Books like 'The Dead End'
Readers who enjoyed The Dead End by Mimi McCoy also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy mystery horror supernatural paranormal children ghosts gothic spooky family
-
Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural by Herbert A. Wise, John Collier
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen this longtime Modern Library favorite--filled with fifty-two stories of heart-stopping suspense--was first published in 1944, one of its biggest fans was critic Edmund Wilson, who in The New Yorker applauded what he termed a sudden revival of the appetite for tales of horror... -
This Totally Bites! by Ruth Ames
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPoison Apple Books: Thrilling. Bone-chilling. These books have bite!Twelve-year-old Emma-Rose Paley has always felt different from her bubbly, outgoing parents. Unlike them, Emma-Rose has pale skin and jet-black hair, is quiet and moody, and prefers gray weather to sunshine. She also hates the taste of garlic, has very sharp incisors, and loves rare burgers... -
No Trick-Or-Treating!: Superscary Superspecial by P.J. Night
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHalloween is more than haunted in this superscary superspecial addition to Spotlight's popular tween horror series.When Ashley McDowell's parents first told her they were moving from the big city to a one-stoplight farm town, she was convinced that she was going to hate living in Heaton Corners. But to Ashley's surprise, she loves it. Everyone is super welcoming, especially her new friends... -
A Horribly Haunted Halloween by Heather Graham
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHalloween is approachingAnd while it might be different this year, many homes are lavishly decorated. Jackson Crow thinks it’s fine that his adopted son, Corby, takes a walk down the street to see some of the ghoulish displays.Except Corby hurries back to him. One “creature” isn’t—or wasn’t—a creature at all. The bizarre costuming covers someone once real—a human corpse... -
-
Greetings from the Graveyard by Kate Klise, M. Sarah Klise
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRoses are red, Violets are blue. If a ghost can write books, Why not greeting cards, too?The bestselling trio from Spence Mansion is launching a greeting card company called Greetings from the Graveyard. But what kind of card do you send to an ex-girlfriend who threatens to publish the love letters of Ignatius B... -
Ready for a Scare? by P.J. Night, Heather Alexander
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBirthday girl and queen of all things spooky, Kelly Garcia is all set to have the perfect night. First her parents are going out of town. And although they hired a babysitter, Kelly is excited to basically be on her own... -
Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"Coraline meets Monsters, Inc. in this delightfully entertaining offering from actor [Jason] Segel and co-author [Kirsten] Miller." --Publishers Weekly, on book one in the series Stay up late with the hilariously frightening middle-grade novel Nightmares! The Lost Lullaby...Categorized as:
children family friendship paranormal action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
Some Can See by J.R. Erickson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe dead have stories to tell. Are you listening?On a sunny August morning, in 1935, thirteen-year-old Sophia Gray finds her friend, Rosemary wandering in the woods. Rosemary’s yellow dress is tattered and stained, she walks with a strange lurch, and her eyes are vacant and glassy. She beckons to Sophia, desperate to show her something, and Sophia follows... -
Curiosity Killed the Cat by Sierra Harimann
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPoison Apple Books: Thrilling. Bone-chilling. These books have bite!Hannah isn't thrilled to be moving in with her dad and his new family, who live right next to a spooky cemetery. Luckily, Hannah doesn't believe all the "ghost cat" stories she's heard about the graveyard.Not so luckily, the cemetery is the least of Hannah's troubles. Her stepsister, Madison, is the meanest girl in Hannah's grade... -
Poltergeist by James Kahn
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom a dimension beyond the living, a terror to scare you to deathFrom the imageless eye of the TV set, from the flickering snowy light, it calls to Carol Anne, six years old and innocent.From beyond the world of the living, reaches out in unholy anger, ripping her from the arms of her family, into the thrall of the POLTERGEIST... -
Callie by Bill Thompson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDeep in the bayous of southern Louisiana, an ancient mansion called Beau Rivage sits empty and abandoned. Arceneaux family members built the house and lived there for two hundred years. The house is inherited by Callie Pilantro, a down-on-her-luck granddaughter of Juliet Arceneaux, its most recent owner who died there a few months ago... -
Miss Fortune by Brandi Dougherty
