Thrills and Chills: The Top Ten Scariest Books
By Colby Marshall - October 3, 2012
October is the perfect month for thrills and chills, so what better time to blog about the books and movies that have scared me the most over the years. Normally, I’d do a top ten, but…wait a minute. What am I talking about with this, “but”? Of course I’m doing a top ten list. I’ll hit up the books today, and then, I’ll follow up in the coming days with the movies list (since you’re all on pins and needles awaiting it, of course!).
*Ahem*
The Top Ten Scariest Books in Colby’s Collection
10.) The Bad Seed by William March
This classic thriller explores what a family will do when they learn the child living with them is a vicious psychopath. Chilling from the opening pages, it is a grim reminder that though this is fiction, real-life psychopaths exist from an early age and are among us.
9.) Monster by Christopher Pike
Mary Blanc comes to a party with a loaded shotgun and blows away a few partygoers. Why? Because she’s convinced they’re no longer human, of course. This read may be technically young adult, but it used to keep me awake at night as a teenager, and the premise still does.
8.) Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
Who isn’t crept out by the thought of a man living in their ceiling, watching their every move? By a man who thinks he’s in love with them, who uses snakes for gross sexual purposes that should never even be heard of? Yeah. That’s what I thought. It’s a James classic.
7.) Ten by Gretchen McNeil
For a group of teens, a weekend house party on a secluded island is supposed to be the most awesome time they’ve ever had. Yet, when they get stuck on the island with no electricity, no internet, and no way back to civilization for a few days—and, oh yeah, dying people—it turns out to be more than they bargained for. A mixture of Scream and Christopher Pike’s Final Friends series, this one takes me back to a YA reading place R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike have been taking me for years.
6.) The Oath by Frank Peretti
I’m not always one to read lots of religious fiction, but this one took the cake. About a town where secrets and lies abound, this novel follows what happens when an ancient evil stirs up the consequences of an equally ancient oath made by the townspeople of Hyde River long ago.
5.) Intensity by Dean Koontz
What’s scarier than a serial killer? A serial killer who can talk to spiders. I’m telling you, this guy is one of the creepiest villains I’ve ever read. When Chyna sees serial killer Edgler Vess attack her friend Laura, she follows him when he carries Laura’s body to his motor home, intent on saving her pal. Little does she know she is about to learn the identity of his next victim and many more of his secrets she will wish she never knew.
4.) First Date by R.L. Stine
Main character Chelsea is modest and meek, but she longs for a life with a little more excitement. Finally, she gets asked out by two new guys in town, but unfortunately, one of them is a murderer. Talk about bad luck. This read is more along the YA lines, but it still gives me the willies.
3.) Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
Rosemary’s joy of being pregnant is usurped by the horrifying discovery that the father of her child may not be her husband, but rather, Satan himself. Like number one on my list, this book is also more subtle terror, but sometimes, those are the scariest ones. But don’t follow up with Son of Rosemary. You’ll like it until the last chapter, and then, both of the books will be, alas, ruined for you.
2.) The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner
Jim Beckett seemed perfect to Tess when she married him, and yet, he isn’t quite so perfect, it turns out. A decorated cop who lures his victims by pulling them over for traffic violations before raping and killing them? Now that is scary. I’ve never looked at a police car the same.
Of all the books on my list, this one is probably the most subtle, but I kid you not, it’s the only book I’ve ever read that I have had to put down because I was home alone. It also caused me to call someone so I wouldn’t be alone. I’m telling you, it scares the ever loving pants off of me, which is impressive considering that I’m an avid bathtub reader. Handsome artist Eric seems to be the man of Jenny’s dreams. But when she moves in with him and marries him, she begins to wonder if she’s only imagining his attempts to isolate her from the outside world or worse—if they’re real.
So, those are my picks for what makes me shiver, which happen to be a lot more slashers than ghosts and ghouls. If you're looking for a scary October read, I recommend all of them highly. What’s the scariest book on your shelf, and what should I read this October that's not on my list? What type of story scares you the most?
FLASH POINT (Dr. Jenna Ramey #3)
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