Books that made me afraid of things I never expected
- karazimmer23
- May 23
- 3 min read
The Ruins by Scott Smith- I am now afraid of plants
The Ruins follows a group of friends on vacation in Mexico. They make a new friend and follow him into the jungle to search for his missing brother. Things take a sinister turn in the depths of the Mexican jungle.
I LOVE this book. A lot. It is unique and creepy. The sense of dread is prevalent from the very beginning and never lets up. I don't know exactly how he did it, but Scott Smith made plants scary. There are no chapters in this book either, so it really feeds into the unease that the reader is already feeling when there is no break awarded to them!
Drowning by TJ Newman- I am now afraid of flying over the ocean
In Drowning, an airplane crashed in to the ocean. An explosion causes those who have not yet evacuated the airplane to lock themselves inside it. When it then sinks under the water, the people inside have limited oxygen and time to be rescued.
This book is literally intense from page 1! We get the viewpoints of those inside the airplane as well as the rescuers working from the outside. If you are looking for an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with some character growth also, pick this up!
3. Run on Red by Noelle W Ihli- I am now afraid of driving at night
Run on Red follows two friends who are driving home on a deserted road late one night when they realize a truck is following them. Things go from bad to worse very quickly.
Here we have another thrill ride from beginning to end. These two girls grasp what is happening but don't understand why and following them as they connect the dots is so gripping. But next time I see headlights behind me for one too many twists and turns to be coincidental, I am immediately contacting the police!
4. Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra- I am now afraid of being home alone
This is the story of a mother home alone with her young children one night when an intruder breaks in. They find a small hiding spot while the intruder rampages through the home looking for them.
I kind of wished this went a different direction for the middle portion of the book, but it was definitely worth reading and gave me the heebie-jeebies. Several scenes have stuck with me for a long time!
5. No Exit by Taylor Adams- I am now afraid of rest stops
No Exit is about a young woman who stops at a rest stop to wait out a snowstorm, along with a small group of travelers in the same predicament. She wanders outside and finds a little girl trapped in a van in the parking lot. Who in this group of strangers is the kidnapper?
This booooook! I feel like it fits into any thriller roundup that I create because it is so fast-paced, so creepy, so thrilling- so fun! But you will not find me stopping at a rest stop by myself at night in a snowstorm ever!
Comment if you have read any of these and what you thought! Do you have any books that made you afraid of something unexpected? I would love to hear!
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