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsZoe's never been superstitious, so when she and her best friend Mia have their fortunes read at a carnival, she doesn't take it seriously. In fact, Zoe mocks the fortune-teller. But the woman gives Zoe a necklace to seal her fortune, and as soon as Zoe puts it on, unexplained things begin to happen to her... -
Dead Scary: The Ghost who refused to leave by Sally Gould
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAdam is an ordinary boy, except for one thing. He can see and talk with ghosts.When his family moves into what seems like the home of his dreams, Adam finds out it isn't his dream home after all. Edward Lawrence, a bossy ghost who was Adam's age when he died, regards the home as his own and he doesn't want to share it with an annoying boy who can see him... -
The Harder the Fall by Lauren Barnholdt
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKendall has a crush - and the ghost of his mother has something to say about it. The second book in a hilariously haunting tween series.Kendall Williams talks to dead people all the time. Like it or not, it's kind of her thing - the ghosts need her help resolving issues from when they were alive, and she's good at figuring out their problems... -
-
Dead Good Detectives by Jenny McLachlan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSid Jones loves hanging out in the graveyard with her best friend Zen - they are desperate to see a real-life ghost!But when Sid accidentally summons a 300-year-old pirate from the dead, it opens the door to the HALFWAY HOUSE - a magical inn FULL of lost souls from across the ages, all trapped there by a sinister landlord... -
A Most Unusual Case by Heather Graham
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s a first Labor Day for Angela Hawkins and Jackson Crow with their infant daughter and adopted son. They’re going to take the day and have a picnic with the children while other Krewe members man the office.But the plan goes awry when the grandson of one of Adam’s dearest friends is arrested for committing murder... -
The Show Must Go On! by P.J. Night
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBecca Hart has secretly wanted to act on stage for as long as she could remember—it's all she ever thinks about. Determined to make her dream come true Becca tries out for this year's school play, The Last Sleepover, and gets the starring role! After a few creepy incidents on set and persistent nightmares at home, Becca quickly learns that this is no ordinary school play... -
Hollywood, Dead Ahead by Kate Klise
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this fifth volume from 43 Old Cemetery Road, the trio at Spence Mansion leaves Ghastly for Hollywood, California . . . and for a shot at stardom! The film producer Moe Block Busters wants to make the 43 Old Cemetery Road story into a movie—and he promises it will be a sure-fire hit! Lured by the lights of Tinseltown, Ignatius B. Grumply, Olive C. Spence, and Seymour Hope pack their suitcases... -
The Body at Auercliff by Amy Cross
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"We'll bury her so deep, even her ghost will have a mouth full of dirt!" When Rebecca Wallace arrives at Auercliff to check on her aged aunt, she's in for a shock. Her aunt's mind is crumbling, and the old woman refuses to let Rebecca stay overnight. And just as she thinks she's starting to understand the truth, Rebecca makes a horrifying discovery in one of the house's many spare rooms... -
The Ghost of Midnight Lake by Lucy Strange
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom award winning author Lucy Strange comes a thrilling ghost story about a strong willed heroine who will follow even the most restless spirit in order to untangles the dark mystery of her own past.It's 1899. The Earl of Gosswater has died, and twelve-year-old Agatha has been cast out of her ancestral home - the only home she has ever known - by her cruel cousin, Clarence... -
Recess Is a Jungle! by Jack Chabert
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSam, Antonio, and Lucy get trapped in a monstrous hedge maze! Will they ever find their way out?This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina... -
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend... -
The Vengeful Dead by Darcy Coates
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHow far will she go to save the damned?Keira is caught in a deadly battle. Her ability to help ghosts move on from the mortal world has made her a threat to Artec, a powerful corporation intent on trapping the tortured dead for profit. They've been tracking her for years and now, finally, there's nowhere left for her to run.Artec fears Keira and everything she's capable of... -
Perron Manor by Lee Mountford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDescriptionPerron Manor—a place evil calls homeSisters Sarah and Chloe inherit a house they could never have previously dreamed of owning. It seems too good to be true.Shortly after they move in, however, the siblings start to notice strange things: horrible smells, sudden drops in temperature, as well as unexplainable sounds and feelings of being watched... -
