In this episode of the Fully-Booked: Literary Podcast, Meaghan and Shirin dive into the world of YA horror, and when we say “dive,” we mean the fun, full-immersion kind where we all secretly wish we were still in high school just to justify binge-reading scary books about haunted schools and murderous mascots.
They kick off by highlighting how YA horror continues to attract not just teenagers, but also adults well into their 30s and 40s. That includes us, and we’re not even a little bit ashamed about it.
Why does YA horror have this grip on people of all ages? The hosts think it’s because the genre prioritizes story and plot above everything else. It’s accessible. It’s nostalgic. And it doesn’t overload the reader with overly graphic sex scenes or adult melodrama, which, let’s be honest, can feel excessive in many adult titles.
Instead, YA horror offers tension, suspense, and emotion that come from relatable struggles, like figuring out who the hell you are and where you fit in the world.
Meaghan points out that this genre often serves as a bonding point for parents and their teens. Shirin agrees, saying she’s excited to share books with her own child one day. YA horror provides that rare, cross-generational reading experience that’s both fun and meaningful.
Books On The Nightstand And Creepy Corridors
Before getting deep into genre talk, both hosts share what they’re reading.
Meaghan just finished Cooled Grasse, a horror novella by Montreal author Sofia Azram. Set in Montreal, the book follows a man named Viken who, after deciding to end his life, finds himself in a never-ending maze of subway stations that turns into a psychological nightmare.
The tone is heavy, dealing openly with depression and suicide, so it’s not a light read. Meaghan liked the atmospheric quality but found the prose overwhelming at times. Still, she appreciated what the book tried to do.
Shirin just wrapped The Oxford Soju Club and is about to start Zoo City by Lauren Beukes, a dark fantasy novel that explores a world where criminals are mystically bonded with animal familiars.
It’s a gritty take on themes similar to The Golden Compass, blending crime, magic, and coming-of-age elements. It seems perfectly suited for fans of offbeat YA that straddles the line between fantasy and horror.
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YA Horror As A Platform For Identity And Representation
As the conversation shifts back to YA horror, the hosts get into why the genre is such a strong vehicle for exploring issues like race, sexuality, and class. Meaghan and Shirin both point out how YA horror lets characters naturally exist in their identities without tokenizing them.
LGBTQ+ themes appear often, but not in a way that screams, “Look, we’re inclusive!” Instead, characters just are who they are, and that’s what makes it powerful.
YA, at its core, is about discovering who you are. So it’s no surprise that horror, with all its metaphors and existential dread, fits neatly into that framework.
Whether it’s facing literal monsters or metaphorical ones like trauma, peer pressure, or identity crises, YA horror becomes a mirror for the scary and confusing parts of adolescence. The horror often reflects real-life fears: rejection, isolation, and change.
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Must-Read YA Horror Titles And What Makes Them Work
Meaghan brings up several titles that demonstrate the diversity within YA horror.
First up is You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron. It’s a campy slasher where the protagonist, Charity, works at a horror-themed summer camp experience, only to realize something real and deadly is happening. This one’s a meta-love letter to franchises like Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp.
With its layered narrative, blending fiction within fiction, and a queer lead, it nails the balance between homage and originality.
Then there’s The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, which is essentially a modern retelling of Carrie, set in a racially segregated town in Georgia. The protagonist, Madison, is biracial but has been passing as white under the strict control of her religious father.
When her identity is exposed, she becomes a target for bullying until her telekinetic powers erupt. The book draws clear parallels with Carrie but updates the story with modern racial dynamics, making it feel fresh and urgent.
Another book discussed is Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews. This one mixes dark academia and gothic horror, centering on two male students at a private academy who are caught in a codependent relationship while facing literal monsters drawn from one of their imaginations.
The story tackles toxic friendships, sexuality, and mental health, while also weaving in supernatural horror. The emotional stakes are just as high as the physical ones.
The hosts also reference The Honeys by Ryan La Sala, Horrid by Katrina Leno, and She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran. Each explores heavy themes like grief, PTSD, generational trauma, and post-colonial identity.
And yet, they remain accessible to younger audiences because the horror elements are symbolic of real fears, a moldy house becomes family dysfunction, a hive mind represents societal conformity, and so on.
YA horror, in these examples, isn’t about cheap thrills. It’s about what scares us when we’re vulnerable, confused, and becoming who we’re meant to be.
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Film Adaptations and the Shift Toward Youth-Friendly Horror
Meaghan and Shirin also talk about how many of these books are making their way into film and television. That’s exciting, but also, it’s a huge deal for the genre.
These adaptations give YA horror more reach and help new readers find their way in. Movies like There’s Someone Inside Your House and Clown in a Cornfield (yes, really, it’s as weird and fun as it sounds) are perfect entry-level horror for younger audiences.
Clown in a Cornfield, for example, touches on real-world anxieties like economic decline and generational stagnation. The clown killer, “Friendo,” is the mascot of a shut-down corn syrup factory in a dying town. It’s funny, eerie, and surprisingly insightful.
Another adaptation mentioned is My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, which follows two girls in the 80s dealing with a demonic possession. The film version captures that period’s aesthetic while keeping the emotional heart of the book, friendship, intact. These stories help normalize horror as a genre that young people can approach, understand, and even see themselves in.
And yes, the hosts do wax poetic for a moment about the golden days of video stores and wandering into the horror section, curious but warned away by well-meaning (and maybe overly cautious) parents. That fear-driven curiosity still exists, and YA horror scratches that itch, safely.
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To wrap up, Meaghan and Shirin reflect on why YA horror isn’t just popular, it’s important. At its best, it helps teens explore fear in a way that’s constructive, cathartic, and empowering.
The protagonists are often young people who feel powerless but discover the strength they didn’t know they had. Sound familiar? That’s adolescence in a nutshell.
Unlike adult horror, which often focuses on external plots and fully-formed characters, YA horror builds stories around self-discovery. The scary stuff is almost secondary; it’s how the characters respond to the scary stuff that matters. That response helps shape who they are becoming, and that’s what sticks with the reader.
Meaghan wonders aloud if some of these books might one day end up in school curriculums, a hopeful thought, even if it’s unlikely given how slowly education systems tend to evolve. Still, the idea of teenagers reading The Honeys or The Weight of Blood in class and discussing identity, power, and fear? That’s something worth dreaming about.
So yeah, the hosts are confident this genre isn’t going anywhere. We’re seeing more books, more adaptations, and more readers. And horror? Well, horror just keeps evolving with us.
