Books like 'The Plentiful Darkness'
Readers who enjoyed The Plentiful Darkness by Heather Kassner also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy horror action / adventure magic children spooky gothic family survival female-mc
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The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsIn the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood & Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations... -
![The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud]()
The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsAs a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. Anthony Lockwood is dashing, George insightful, and Lucy dynamic, while the skull in the jar utters sardonic advice from the sidelines... -
![Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty, Lale Günseli Bayır]()
Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty, Lale Günseli Bayır
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSerafina's defeat of the Man in the Black Cloak has brought her out of the shadows and into the daylight realm of her home, Biltmore Estate. Every night she visits her mother in the forest, eager to learn the ways of the catamount... -
![Still Life by Jacqueline West, Lexy Fridell]()
Still Life by Jacqueline West, Lexy Fridell
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe fifth and final book in The Books of Elsewhere.Annabelle McMartin is gone for good, but something worse lurks just out of sight--watching, waiting, preparing to strike. Then a field trip to the local art museum reveals a shock... -
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![Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood]()
Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this story, seven sweet children are transformed by an evil witch into specific types of food. “The inherent drama of the story, combined with the haunting images the art provides, gives the picture book a timeless quality... -
![Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds]()
Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy... -
![Willa of Dark Hollow by Robert Beatty]()
Willa of Dark Hollow by Robert Beatty
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNOTE: Willa of Dark Hollow is a stand-alone story that does not require reading any of the author's previous books.Plunge into an exciting story of history, mystery, & magic from the best-selling author of the Serafina series... -
![Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson]()
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsOriginally appearing in the Dangerous Women anthology and now available as a solo ebook, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is a chilling novella of the Cosmere, the universe shared by Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series and the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive.When the familiar and seemingly safe turns lethal, therein danger lies... -
![Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer]()
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSweet, lovely Vasilisa lives with her jealous stepmother and stepsisters on the edge of a dark forest inhabited by the evil witch Baba Yaga. One night the stepmother sends Vasilisa to visit Baba Yaga, an errand from which the gentle girl has little chance of returning alive. "An engaging text and accomplished paintings set this version apart....A stylized and classy offering... -
![Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel]()
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... -
![Well of Witches by J.A. White]()
Well of Witches by J.A. White
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe third novel in the dark and twisty fantasy series that has enchanted readers. The third novel in the Thickety series, Well of Witches, is an epic quest on the edge of a magic crusade, into an enchanted kingdom with new kinds of magic, old enemies, and only one way out... -
![The Alchemaster's Apprentice by Walter Moers]()
The Alchemaster's Apprentice by Walter Moers
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Echo the Crat's mistress dies, he is compelled to sign a contract with Ghoolion the Alchemaster. This fateful document gives Ghoolion the right to kill Echo at the next full moon and render his fat, which he hopes to brew into an immortality potion. But Ghoolion has not reckoned with Echo's talent for survival and his vast ability to make new friends... -
![A Veil of Spears by Bradley P. Beaulieu]()
A Veil of Spears by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe third book in The Song of Shattered Sands series—an epic fantasy with a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.Since the Night of Endless Swords, a bloody battle the Kings of Sharakhai narrowly won, the kings have been hounding the rebels known as the Moonless Host... -
![Attack of the Trolls by Tommy Donbavand]()
Attack of the Trolls by Tommy Donbavand
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhy is our trio beset with trolls? The shrieks keep coming as the spine-tingling series surges ahead! Luke, Resus, and Cleo are eager to begin their new quest. First stop, Count Negatov's castle! As the three make their way through the bleak, murky wilds of Transylvania, it looks like this adventure will be dull, but easy. Until they are kidnapped by trolls... -
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![Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt by Rhiannon Williams]()
Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt by Rhiannon Williams
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the most thrilling fantasy of the year, a young girl must pretend to be a boy to rescue her brother from a secret order of monster hunters. Ottilie Colter and her brother, Gully, have always fended for themselves. So when Gully goes missing one night, Ottilie sets out to find him – and soon makes a horrible discovery... -
![Shee Willow by Claudy Conn]()
Shee Willow by Claudy Conn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWillow Lang has been a loner all her young life. She is an artist working in a famous museum in New York City, restoring classic canvas paintings... -
![Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix]()
Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe first book in a fast-paced, witty, and big-hearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy about a twelve-year-old apprenticing in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans, who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom. Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil. Life is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia... -
![Dead Good Detectives by Jenny McLachlan]()
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... -
![Amelia Fang and the Memory Thief by Laura Ellen Anderson]()
Amelia Fang and the Memory Thief by Laura Ellen Anderson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis spooky season, discover a new series for fans of Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl and the Adams family. Welcome to the world of Nocturnia, where darkness reigns supreme, glitter is terrifying, and unicorns are the stuff of nightmares! This is the third book about Amelia Fang, a sparkly little vampire in a dark and gloomy world... -
![Blaze The Ice Dragon by Adam Blade]()
Blaze The Ice Dragon by Adam Blade
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe volcano at Stonewin is frozen over and the lands are blasted with a deadly cold. This is the work of Blaze the Ice Dragon, sent by wicked Wizard Malvel to thwart Tom's quest to save his father... -
![The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly by Rebecca Ansari]()
The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly by Rebecca Ansari
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCharlie O’Reilly is an only child. Which is why it makes everyone uncomfortable when he talks about his brother. Liam, his eight-year-old kid brother, who, up until a year ago, slept in the bunk above Charlie, took pride in being as annoying as possible, and was the only person who could make Charlie laugh until it hurt.Then came the morning when the bunk, and Liam, disappeared forever... -
![Memento Mori by Amicus Arcane]()
Memento Mori by Amicus Arcane
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe eerie Amicus Arcane is on the hunt for writers, ghost writers, of course, to tell one more story--the scariest story of all. Do you dare join him on this journey? Do you dare enter the Haunted Mansion...? Amicus Arcane is about to retire from his position as the ghost librarian of the Haunted Mansion... -
![Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr]()
Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIll and bored with having to stay in bed, Marianne picks up a pencil and starts doodling - a house, a garden, a boy at the window. That night she has an extraordinary dream. She is transported into her own picture, and as she explores further she soon realises she is not alone... -
![The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman]()
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 85 ratingsNobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead... -
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![The Thickety: The Whispering Trees by J.A. White, Moira Quirk]()
The Thickety: The Whispering Trees by J.A. White, Moira Quirk
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe second book in J. A. White s critically acclaimed middle grade fantasy series continues the fantastical story of Kara and her journey into the Thickety.After Kara Westfall s village turns on her for practicing witchcraft, she and her brother Taff flee to the one place they know they won t be followed: the Thickety. Only this time the forest demon Sordyr is intent on keeping them there... -
![A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne]()
A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA spirited holiday mission!The magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back in time to the foggy streets of Victorian London, where they must help Charles Dickens. But the famous author has everything he could possibly want. How are they supposed to help him? It's not until Mr. Dickens rescues them from being thrown in jail that they discover his secret past and the sad memories that haunt him... -
![Fing by David Walliams]()
Fing by David Walliams
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe jaw-achingly funny children’s book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams – a deliciously daft Tall Story of a child who had everything, but still wanted more. Illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross.Meet the Meeks!Myrtle Meek has everything she could possibly want. But everything isn’t enough... -
![The Locker Ate Lucy by Jack Chabert]()
The Locker Ate Lucy by Jack Chabert
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSam Graves's school is ALIVE!In the second book in the Eerie Elementary series, Sam Graves's friend Lucy disappears into her locker! Sam and his friend Antonio follow a trail of clues that leads them through the locker and deep inside the school... -
![Stealth the Ghost Panther by Adam Blade]()
Stealth the Ghost Panther by Adam Blade
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMalvel's last beast has arrived at King Hugos castle. Stealth, the Ghost Panther traps his victims and turns them evil. Tom must find a way to defeat him and get the final piece of the Amulet that Stealth wears around his neck... -
![Vedra and Krimon: Twin Beasts of Avantia by Adam Blade]()
Vedra and Krimon: Twin Beasts of Avantia by Adam Blade
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJoin our hero Tom for the first Beast Quest special edition: two stories in... -
![The Unready Queen by William Ritter]()
The Unready Queen by William Ritter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHuman and goblin brothers Cole and Tinn are finding their way back to normal after their journey to the heart of the Oddmire. Normal, unfortunately, wants nothing to do with them. Fable, the daughter of the Queen of the Deep Dark, has her first true friends in the brothers... -
![Nod's Limbs by Charles Ogden]()
Nod's Limbs by Charles Ogden
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan the twins solve six mad riddles to find Nod's long-lost gold? It's all-out war with the Knightleigh family, and Edgar and Ellen are rapidly losing ground... -
![Equinus the Spirit Horse by Adam Blade]()
Equinus the Spirit Horse by Adam Blade
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFight the Beasts. Fear the magic Equinus the Spirit Horse crashes through the forests of the Forbidden Land, stealing the life force of other creatures... -
![Rashouk the Cave Troll by Adam Blade]()