-
Now You See Me ... by Jane B. Mason
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis book has bite . . . When Lena and her best friend Abby find an old Polaroid camera, they never suspect that a creepy ghost story is about to develop!Best friends Lena and Abby love searching through thrift stores for lost treasures. When they find an old Polaroid camera, they can't wait to try it out... -
The Twisted Dead by Darcy Coates
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsKeira is ready for her life to return to normal. Though, to be fair, normal is a tall ask when your ability to see ghosts has landed you the job of groundskeeper in a small town’s cemetery.When Keira receives an invitation to dinner at Dane Crispin’s crumbling ancestral estate, she knows she can’t refuse. The last living descendant of the Crispin family is reclusive... -
The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsDiana and her little brother Georgie have been living in the woods behind the old Willis place, a decaying Victorian mansion, for what already seems like forever. They aren’t allowed to leave the property or show themselves to anyone... -
The Hanging of Hettie Gale by Tess Burnett
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA mother's love will never die. Neither will a mother's fury . . . The moor is a difficult place for a young woman to grow up in the eighteenth century, and life for Hettie Gale is no different. Abused by her father and abandoned by her family, she builds a new life for herself and her young son... -
Truth or Dare . . . by P.J. Night
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsDuring a round of Truth or Dare, Abby Miller confesses her crush on Jake Chilson. The only people who know her secret are her friends at the sleepover--and whoever sent her a text message in the middle of the night warning her to stay away from Jake...or else! But Abby isn't going to stay away from Jake, especially not after he asks her to the school dance... -
The Red House by Tony Abbott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCould the road to the afterlife be a two-way street? After diving into Derek's world in books #1 and #2, readers are in for more spooky, sinister adventure in this latest installment.Derek didn't ask for this.It's bad enough that his brother's body is hosting a dead soul. Then there's that whole business of the evil dead waging war... -
Ghosts Don't Ride Bikes, Do They? by Andrés Miedoso
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDesmond and Andres are in for a bike-riding adventure in the second book of the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter book series!Welcome to Kersville, a town with a spooky history and a collection of ghosts and spirits who are major mischief-makers. Most kids spend their days without ever seeing or dealing with a ghost, but some kids get stuck with a haunt... -
Night Gallery by Rod Serling, Jim Benson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Night Gallery is one of three books written by Rod Serling based on stories he created for the 1970 television series by the same name. Similar to his Stories From The Twilight Zone books, he novelized six of the show’s scripts for this volume, including They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar, which was nominated for an Emmy award... -
Ghost Huntress: The Journey by Marley Gibson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTeen psychic Kendall Moorehead is about to embark on the most dangerous and shocking ghost hunt of her life. After all, it isn't every day that the ghost of Princess Diana steps in as a personal spirit guide. But Shy Di isn't the only surprise awaiting Kendall and her team of teen paranormal superstars as they begin a whirlwind tour of Europe with renowned TV medium Oliver Bates... -
The Ghost Backstage by Dori Hillestad Butler
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKaz and Claire’s new detective agency is a success! Their latest case, though, is proving to be the hardest yet. When Claire’s classmate says he saw a ghost backstage while rehearsing the school play, Kaz goes to school with Claire to investigate... -
-
Together Forever by P.J. Night
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA summer camp dream romance turns into a nightmare in this frighteningly fun addition to Spotlight's popular horror series.All the girls in Bunk 9 at Camp Minnehaha wake up one morning having had the same terrible nightmare about a sinister boy in an abandoned cabin in the woods. All the girls, that is, except goody-goody Samantha Harmon... -
Ghost in the Attic by Dori Hillestad Butler
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA brand-new young chapter book series from Edgar Award winner Dori Hillestad Butler! After successfully solving the mystery of the ghost in the library, Kaz and Claire land the first case for their detective agency--a haunted attic in a neighbor's home! With a little help from Grannie, Kaz and Claire discover that what appeared to be something spooky has a much simpler explanation...Categorized as:
