10 Chilling Paranormal YA Books Featuring Ghosts

Edited by Ezvid Wiki Editorial on 3 September 2019

Ghost stories are appealing to readers of all ages, and there are plenty of young adult books about spirits from beyond the veil. Featuring everything from malevolent presences to lingering souls who are unable to move on, the works listed here are sure to capture your imagination. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

10 Chilling Paranormal YA Books Featuring Ghosts

Title Author(s)
1. I Belong to the Earth J.A. Ironside
2. Girl vs Ghost Kate McMurry & Marie August
3. Mystical High Lisette Brodey
4. The Truth Against the World Sarah Jamila Stevenson
5. Gap Year in Ghost Town Michael Pryor
6. Nightfall Gardens Allen Houston
7. Evenfall Liz Michalski
8. Vesper Jeff Sampson
9. Game of Shadows Erika Lewis
10. The Boy Meets Girl Massacre Ainslie Hogarth

Fun Activities For Fantasy Fans

8 Great Movies Featuring Ghosts

  1. Ghost (1990)
  2. Poltergeist (1982)
  3. Beetlejuice (1988)
  4. Topper Returns (1941)
  5. Lady in White (1988)
  6. The Sixth Sense (1999)
  7. Ghostbusters (1984)
  8. White Noise (2005)

A Scientific Approach to the Paranormal

In Depth

For those who like to be scared, there are few things better than a good ghost story. Whether you're a teenager or an adult, delving into Y.A. paranormal fiction can be a fun and thrilling experience. In no particular order, here are some dynamic tales about ghosts that aren't just for Halloween.

#1 on the list is "I Belong to the Earth" by J.A. Ironside. Following the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Emmlyn moves to a house in the moors of England. While coping with her loss, she struggles with a power she's managed to ignore, until now. Emmlyn can sense the dead. At the new house, she feels the presence of something that scares her. What she learns about her home, and the curse that haunts it, is even more frightening. When her sister, Grace, starts heading down a dangerous path, Emmlyn must embrace her power to save her family.

At #2 is "Girl vs Ghost" by Kate McMurry and Marie August. For pragmatic and skeptical Isabel, having a best friend like Tripp, who is obsessed with ghosts and witchcraft, can be problematic. Isabel reluctantly agrees to help Tripp summon a ghost and, surprisingly, it works. But Isabel is the only one who can see it, and the confused spirit doesn't have all of his memories. Unable to move on, he's tethered to Isabel until he can piece together his life and death. Will the unlikely pair be able to solve the mystery, or will they be stuck together forever?

Will the unlikely pair be able to solve the mystery, or will they be stuck together forever?

At #3 is "Mystical High" by Lisette Brodey. Jessie lives in a small town with big problems. Locals know that mysterious things happen at the high school. Flying objects and a man who is visible to only a few people are just some of the strange issues that these teenagers have to face. With a rise in paranormal happenings, and a principal intent on terrorizing students and teachers alike, Jessie and her friends are up to their necks in mysteries.

Book #4 is "The Truth Against the World" by Sarah Jamila Stevenson. Orwen has heard tales of her ancestral homeland since childhood. But when her parents grant her great grandmother's dying wish and move back to Wales, Orwen begins having doubts about her family's history. Her dreams are showing her things she shouldn't know, and she's not sure what she should believe. She hopes that Gareth, a boy in her new town, can help her find answers. In return, Gareth wants Orwen to help him solve the mystery of a ghost he saw, a ghost that is eerily familiar.

#5 is titled "Gap Year in Ghost Town" by Michael Pryor. Melbourne has seen an increase in paranormal attacks and only the ghost hunters can protect the city. Anton comes from a family of hunters, but he's new to the business and unsure if he wants to follow in his father's footsteps. Rani is enthusiastic about slashing ghosts, thriving in each spirit she sends from this world. When their paths cross, they find themselves forced to work together. If they can look past their differences, they might just be able to save Melbourne.

Anton comes from a family of hunters, but he's new to the business and unsure if he wants to follow in his father's footsteps.

#6 on the list is "Nightfall Gardens" by Allen Houston. Lily and Silas Blackwood lead a normal life with their family in New Amsterdam. That all changes when a mysterious stranger approaches them. They learn that they are the last pair of siblings in the Blackwood family, and they are responsible for tending to Nightfall Gardens. When they arrive, it becomes clear this isn't a normal family estate. It houses evil, mythical creatures that Lily and Silas must keep at bay.

At #7 is "Evenfall" by Liz Michalski. As a ghost, there is only so much that Frank can do to express his love for the woman he let go decades before. His sister-in-law and love of his life thinks she feels his presence, but Frank's dog is the only one who can actually see his ghostly figure. When his niece, Andie, arrives to help settle his estate, she embarks on a love story of her own. Frank watches the living go on without him, trying desperately to make them realize he is still there with them.

Book #8 is "Vesper" by Jeff Sampson. Emily Webb is ordinary. But when her classmate with the same first name is discovered dead, she notices changes in herself she cannot explain. During the day, nothing is different, but at night she acts like a whole new person: a brazen thrill-seeker who is stronger and faster than her daytime self. Emily realizes that other teenagers are experiencing this, too. Could she be possessed by the ghost of the dead Emily? Or are they all turning into something other than human?

Could she be possessed by the ghost of the dead Emily?

In the #9 spot, we have "Game of Shadows" by Erika Lewis. The ability to see ghosts is considered more a curse than a gift for Ethan. Between the spirits and his overprotective mother, he never gets any freedom. When he sneaks away on his birthday, his mom gets kidnapped. Soon after, Ethan is approached by a stranger, who claims to be his grandfather and tells him that he is of royal blood. Together, they travel to a hidden continent called Tara to save Ethan's mother, and discover the truth about his powers.

Finally, at #10, we have "The Boy Meets Girl Massacre" by Ainslie Hogarth. Noelle gets a job at a hotel with a gruesome reputation. Intrigued by ghosts and gore, she keeps track of the paranormal activity in her journal. When a party that takes place during the anniversary of the hotel's famous murders ends in disaster, Noelle's journal is the piece of evidence that can solve the new mystery. Investigators soon realize that not everything Noelle wrote has an easy explanation.