Reed Fead

Hey everyone!! In the spirit of Halloween and autumn, I thought I'd do some rapid-fire recommendations for book series you may not have heard of. These are dark, creepy, and/or magical, and ready to be binge-read.

IF YOU ENJOY: Coraline, Holly Black, The Lottery

The Secrets of Eden Eld by Kate Alice Marshall

A trilogy set in the sleepy small town of Eden Eld, the first book Thirteens begins with Eleanor moving in with her aunt and uncle after losing her mother. Ellie starts to notice strange things about her new home, things that no one else seems to notice, save for her new friends Pip and Otto. As the trio start to investigate, they notice a concerning pattern: every thirteen years, three thirteen-year-olds go missing from the town and are never heard from again. It's been thirteen years since the last disappearance... and they all just turned thirteen. A delightfully creepy coming-of-age story with folklore motifs galore.


IF YOU ENJOY: The Craft, Pretty Little Liars, My Best Friend's Exorcism

The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Sofia Flores is scared to be the new girl, but quickly finds girls who take her under their wing and give her something she never had at her old school: acceptance. Ultra-religious and clean-cut, Sofia's new friends are the life preserver she needs after a chaotic year. She's eager to bond with them and cement herself as part of the group, even accepting when they offer to baptize her. When the school bad girl, Brooklyn, also shows interest in Sofia, the clique's leader Riley expresses concern - for Brooklyn. She's out-of-control and is bound to hurt somebody, and Riley says she wants to help her get on the right track. Sofia agrees to help however she can, but is quickly in over her head when she finds Brooklyn bound and gagged in the basement of her new friend's house. It's time for an exorcism. This four-book series is a nostalgic favorite of mine; a Southern Gothic teen drama, The Merciless series is fun, fast-paced, and high on drama.



IF YOU ENJOY: The Dresden Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, film noir

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

A long-running urban fantasy series, about a young girl who discovers a world of magic and danger... and becomes the assistant to a living skeleton. And solves crime with him. This is one of those series where it's hard to talk about it in detail without spoiling some major twists and turns in the first book. But I will say that this is a darkly funny, addictive story that expands and gets more and more intricate with every installment, with a huge cast of colorful characters. We begin the series when our heroine is twelve years old, and the latest books have her in her twenties, so if you're looking for a story where you can watch a character grow up, get stronger and tougher, and go through the absolute wringer, this is a great series to dive into.

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IF YOU ENJOY: Roald Dahl, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Ghost and Molly McGee

The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips

I swear to God I'm the only person I know who's even heard of these books, but I will not rest until I get people talking about them. I'm currently reading book four of five, and once I finish the series, I may do a longer post detailing why you should read them. Here's my elevator pitch. Ebeneezer Tweezer (described by the book as "a terrible man with a wonderful life") has gained riches and immortality, thanks to the Beast, who grants his every wish in exchange for food. The Beast likes its meals alive and squirming, so Ebeneezer has fed it countless animals over the years, but now, the Beast has upped the ante. It wants a human child. Ebeneezer's moral compass is lacking-to-nonexistent, but even he balks at the idea of killing a kid... that is, until he meets Bethany, a rude, argumentative girl from the local orphanage. These books were written for kids with a macabre sense of humor, and those of us who never quite grew out of it.

IF YOU ENJOY: a certain wizard series (or rather, used to enjoy it but now hate the author and everything she represents), Tamora Pierce, The School for Good and Evil

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

On my hands and knees begging you to read Nevermoor. There are four books out so far with more to come. Our heroine is Morrigan Crow, a young girl who was born cursed, not just to bring bad luck everywhere she goes, but to drop dead on her eleventh birthday. She's had a rough go of it, obviously. But on the fated day, an eccentric and possibly crazy man named Jupiter North arrives and whisks her away to Nevermoor, the capital of the magically-hidden Free State. In order to stay in the country, Morrigan will need to join the Wundrous Society... and also figure out why the Free State's most notorious murderer seems to have taken an interest in her. I have no words for how good these books are. The worldbuilding is fascinating, the characters are all layered and complex, and every installment makes me fall deeper and deeper in love with this story and the world Townsend's built.
IF YOU ENJOY: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Owl House, ParaNorman

No Place For Monsters by Kory Merritt

There used to be a girl named Cindy in Levi's class, but she hasn't shown up to school in days - and what's more, no one except Levi and his classmate Kat can remember Cindy ever existed. This is unsettling enough, but then Kat points out that whatever took Cindy will probably be after them next. Levi doesn't want to believe there's real evil lurking in their quiet neighborhood, but he's soon to find out just how dangerous suburbia can get. This series - three books so far - deserves WAY more hype than it gets. It's packed full of detailed, often terrifying illustrations, and has a strong sense of humor that never gets in the way of the scares and the emotional moments.



IF YOU ENJOY: Midsomer Murders, Aggretsuko, Nancy Drew

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

This series was pitched to me as "a murder in Animal Crossing", and it doesn't disappoint. Set in a world of anthro animals, this is a cozy mystery series following Vera Vixen, intrepid reporter who keeps stumbling into murders in her small town. From poisoning to secret identities to blackmail, this series has everything for the crime show enthusiast, with a distinctly autumnal vibe. They're whimsical without becoming overly-cutesy, and take themselves just seriously enough for a whodunnit. There are six books and two novellas out so far, so go wild. (No pun intended.)

I hope y'all enjoy these! Let me know if you've ready of these series, and what you thought!