Coming of Age Horror Titles Like It

Coming of Age Horror Titles Like It

Fans of the genre will know that there is more to a good horror novel than just a scary antagonist who picks off its victims one by one. The best horror novels also feature great character development and makes you care about the protagonists. Of course, this also makes it all the more heartbreaking when one of the main characters end up as a victim of the antagonist. This is also why some of the best horror novels feature younger characters who have to deal with some type of supernatural horror. One of the best examples of this is the 1986 horror novel, It, which was written by Stephen King. This tale of an evil entity masquerading as a killer clown while preying on the fears and phobias of its young victims has been chilling readers for years. The popularity of It has also seen it being adapted to a mini-series as well as a movie. The second part of the movie is around the corner, but for fans who cannot wait, here are a few more coming of age horror titles like It.

Hearts in Atlantis

by Stephen King

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

Stephen King is not only one of the biggest names in the horror genre, but he is also a pioneer when it comes to combining scary stories with coming of age drama. It is probably one of his most famous titles in this regard, but he has also written plenty of other books with a similar style. One of these is Hearts in Atlantis, which is actually a compilation of five linked stories that are featured in chronological order. Fans of King will also enjoy the ties that some of these stories have to his other books.

NOS4A2

by Joe Hill

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

It featured children dealing with a supernatural horror in their youth, which they had to confront again many years later as adults. In NOS4A2, it is a young girl, named Victoria, with a special gift for finding things that encounters a sinister man with a NOS4A2 vanity plate on his car. This man, Charles Talent Manx, has a special gift of its own, but uses it for purely evil purposes. Victoria is the only child who ever managed to escape from the clutches of Manx, but he hasn't forgotten her and many years later he sets his sights on her son.

Summer of Night

by Dan Simmons

Summer of Night by Dan Simmons

The events of It takes place during the summer of 1958, while Summer of Night by Dan Simmons is set during the summer of 1960. In both books an unspeakable evil descents upon small towns and it is up to the local children to stand together in order to defeat it. These two books are also similar in the way that the evil entity tends to prey on children, while the adults do not believe their tales of what is happening. Simmons followed this book with two more, titled Fires of Eden and A Winter Haunting.

The Book of Lost Things

by John Connolly

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly is another favorite amongst fans of creepy coming of age novels. This novel is about David, a 12-year old boy who lost his mother to cancer. It is set during World War II England, which means that David's father is never around. David fins solace in the myths and fairytales that his mother used to love, but then he discovers a magical gateway that can take him to a different realm. Unfortunately, this realm is home to the Crooked Man, an evil troll who takes an interest in David.

Fear

by Ronald Kelly

Fear by Ronald Kelly

In It, the evil demonic entity that preyed on children took on the form of a clown and other creatures, while in Fear it is a flesh-eating snake demon that serves as the antagonist. Tales of this creature feasting on the blood of innocent children were seen as Legend, but then it takes Mandy, the best friend of a ten-year old named Jeb Sweeny. Everyone else believes that Mandy just up and disappeared, but Jeb knows the demon took her and that nobody else has the courage to go after her, except for him.

Ghoul

by Brian Keene

Ghoul by Brian Keene

In Ghoul by Brian Keene, the setting is the 1980's and school is out for the summer. This means freedom and adventure for three twelve year old boys, Timmy, Barry and Doug. However, something evil has awoken in the local cemetery and it comes out at night to prey on people. Unfortunately for Timmy and his friends, this ghoul has smelled their blood. Even more tragically, the ghoul is not the only monster that they will have to face during their summer break as some of them also have to deal with abuse by their parents.

The Boy Who Drew Monsters

by Keith Donohue

The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue

The Boy Who Drew Monsters is the story of Jack Peter, a ten-year old boy with Asperger's syndrome. Jack nearly drowned at the age of seven and the event traumatized him enough to make him never want to set foot outside again. To help him pass the time, Jack begins drawing, but the subject of all his art is monsters. This obviously concerns his parents, but things become much, much worse when strange things begin happening in the small coastal town where they live.