Rashouk the Cave Troll by Adam Blade
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLurking in the Dead Peaks is Rashouk the Cave Troll. The Ghost Beast smells out his victims' fear ' and turns them to stone. It will take all of Tom's courage to capture Rashouk's piece of the Amulet of Avantia, but failure means never seeing his father again.. -
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![The Other Alice by Michelle Harrison]()
The Other Alice by Michelle Harrison
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when a tale with real magic, that was supposed to be finished, never was? This is a story about one of those stories . . . Midge loves riddles, his cat, Twitch, and – most of all – stories. Especially because he's grown up being read to by his sister Alice, a brilliant writer... -
![No Way Out by Dan Poblocki]()
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... -
![Comet Rising by MarcyKate Connolly]()
Comet Rising by MarcyKate Connolly
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe thrilling conclusion to MarcyKate Connolly's Shadow Weaver duology follows Emmeline and Lucas as they face the darkness once and for all.Emmeline and Lucas are safe from the evil Lady Aisling and her soldiers for the time being. The only thing that mars their peaceful life is Emmeline's imprisoned former shadow, Dar... -
![Monster Trouble! by Lane Fredrickson]()
Monster Trouble! by Lane Fredrickson
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNothing frightens Winifred Schnitzel—but she DOES need her sleep, and the neighborhood monsters WON'T let her be! Every night they sneak in, growling and belching and making a ruckus. Winifred constructs clever traps, but nothing stops these crafty creatures... -
![You Can't Hide by Dan Poblocki]()
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... -
![The Monstore by Tara Lazar, James Burks]()
The Monstore by Tara Lazar, James Burks
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Monstore is a one-stop shop for all your monsterly needs in this enormously funny story that’s full of friendly, kooky creatures.At the back of Frankensweet’s Candy Shoppe, under the last box of sour gumballs, there’s a trapdoor. Knock five times fast, hand over the bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside The Monstore. The Monstore is the place to go for all of your monsterly needs... -
![The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand]()
The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOlivia wants a new life—and her wish might be granted by the unlikeliest allies. A heartfelt, gently Gothic novel from Claire Legrand that School Library Journal calls a “not-too-scary ghost story.”Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year... -
![Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi]()
Where's My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis gently spooky read-aloud treat is also a satisfying bedtime book -- sure to delight the youngest reader on many a deep, dark night.Little Baby Mummy wants just one more game of hide-and-shriek with Big Mama Mummy before bedtime. The night is deep and dark, full of friendly creatures that click their clacky teeth and whoosh past on flippy-floppy wings... -
![The Mad Apprentice by Django Wexler]()
The Mad Apprentice by Django Wexler
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Alice's mysterious Uncle Geryon sends her to help capture a rogue apprentice--a boy who has the same ability Alice has to Read himself into stories--she knows to expect a wild and unpredictable trip. But even though Alice has visited the magical realms inside libraries before, this adventure is far more dangerous... -
![Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball by Laura Ellen Anderson]()
Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball by Laura Ellen Anderson
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA hilarious illustrated middle grade POB series for reluctant readers starring a vampire girl, Amelia Fang... -
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![Dracula: Classics Retold by Mike Stocks, Barry Jones]()
Dracula: Classics Retold by Mike Stocks, Barry Jones
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTruthful retellings of classic stories, clearly written in a modern, approachable style for young readers. Include informative notes on the authors and original texts... -
![The Dagger in the Desk by Jonathan Stroud]()
The Dagger in the Desk by Jonathan Stroud
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA thrilling new case for London’s most talented psychic detection agency—from the global bestselling author of the Bartimaeus Sequence.In London, a mysterious and potentially deadly ghost is stalking the halls of St Simeon’s Academy for Talented Youngsters. It lurks in the shadows, spreading fear and icy cold – and it carries a sharp and very solid dagger..Categorized as:
children female-mc gothic magic spooky 21st-century action-adventure alternate-history -
![Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy]()
Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThey were watching...and waitingAt twelve, Maggie had been thrown out of more boarding schools than she cared to remember. "Impossible to handle," they said nasty, mean, disobedient, rebellious, thieving anything they could say to explain why she must be removed from the school.Maggie was thin and pale, with shabby clothes and stringy hair, when she arrived at her new home... -
![The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes]()
The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAveline Jones loves reading ghost stories, so a dreary half-term becomes much more exciting when she discovers a spooky old book. Not only are the stories spine-tingling, but it once belonged to Primrose Penberthy, who vanished mysteriously, never to be seen again. Intrigued, Aveline decides to investigate Primrose's disappearance.Now someone... or something, is stirring... -
![The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier]()
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives... -
![Blood Captain by Justin Somper]()
Blood Captain by Justin Somper
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTwins Connor and Grace Tempest are no strangers to adventure and mystery. Since being shipwrecked, each has discovered a new world of sea-faring friends and foes...
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