children friendship ghosts paranormal action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
The Ghost at the Fire Station by Dori Hillestad Butler, Aurore Damant
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith a lot of searching and a lot of luck, Kaz has found his dog Cosmo, his little brother Little John, his grandmom, and his grandpops... -
Crossing Over by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat happens when ghosts take a road trip?One year older and a whole lot wiser, medium-in-training Kat Roberts finally seems comfortable healing the living dead. But when her free-spirited mother (aka professional medium) volunteers to chaperone her eighth-grade class trip to Old Montreal, Kat's problems become dead serious... -
No Way Out by Dan Poblocki
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShadow House always wins . . .Poppy, Dash, Azumi, and Dylan may have made it out of Shadow House--but the grounds are a whole new nightmare. Someone they thought was a friend is hunting them, and there's no place that's safe now that they've woken the shadow creature... -
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur T. Bradley
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKendra Levin, while at Viking, acquired world rights to Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by middle-grade author Fleur Bradley, pitched as in the tradition of The Westing Game with a touch of Clue. Aneeka Kalia will edit. Five murder suspects are invited to the haunted Barclay Hotel, and it's up to the tag-along kids JJ and Penny—and a ghost—to figure out who committed the crime... -
You Can't Hide by Dan Poblocki
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPoppy, Marcus, Dash, Dylan, and Azumi are all trapped within Shadow House, a sinister estate where past and present intertwine. As they fight to find a way out, the kids think the ghosts of the house are the greatest danger they face. Little do the kids know it's the secrets they're each hiding that will prove even more lethal... -
Ghost Town by Phoebe Rivers, Heather Alexander
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSara Collins is a normal twelve-year-old girl with an abnormal secret: She is psychic. She’s had her abilities for as long as she can remember, but she doesn’t like to talk about them. She hopes that if she ignores them, they might go away. Sara wants nothing more than to have a normal life, and to her, “normal” doesn’t include anything paranormal... -
The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings'Humans, as is there wont, have a terrible habit of making a mess of everything.'Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can be found in the outside world... -
The Ghost Next Door by Wylly Folk St. John
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSherry Alston had never been told about her dead half-sister Miranda. So when Sherry came to visit her Aunt Judith, no one could explain the odd things that started to happen... -
-
Legend of the Ghost Dog by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA thrilling mystery set against a stark landscape and the inspiration of Nome's real-life dog hero, Balto.Twelve-year-old Tee didn't think she believed in ghosts . . . until a walk in the woods around her new rural Alaskan home changes her mind. She and her beagle, Henry, are stalked by a wolfish, decidedly spooky shadow. There's something out there - and it's not of this world... -
American Gothic Tales by Joyce Carol Oates, Charles Brockden Brown
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJoyce Carol Oates has a special perspective on the “gothic” in American short fiction, at least partially because her own horror yarns rank on the spine-tingling chart with the masters. She is able to see the unbroken link of the macabre that ties Edgar Allan Poe to Anne Rice and to recognize the dark psychological bonds between Henry James and Stephen King... -
The Swallow: A Ghost Story by Charis Cotter
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn 1960s Toronto, two girls retreat to their attics to escape the loneliness and isolation of their lives. Polly lives in a house bursting at the seams with people, while Rose is often left alone by her busy parents. Polly is a down-to-earth dreamer with a wild imagination and an obsession with ghosts; Rose is a quiet, ethereal waif with a sharp tongue... -
Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEach day, sixth-grader Rusty feeds a dog that's left chained in the frigid weather with no shelter, food, or water. When he realizes the dog has been injured, he tries to have Animal Control help - but when that fails, Rusty and his friend Andrew unchain the dog and take it... -
Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive... -
Ghost and Horror Stories of Ambrose Bierce by Ambrose Bierce
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis volume contains 24 of Bierce's best tales of the unknown. Morbid, cynical, eerie, they take you to a twilight region of flesh and spirit — and into the darkest recesses of the human mind...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.