YA Halloween Reads

Review by Victor Iveson

It’s that time of the year again when “ghoul season” is upon us! If you’re anything like me, I’m always
seeking out shows, movies, and (of course) books to read during the autumnal months. Below are two
creepy-fun young adult books that deliver just the right amount of “spooky” to anyone’s fall night.
Since I was a young boy, I have been a fan of all-things-vampire. I’ve spent countless Halloween nights
in a cape, sporting a set of (glow-in-the-dark) sharp incisors. At the age of thirteen, I even asked my father
if I could have a bed frame made in the shape of a coffin. And though I didn’t get my coffin bed, I still
joke with my husband that I want one. It’s safe to say that this love has carried far into my adulthood.

So, when I picked up The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling, I knew it would be love at first “bite.” Paying
homage to classic vampire romance novels, The Coldest Touch manages to keep the tropes that make us
smile while shining in its originality. This sapphic romance novel follows the apprehensive partnership
between main characters Elise Beaumont, a teen cursed to see people’s deaths when she touches them,
and Claire Montgomery, a vampire who has a bone to pick with the woman who turned her. Working
together to defeat a similar evil, the two girls discover as much about themselves as the other paranormal
individuals that stalk them.
The Coldest Touch by Isabell Sterling is a wonderful Halloween read–especially for young adult readers
with an interest in mystery and romance.
If witches are more your “thing” than vampires, I have another wonderful Halloween read for you! Over
My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo is a graphic novel chock full of adventure, friendship, and eerie dark
academia aesthetics. If you’re someone who loves the atmosphere created by writing with quills,
collecting vintage books, and attending a boarding school, this novel is for you!
Set at Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft, the story follows Abigail, whose close friend and mentee,
Noreen, has gone missing. Despite Noreen’s disappearance having been under suspicious circumstances,
the coven (that runs the institute) seems to sit on their hands instead of properly investigating her absence.
Determined to find her mentee, Abigail searches for clues with her friends and cat familiar. Along the
way, she also uncovers some harrowing secrets surrounding an identical disappearance that happened to
another Younwity student, years prior.
The gorgeous artwork and amazing characterization that make up the pages of Sweeney Boo’s Over My
Dead Body should more than fulfill your sweet tooth, while delivering on that cozy autumnal feeling.