepared to die if necessary, until she meets Elián. Charming, logical and all powerful, Elian is ready to destroy the entire world and everyone in it should anyone cross him or breaks the rules.
All of these novels are page-turning, suspenseful, nail biters. So face your fear from the comfort of your reading chair. But you might want to leave the lights on before you go to sleep…
-Colette
