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It's that time of year where everyone enjoys getting a little creeped out!  When I think of scary books, these three easily come to mind.  Each author creates a sense of dread that forms an eerie mood for the reader.  I hope you will read at least one to get you into the Halloween spirit.

1.  We Were Liars by E. Lockhart:

This is a strange story that seems to start off as a coming of age tale but turns out to be extremely creepy!  It is narrated by Cadence, a privileged teen who spends her summers on a private island with the many members of her extended family.  Something is off as Cadence can't seem to remember any of the details of an accident she has and no one will talk to her about it.  What happened?  Why have some of the buildings on the island been rebuilt?  Will Cadence ever remember what happened or does she want to forget all about it?  This is a sharply crafted book that will make you want to reread it to see if you can pick up on the subtle clues that lead up to the stunning conclusion.



2.  Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman:

This was the first Neil Gaiman book I read and I instantly loved how he created the shadowy world of underground London and the seedy floating market.  A rather bland office worker, Richard, takes pity on a homeless girl and his life turns upside down as he becomes entangled in the lives and problems of the girl (named Door).  She is being pursued by assassins and needs the help of the Marquis de Carabas.  After Richard finds the Marquis, the two disappear, leaving Richard to wonder what happened.  Things turn even more strange when Richard seems to become invisible and no one interacts or acknowledges he exists.  Richard needs to find Door and the Marquis again to understand what has happened to him and try and get his life back.  This becomes a quest-type of story as Richard, and Door seek out who is behind the assassination attempts and the pair must navigate a strange world of monsters to find the truth.

3.  The Cemetery Boys by Zak (formerly Heather) Brewer:

I listened to this as an audiobook but I think I would have liked the printed book even better.  When Stephen's dad loses his job, they need to move to a small town to live with with Stephen's Grandmother.  Stephen meets a beautiful girl named Cara and is instantly smitten.  He also meets Cara's wild brother Devon.  Devon heads a group of boys who like to hang out and party at the local cemetery.  Stephen begins to hear all sorts of strange stories of horrible tragedies that have befallen the town.  There is talk that the only way to get rid of the "bad" luck is to sacrifice a human in order to appease a strange raven-like creature.  Is this real or an elaborate hoax intended to make Stephen look foolish?  How far would Devon go to protect the town?  Would Devon really kill someone to change the town's luck? And what will happen when protective Devon finds out that Stephen and Cara are secretly dating?  Will Stephen be targeted to be the sacrifice?