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As of late, I’ve received quite a few advanced review copies (they’re hot right now, for Christmas, I assume). Coincidentally, several of them have been, well, creepy. Now, as you may have concluded, based on my “Halloween Town” series, I enjoy creepy things. I ADORE creepy books, even more so at night.

We’ve all had one before: a book that made you hesitate before turning off the light, as your mind wondered, “Do you really want to do that?” And as soon as you descended into your nighttime blackness, your mind created imaginative hallucinations, and you swore there was someone standing by your bed. Instead of opening your eyes, you hid beneath your blankets, hoping and praying that it would go away.

In the past month or so, I’ve had the pleasure of completing three such creepy books. I think you need to know about them …

Bad Girls Don’t Die, by Katie Alender.
This book is technically categorized as young adult, but I think it’s fitting for adults, as well. The basic premise focuses on Alexis: a high school gal with pink hair—one of the outcasts, who doesn’t have any friends and who considers the cheerleaders her mortal enemies. Alexis’s family has moved into a eerie, old house, and soon, her little sister, Kasey, starts actin’ kinda funny. Alexis begins to realize there’s something not quite right about their old house—or her little sister—and it’s all about ghosts.

This book is a prime example of the “Do you really want to turn off that light?” syndrome. Jake laughs at me, but hey, I have an overactive imagination, and one night, after reading a particularly spooky segment, I swore I could feel a ghost chick hovering over me in the dark … And I don’t even believe in ghosts. I give this one a total thumbs-up, for its creepiness, character development, and yeah, even a touch of high school romance. It only took me three nights to finish it, so pick it up, just for fun, and prepare to be totally creeped out.

The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer, “as told by” Lucy Weston.
The premise of this is interesting, especially from an historical standpoint. The book theorizes that Queen Elizabeth was actually a vampire slayer. How fun is that? Even more fun is that the author, Lucy Weston, is also supposedly a vampire. She has created an entire persona online as this “Lucy Weston” person, and it’s an excellent (and creative) marketing technique. Bravo, Simon & Schuster, bravo!

That said this one isn’t as interesting as I had hoped. The writing is sub-par. It has its moments, but it’s pretty basic stuff. The conflict is quite interesting, and Elizabeth is pretty cool. Be prepared for a disappointing ending, though, as Weston sets up for a sequel. Everyone’s doing it nowadays, and I’m tired of it. Again, this was a quick read. So if you dig the whole historical vampire scene, pick up a copy. Just be ready—you’re gonna have to buy part 2 eventually, as well.

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