Rot, Ruin, and Dread

It is the spookiest time of the year, when everyone is looking for something that will give them a thrill or chill. So, I created a list of books that are atmospheric and haunting, ones that are guaranteed to pull you in with their details of death, decay, dread, and foreboding. 

Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig

A group of kids finds a random staircase in the woods. One of the kids goes up the stairs and jumps off; they're never seen again. Decades later, the group finds another random staircase in the woods that leads to a house with shifting rooms. Will the group be able to find their lost friend, or will the house swallow them whole until there is nothing left? 

How Is It Atmospheric and Haunting: Feelings imbue a home, making their presence and memories known. Usually, when we think of that, it is of the good feelings and memories, like a happy couple moving in, adding a new child to the family, decorating the home in the family’s image, etc. However, through the characters in the book, we also learn that negative feelings can leave a negative presence on the house: the ways we hurt each other physically, mentally, and emotionally. It can cause a physical, mental, and emotional toll that can be felt years after the residents of the home have moved on. 

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Noemi travels to her cousin’s new home after receiving a disturbing letter from her saying that her husband is harming her and that his ancestral home is frightening.

How Is It Atmospheric and Haunting: The house is very foreboding, with rot and decay looming everywhere you look. It is made worse when you realize Noemi’s cousin is living in a household that thinks they are superior to her on multiple fronts. They not only believe that Noemi and her cousin should be subservient because they are women, but also because of their race. The new family’s superiority complex has Noemi wondering if their terrible ideals are having a negative effect on her cousin or if something more sinister is happening beneath the rot and decay of the house. 

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

A young girl and an older woman feel intense dread as the girl’s mother, a sorceress, sets her sights on making them and everybody in their lives miserable. 

How Is It Atmospheric and Haunting: You could cut the tension in the atmosphere with a knife. It is so overwhelming because the protagonists have no idea how to get out of their dire situation, especially the young girl since her mother is the sorceress. There is no supernatural hotline on speed dial for the evil force they are dealing with. It makes for an interesting adventure trying to see what solution sticks to the problem that is so beyond their wheelhouse. It makes you feel like you are trying to find the answer with them. 

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

After months of Sonia contacting her late father’s colleagues, she finds a place of work with the ever-elusive Dr. Halder. He is very keen on her illustration skills and wants to put them to use, particularly on the wolf worms (bot flies). As Sonia begins to get to know her employer and his obsession with the wolf worms, she finds that Dr. Halder and his research might be more sinister than she realizes. 

How Is It Atmospheric and Haunting: Bugs are in general creepy with their appearance, but what makes Wolf Worm creepier is the book’s namesake. Wolf worms are parasitic insects that like to dwell in mammals’ bodies. It is an uncomfortable feeling to know that something is gradually tunneling its way through your body to take nourishment from you. However, the wolf worms in this book are even more horrifying, with the supernatural elements they possess and what Dr. Halder has in mind for the unsuspecting population with these creatures. 

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

After the death of their parents, a brother and sister return to their family home to pack up and sell the things inside, especially the creepy dolls and puppets. However, there is something sinister in the house that refuses to be alone or forgotten. 

How Is It Atmospheric and Haunting: There is a sadness to going through old things. Good and bad memories come to the forefront and mix, making you wonder how much of your and your family’s trauma has unwittingly been passed on through the generations. Most parents want to be a guiding force for their child. However, that is hard to do when you haven’t faced your own personal demons and don’t realize that, no matter how much you try to cover it up, your child can still pick up on the broken pieces. 

Tread lightly when you read. You will definitely be in for a scare with these five books. What books have you found to be atmospheric and haunting? Let me know in the comments!