We all expect the day after Labor Day to be complete torture. You can’t wear your favorite white jeans anymore, the weather is going to start getting colder, and, worst of all, it marks the first day of school for most kids in America. For all you students dreading your return, here are some books with characters who have it much worse than you. Whether it’s freakish accidents, supernatural elements, or crazy stalkers, these students have something truly terrible to fear as they return to school. With these stories, we guarantee you’ll be shaking in your boots. Shop our Horror In the Halls sale for $1.99 ebooks on sale through August 31.
Nightmare Hall Series by Diane Hoh
On a hill overlooking Salem University is an off-campus dormitory dubbed “Nightmare Hall” by many students, ever since a young woman committed suicide there. The series follows the frequent murders that occur at the dreary university.
Teacher’s Petby Richie Tankersley Cusick
Aspiring horror writer Kate is offered a spot at an exclusive weeklong writing conference taught by the master of horror himself, William Drewe. Strangely, when Kate arrives, William Drewe is nowhere to be found. Filling in for him is his brother Gideon whose assignments give Kate the thrill she seeks. With a teacher like this, she’ll get all the material she needs to become a bestselling author . . . if she survives.
The Yearbookby Peter Lerangis
Yearbook editor David Kallas, while taking a shortcut to spy on his crush and her boyfriend, stumbles upon something even nastier than two students making out: a butchered corpse floating in the creek. The body leads David to a disturbing secret about his school’s past.
Night Schoolby Caroline B. Cooney
In a California high school, a signup sheet for a “night class” mysteriously appears on the bulletin board. Four kids, each with their own individual problems and desires, write their names on the sheet. These students will discover whether the night class is a place where dreams come true—or where nightmares are made real.
Ransomby Lois Duncan
When the strange new bus driver passes the last stop on the ride home from school, the five teens onboard know they’ll be lucky if they make it home alive.