Our childhood is generally the most vulnerable and shaping time of our lives. Horror and thriller works often shy away from harming those most vulnerable because the implication is too much. And often rightfully so, with the number of tales of terror that inevitably lead to sexual abuse for shock factor.
But what of those few authors who understand the line? This post contains some of the scariest and yet (hopefully) untriggering works. The ones who got it right.
From children born evil to those desperately running away from danger and perhaps even triumphing over it, there are novels out there to make us shiver and think back on the old days with horror, without trying to traumatise us (looking at you, Stephen King's It and whatever that sewer scene was).
SECOND CHILD by JOHN SAUL
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DISCLAIMER: John Saul is the overlord of all things awful happening to children. The man has written over 30 books intended for adult audiences, but guaranteed to scare underage horror fans to death. I named my cut for his best-known work, but decided to go with a slightly lesser-known one for your pleasure.
Meet Melissa. She's a sweet, quiet young girl accustomed to the finer things in life but has no need for them. She's shy, chubby and not materialistic and while her father dotes on her, her mother could not be more different. Same goes for the local rich kids who mock her relentlessly. Then comes Teri, the half-sister from the father's first marriage. Her house has burnt down and so a young girl who was poor to begin with is left with nothing. Her father welcomes her with open arms and Melissa is beside herself with the news that she's got a sister. But Teri seems to enjoy her cosy new lifestyle a lot, to the point where Melissa is beginning to see enemies everywhere...
MORE INFO HERE
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DECEMBER PARK by RONALD MALFI
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Think Stephen King's 'It', by a novelist who doesn't resort to unnecessary shock tactics to enthral his audience. A slow-burn tale of 5 kids whose farming town has been rocked a serial child killer living amidst them. The main character's dad is on the police force, giving the kid ample opportunity to sneak into his files or overhear things he's not supposed to. Being a group of bold, outcast children with that familiar youthful arrogance, they decide it's up to them to hunt the mysterious "Piper" down. This has devastating consequences.
MORE INFO HERE
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SOUR CANDY by KEALAN PATRICK BURKE
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This is a novella, counting only 67 pages. But it's a nailbiter by a gem of a horror writer. We've all been that person in the supermarket, watching an exhausted-looking parent try futilely to control their raving, excitable, candy-enthusiast child. Phil is no different, watching a little boy demanding his dead-eyed, wild-haired mother give him more sour candies. But after the tumultuous mother and child duo happen to crash their car straight into his, Phil wakes up to a son he's never known. A son he never conceived. A son with an endless hunger for sour candy.
MORE INFO HERE
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PRODIGAL BLUES by GARY A. BRAUNBECK
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TRIGGER WARNING: contains severe child abuse, though handled respectfully and through the eyes of one particular traumatised, vengeance-insistent teenager
A man experiences some car trouble and as he's waiting for help, a van drives by with a very familiar-looking girl in the backseat. As he later recognises her face on Missing Persons posters, he's confronted by none less than the girl herself in a diner. He returns to his hotel to place the necessary phonecalls, only to be caught by surprise and kidnapped by a gang of adolescents, including the young girl he'd been trying to save. Turns out they all need his help, but for a purpose much greater, something that may very well be his final move.
MORE INFO HERE
*
FANTASTICLAND by MIKE BOCKOVEN
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I debated whether or not to include this one because it's not all teenagers, but I think it counts. A terrible hurricane wreaks havoc on a Floridian theme park, and the aftermath is something that needs to be read to be believed. Written as a journalistic effort, this book tells the tale of staff members young and old, trapped inside a theme park for weeks. Though many are hoping to simply stay put and survive, some of the younger staffers are growing increasingly restless and it doesn't take long for a violent hierarchy to establish itself. Think 'Lord of the Flies' with adolescents in a modern day setting.
MORE INFO HERE
Please use this post to go wild with similar recommendations!
Source is GOODREADS but all sections include direct links.
But what of those few authors who understand the line? This post contains some of the scariest and yet (hopefully) untriggering works. The ones who got it right.
From children born evil to those desperately running away from danger and perhaps even triumphing over it, there are novels out there to make us shiver and think back on the old days with horror, without trying to traumatise us (looking at you, Stephen King's It and whatever that sewer scene was).
SECOND CHILD by JOHN SAUL
DISCLAIMER: John Saul is the overlord of all things awful happening to children. The man has written over 30 books intended for adult audiences, but guaranteed to scare underage horror fans to death. I named my cut for his best-known work, but decided to go with a slightly lesser-known one for your pleasure.
Meet Melissa. She's a sweet, quiet young girl accustomed to the finer things in life but has no need for them. She's shy, chubby and not materialistic and while her father dotes on her, her mother could not be more different. Same goes for the local rich kids who mock her relentlessly. Then comes Teri, the half-sister from the father's first marriage. Her house has burnt down and so a young girl who was poor to begin with is left with nothing. Her father welcomes her with open arms and Melissa is beside herself with the news that she's got a sister. But Teri seems to enjoy her cosy new lifestyle a lot, to the point where Melissa is beginning to see enemies everywhere...
MORE INFO HERE
*
DECEMBER PARK by RONALD MALFI
Think Stephen King's 'It', by a novelist who doesn't resort to unnecessary shock tactics to enthral his audience. A slow-burn tale of 5 kids whose farming town has been rocked a serial child killer living amidst them. The main character's dad is on the police force, giving the kid ample opportunity to sneak into his files or overhear things he's not supposed to. Being a group of bold, outcast children with that familiar youthful arrogance, they decide it's up to them to hunt the mysterious "Piper" down. This has devastating consequences.
MORE INFO HERE
*
SOUR CANDY by KEALAN PATRICK BURKE
This is a novella, counting only 67 pages. But it's a nailbiter by a gem of a horror writer. We've all been that person in the supermarket, watching an exhausted-looking parent try futilely to control their raving, excitable, candy-enthusiast child. Phil is no different, watching a little boy demanding his dead-eyed, wild-haired mother give him more sour candies. But after the tumultuous mother and child duo happen to crash their car straight into his, Phil wakes up to a son he's never known. A son he never conceived. A son with an endless hunger for sour candy.
MORE INFO HERE
*
PRODIGAL BLUES by GARY A. BRAUNBECK
TRIGGER WARNING: contains severe child abuse, though handled respectfully and through the eyes of one particular traumatised, vengeance-insistent teenager
A man experiences some car trouble and as he's waiting for help, a van drives by with a very familiar-looking girl in the backseat. As he later recognises her face on Missing Persons posters, he's confronted by none less than the girl herself in a diner. He returns to his hotel to place the necessary phonecalls, only to be caught by surprise and kidnapped by a gang of adolescents, including the young girl he'd been trying to save. Turns out they all need his help, but for a purpose much greater, something that may very well be his final move.
MORE INFO HERE
*
FANTASTICLAND by MIKE BOCKOVEN
I debated whether or not to include this one because it's not all teenagers, but I think it counts. A terrible hurricane wreaks havoc on a Floridian theme park, and the aftermath is something that needs to be read to be believed. Written as a journalistic effort, this book tells the tale of staff members young and old, trapped inside a theme park for weeks. Though many are hoping to simply stay put and survive, some of the younger staffers are growing increasingly restless and it doesn't take long for a violent hierarchy to establish itself. Think 'Lord of the Flies' with adolescents in a modern day setting.
MORE INFO HERE
Please use this post to go wild with similar recommendations!
Source is GOODREADS but all sections include direct links.