Keep Scary Season Alive With November’s New Horror Book Releases

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Doubleday, November 4)

This is a literary horror novel from Oyinkan Braithwaite, author of My Sister, the Serial Killer. Ebun gives birth to her daughter, Eniiyi, on the same day that her family buried her cousin Monife. Right away, everyone sees the connection between Eniiyi and Monife and worries Eniiyi will be doomed to the same tragic fate. Between that and the family curse, will Eniiyi be doomed to a life of sadness and heartbreak? Or will she be able to break the cycle?

We’re Not Safe Here by Rin Chupeco (Sourcebooks Fire, November 4)

In the town of Wispy Falls, there are threats everywhere: monsters in the woods, missing children, and so much more. What makes Wispy Falls such a cursed place? Ever since the disappearance of his six-year-old brother, vlogger Storymancer has been determined to get answers. Why does no one else seem to care about these unexplained disappearances? And why is everyone in town participating in the Bloodmoon Ritual? If Storymancer doesn’t find answers soon, he might become the next victim.

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry (Berkley, November 4)

Here’s a haunted house story perfect for fans of The Last House of Needless Street. In Chicago, there is an abandoned house on an otherwise unremarkable street. But terrible things have happened at this house, and everyone is warned to stay away. Plenty of children have dared each other to go inside, so of course, Jessie also dared her little brother Paul. Then Paul went in… and never came back. Some say the house ate Paul. Some say he was kidnapped. Whatever happened to her little brother, Jessie has not been able to let it go. Now an adult, Jessie still lives on the same street as that house, and she feels it calling to her.

The Forest of Missing Girls by Nichelle Giraldes (Poisoned Pen Press, November 11)

November’s bringing us a lot of terrifying forests. This one is about the woods surrounding Lia Gregg’s childhood home. It’s a place people have whispered about and a place from which children have disappeared and never come back. When one girl disappears from Lia’s backyard, the fear becomes very real. Lia’s worried her little sister could be next. As she delves deeper into the history of disappearances, Lia wonders if her mother knows more about the forest’s mysteries than she has let on.

You Watched in Silence by H. Lee Justine (Blackstone, November 18)

This queer psychological horror novel follows Caitlyn. When Caitlyn’s best friend cuts her off, she is devastated. But then she is offered a job working as a nanny for family vlogger Bella Greene. Hoping that it can be a chance to heal deep wounds, Caitlyn jumps at the opportunity to flee to the remote island off the coast of Washington, where Bella lives with her kids. At first, everything goes perfectly. Caitlyn gets along well with Bella’s twins, and she even starts a flirtatious friendship with the family chef. But then she sees a strange girl no one else seems to notice. Is she losing her mind, or is something weird happening in this house?

The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo (Erewhon Books, November 25)

The Villa, Once Beloved is a gothic horror novel set in a Spanish colonial manor in the Philippines. After the death of his grandfather, Adrian invites his college girlfriend to join him at Villa Sepulveda for the funeral. Sophie is a transracial adoptee who grew up disconnected from her Filipino heritage, so this trip is not only an opportunity to learn more about Adrian’s family but also about herself. But when a landslide traps everyone together in the villa, dark family secrets and hidden resentments emerge.

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