13 Books By Latinx Authors That Will Get You In The Mood For Spooky Season

    During this intersection of spooky season and Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrate both by diving into these chilling reads.

    Kaitlin Stevens
    by Kaitlin Stevens

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    1. The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

    A woman with long, dark waves and a tattoo of two hummingbirds drinking from the same flower.
    Atria Books

    What it's about: Zoraida Córdova's latest novel is a masterfully written exploration of grief, offering glimpses into body horror, the paranormal, ghost stories, and magic to enchant and maybe terrify every reader. Aside from the magical realism, The Inheritance of Orquída Divina is a story about the unavoidable experiences that families pass on to each other across generations.

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    2. Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

    Ghosts overlap with the living on a cover featuring two children on bikes, one with a basket holding a fat cat.
    Scholastic / Via goodreads.com

    What it's about: Lucely sees ghosts — her ancestors' ghosts, to be exact — at the breakfast table, and elsewhere. This isn't really an issue, until an accidental spell awakens some not-so-nice spirits in Lucely's small Florida town. Now it's up to her and her best friend Syd (and resident fat cat, Chunk) to reverse the curse with the help of Lucely's witch grandmother, Babette. Fun for all ages, this is the perfect book to get you in the spooky spirit. 

    Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    3. Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez

    A creepy, decrepit cabin stands alone with red font that bleeds down the title.
    Sergio Gomez / Via amazon.com

    What it's about: Perfect for fans of classic '80s slasher films, Camp Slaughter follows a group of college students renting a cabin in the woods of Pennsylvania, where they'll learn that leaving is not guaranteed. Thick with tension and rich with backstory, Sergio Gomez's horror novel is a page-turner that will fill your slasher-loving spirit with joy.

    Get it from Amazon here. 

    4. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

    A boy stands surrounded by candles, his back to another boy's back, an otherworldly creature above them.
    Macmillan / Via amazon.com

    What it's about: Aiden Thomas's much-loved debut is as much a love story, a family story, and an identity story as it is a ghost story. Yadriel is a trans teen boy who is struggling to be seen by his family. His best friend, Maritza, is always on his side and willing to dish the snark out to anyone who messes with him. And Julian is the lovable ghost that Yadriel accidentally summons and can't get rid of — not that he'd want to, anyway. If you've put off reading this book, now's the perfect time to dive in — or the perfect time for a reread if you've already fell in love with this book.

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    5. Hipster Death Rattle by Richie Narvaez

    A button up shirt, a steaming paper cup of coffee, and a handlebar mustache decorate the cover to represent the hipsters.
    Down & Out Books / Via amazon.com

    What it's about: If you prefer your slasher novels to have more humor and a bigger emphasis on the murder mystery side of things, this modern slasher is the right fit for you. Taking place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the social commentary delivered in this clever thriller is about something scary indeed: gentrification and its impact. 

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    6. Her Body & Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

    A green ribbon encases a red figure.
    Graywolf Press / Via amazon.com

    What it's about: For lovers of the strange and disturbing, this story collection from Carmen Maria Machado will scratch that itch. There are a number of spooky stories, including a reimagining of the old horror favorite, "The Green Ribbon."

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    Disney/Rick Riordan Presents / Via goodreads.com, Disney/Rick Riordan Presents / Via goodreads.com

    What it's about: This middle-grade fantasy series is a fresh modern take on the Mexican legend of La Llorona, following Paola Santiago as she explores both the mysterious river and other creepy areas around town, and the weirdness of being a preteen. Full of heart, this series touches on love, first crushes, family structures, religion, and more, all while making readers jump with the truly scary occurrences Paola witnesses.

    Get the first in the series from Bookshop or from your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.

    8. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

    A girl with a bob haircut in a leather jacket and glowing eyes, a glowy-eyed dog behind her.
    Tor Nightfire / Via goodreads.com

    What it's about: Slivia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic was a hit, but it wasn't her first foray into writing horror. Her 2016 novel, Certain Dark Things, was recently republished with a brand-new cover, but the story remains the same: a dark tale about vampires, cops, criminals, and unsuspecting bystanders colliding in each other's lives in Mexico City, told in multiple POVs.

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    9. Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

    In the purple silhouette of a woman's head, four silhouettes dance ballet.
    Feiwel & Friends / Via images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com

    What it's about: Anna-Marie McLemore's retelling of "The Red Shoes" is more than a horror-ridden tale of a cursed pair of dancing shoes. It's also a poignant look at identity: the ways we conceal it for our own safety and the dangers that lie within that method anyway. 

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    10. The Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro

    A bright red and green cover shows a silhouette that reflects a woman on top and a cicada on bottom.
    Flame Tree Press / Via goodreads.com

    What it's about: This dual-timeline horror from V. Castro follows the story of Milagros, a migrant farmworker in Texas in the 1950s whose murder remains unavenged, and Belinda, a modern woman in 2018, visiting Texas for a friend's wedding, which happens to take place on the farm where Milagros was murdered and the legend of the Queen of Cicadas was born. More than just a scary read, this book offers valuable insight into the history of Mexican migrant workers in the 1950s and race relations in Texas, both past and present. 

    Get it from Bookshop or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    11. Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

    A lower half of a woman's face with a red bullhead on top.
    Scribner / Via goodreads.com

    What it's about: Agustina Bazterrica's recently translated horror is not for the faint of heart. Tender Is the Flesh will satisfy gore-loving readers' need for brutal and unsettling prose at the expense of human flesh, telling a story of a world where all animal meat has become poison to humans, leading the human race to resort to cannibalism. Under all the blood and guts, Tender Is the Flesh is a critique of the realities of factory farming, and the consumption culture and capitalism it relies on to thrive. 

    Note: Please read the book's trigger warnings before reading. 

    Get it from Bookshop or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    12. Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

    A denim jacket with enamel pins boasting the title and author name, as well as a dagger, moon and crystal and two hands pinky promising, one green with a bone sticking out.
    Razorbill / Via amazon.com

    What it's about: This horror-comedy follows a teenage Wiccan named Mila who raises the dead with a spell after her best friend passes away, mysteriously at the same time as two other students. While everyone else seems fine to write it off as a suicide pact, Mila knows that can't be the case. Joined by a new undead girl gang, Mila sets out to find the murderer and solve the mystery. 

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here. 

    13. Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal

    Over a dark cityscape, a dark figure emerges and casts a shadow.
    Tor Teen / Via goodreads.com

    What it's about: Set in Puerto Rico, this YA horror is reminiscent of paranormal mysteries like Netflix's Stranger Things with its big question: Is the killer a mortal or a monster? With myths and legends coming to life, Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre are getting more than they bargained for. Attention is paid to the realities of living in poverty, drug addiction, and finding your place in the world, making this more than just a murder mystery.

    Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local indie bookstore through Indiebound here.