It’s almost time for Halloween, although you may be one of the masses who have been celebrating the scary season for a while now. One way to get in the mood for frights, creepy vibes, and out-of-this-world experiences is by reading spooky Latinx books. We love recommending must-read libros, especially those that have a tie-in to Latinx culture. Even better when they are written by us, for us. To celebrate Halloween, and just to all things scary, here are five spooky Latinx books that will creep you out–in the best way possible.
Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal
Want a scary story that touches on an old-school Latinx myth? Then you should pick up Ann Dávila Cardinal’s Five Midnights. Set in modern-day Puerto Rico, the novel blends the myth of the island’s boogeyman, El Cuco, with real-life murders that Lupe and Javier set out to solve. And in case you need more to recommend it, it won the 2019 Digital Book Award for Best Suspense/Horror Book and the 2020 International Latino Book Award.
Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez
What is Halloween without slashers?! We don’t want to know. Sergio Gomez’s Camp Slaughter, “an homage to old-school slasher films,” takes the age-old trope of a creepy cabin in the woods no one has any business staying in, and brings it to a 2019 read. When college students in Pennsylvania decide to stay at a place in the woods, they have to deal with the local cannibal who has other plans for them. Once you’re done with Camp Slaughter, you can check out the next book in the Slaughter Books series, Halloween Slaughter.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Gothic horror? A creepy ass house? Vintage 1950s vibes? Sign us up! Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic is an acclaimed bestseller that takes us to Mexico, where we meet Noemi. She just got a frantic letter from her cousin Catalina, saying her husband is trying to do her in. Noemi is left with no other option than to go to the mansion, which has a life of its own, to rescue her prima.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Next on our list of spooky Latinx books to pick up this Halloween season (and during any other season, if we’re being honest) is The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas. It’s Mexican–Gothic-meets-Rebecca, so you know it’s good. Also set in Mexico, and featuring a house you do not want to step into, this Latinx book takes us back to right after the Mexican War of Independence. Beatriz has just married Rodolfo, and can’t wait to become the woman of Hacienda San Isidro. If she only knew what she was getting herself into!
Our Shadows Have Claws Edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz
What’s better than one scary Latinx story? 15 of them! That’s exactly what Our Shadows Have Claws delivers to readers. Edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz and illustrated by Ricardo López Ortiz, the collection of YA short stories ranges from shapeshifters to vampires to wolf-gods to “el viejo de la bolsa” and everything in between.
