Do you think you’re brave? Think you don’t scare easily? Do horrifying nightmares sound like your idea of fun? If you answered yes, yes and YES! then we challenge you to read these six spooky young adult reads which are guaranteed to terrify you. From haunted asylums to zombie wastelands, these chilling reads will have you glancing over your shoulder as you turn the page.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

After his grandfather dies, Jacob sets out to learn more about his past on the remote island where he was born. His search leads him to the ruins of a mysterious orphanage, but as he explores further he starts to suspect that the children who once lived there might never have left.

Why it’ll give you nightmares…
One glance at this book will give you your answer here – the story is interspersed with creepy vintage black and white photographs that look as though they’ve been taken straight out of a poltergeist’s family photo album.

Sabriel by Garth Nix

In the Old Kingdom, where magic reigns, dead things have a nasty habit of not staying dead. Sabriel’s father is the Abhorsen, a mage tasked with destroying the undead, but when he goes missing she must step in and take his place. After strapping on the magical bells of the Abhorsen and meeting the impossibly smug cat Mogget, Sabriel sets off on a journey to save her father and the kingdom.

Why it’ll give you nightmares…
If fighting evil creatures in the depths of the underworld itself isn’t reason enough to give you nightmares, then perhaps it’ll be the chase scene in which Sabriel attempts to outrun an undead flaming monster called a Mordicant. It’s so intense you’ll forget to breathe.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

In the aftermath of a battle between Pro-Lifers and Pro-Choicers, both sides have finally reach a compromise: any child between the ages of thirteen and eighteen who is no longer wanted can be “unwound”. This means that their body parts are taken and reused as transplants, and while the original person ceases to exist, they live on in a divided state. That’s bad news for Connor, Lev and Risa, who are all on the run to avoid being unwound, but can they escape the horrors of a dystopian society that wants them gone?

Why it’ll give you nightmares…
No ghosts, zombies or monsters here; the scariest part of Unwind is that it’s a somewhat plausible future which could one day come to pass, where a society of adults can take away an unruly teen’s right to life. Without giving anything away, there is one scene in particular which is guaranteed to stick with you for a very long time. Trust us, you’ll know it when you get to it.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Dan never really fit in at his last school, so he’s determined to start afresh at New Hampshire College Prep. And while he likes it there, the fact that his dorm used to be an asylum for the criminally insane makes him a little uneasy. Of course, that doesn’t stop him and his new friends from exploring the hidden depths of the building, and what they find makes them wish they’d left old secrets dead and buried.

Why it’ll give you nightmares…
Two words – haunted asylum.

Demon Road by Derek Landy

Poor Amber isn’t having a great week. After getting in trouble at school and being attacked at her workplace, things go from bad to worse when she discovers she has a deep dark family secret – forget skeletons in the closet, Amber has demons in hers. With the help of the mysterious bodyguard Milo, Amber sets off across America in the hopes of saving her own skin, but she’s about to learn that there are more than just demons lying in wait for her.

Why it’ll give you nightmares…
Amber’s road trip definitely isn’t all mixtapes and car snacks. The most terrifying part of her journey has to be her run-in with the serial killer Dacre Shanks and his deeply unsettling affinity with dolls.

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later: the zombie apocalypse has arrived. Anybody over the age of fourteen has been afflicted with a mysterious disease that turns you into a drooling, mindless killing machine intent on eating human flesh. Arran and the group of kids he’s in charge of decide to make the dangerous trek across London towards Buckingham Palace and the promise of a zombie-free paradise. But will they make it in one piece?

Why it’ll give you nightmares…
This book has a huge cast of characters, which means that nobody is safe, and guessing who’ll become zombie food next will definitely keep you turning pages.

Holly Harper