As the weather gets colder and fall comes into full swing, there is nothing better than curling up with a hair-raising horror novel. However, while many shy away from the genre due to its perceived gruesomeness, horror is multifaceted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This list blends history, fantasy, dystopian and classic slashers all into the overarching genre of horror, ensuring that anyone can find a subgenre they like. With Halloween looming over us, creeping closer and closer, these four books are certain to get even the scarediest of cats reaching for a horror novel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Glutton\u201d by A.K. Blakemore<\/b><\/p>\n
Historical fiction mixed with horror, the 2023 novel \u201cThe Glutton\u201d set in Versailles, France, reimagines the story of Tarare, an actual historical figure, who is said to have an insatiable appetite. A nun watches over a dying Tarare as he states that his appetite has led him to eat a golden fork. Rumors follow Tarare at every turn with whispers throughout the palace that he has eaten the unthinkable \u2014 another human.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blakemore weaves an interesting tale of how this larger-than-life, historical figure could have existed. From exploring Tarare\u2019s childhood with a prostitute mother and stepfather who leaves him for dead to swallowing live animals for the entertainment of French nobles, Blakemore describes each stomach-curdling feast in gripping detail.<\/p>\n
As his desires, and hunger, grow deeper and darker, this book is ultimately not for the faint of heart. If you desire a dark and twisted historical story, however, this book is perfect for morbid curiosity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRouge\u201d By Mona Awad<\/b><\/p>\n
Blending reality with fantasy and horror, \u201cRouge,\u201d published in 2023, follows Belle, a young woman obsessed with skincare and beauty tutorials, after her estranged mother suddenly dies. Belle is forced to go back home to California and grapple with what her mother has left behind. In doing so, she uncovers her similarly beauty-driven mother\u2019s obsession with a cult-like spa. As she becomes more and more intertwined with the spa, the 2023 novel begins to blur reality, fantasy and horror elements.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The book is a gothic fairytale with real-life critiques on the beauty industry and our pursuit of perfection. While it critiques modern beauty standards, its fantastical elements take the focus of the book, creating a whimsical, disconcerting story.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Written by the same author as the fantastical-horror book<\/a> \u201cBunny,\u201d Mona Awad once again shows that horror can contain bizarre plotlines and societal critiques, all while remaining entrenched in traditional genre tropes as well. For fans of a mind-bending, messed-up fairytale, \u201cRouge\u201d checks every box.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Final Girl Support Group\u201d By Grady Hendrix<\/b><\/p>\n