18 Books Like Goosebumps
Are you ready to step into the eerie world of spine-chilling tales, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and the mundane takes a terrifying turn?
If you’ve ever felt the adrenaline rush of flipping through the pages of R.L. Stine’s iconic “Goosebumps” series, then you know the thrill of a good scare.
But what happens when you’ve devoured every Goosebumps book on your shelf and hunger for more spooky adventures?
Fear not, dear reader, for in this blog post, we’ll unveil a treasure trove of books that will keep you on the edge of your seat, turning pages long into the night.
Gather your courage, dim the lights, and prepare to discover a whole new world of frights and delights beyond the realm of Goosebumps.
Books Like Goosebumps
1. Fear Street series by R.L. Stine
The Fear Street series, also by R.L. Stine, is set in the fictional city of Shadyside and revolves around teenagers who encounter malignant forces and sinister events on Fear Street.
The stories combine elements of horror, mystery, and suspense, making them a thrilling read for young adults. Each book explores a unique and chilling narrative, with characters facing off against haunted houses, vengeful spirits, and dark secrets.
Major Similarities:
Like Goosebumps, the Fear Street series is written by R.L. Stine and shares a similar knack for blending horror with suspenseful storytelling aimed at a young audience.
Both series are renowned for their ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats with plot twists and supernatural elements. Fear Street, however, is targeted towards a slightly older demographic, offering a more intense level of horror and complex plotlines.
2. The Haunting Hour series by R.L. Stine
The Haunting Hour series is another collection of horror tales for young readers by R.L. Stine. These stories delve into various supernatural and macabre themes, with each book presenting a standalone story involving haunted objects, eerie creatures, and otherworldly adventures.
The narrative style and content are designed to captivate and scare, making it a perfect pick for those who enjoy a good fright.
Major Similarities:
The Haunting Hour series shares Goosebumps’ penchant for horror that’s suitable for a younger audience, with both series crafted by the same author.
These books are filled with imaginative plots, supernatural elements, and a sense of suspense that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.
Each story is concise yet packed with thrilling moments, akin to the episodic and accessible nature of Goosebumps.
3. Lockwood & Co. series by Jonathan Stroud
The Lockwood & Co. series is a thrilling set of supernatural adventures set in an alternate London infested with ghosts. The story follows a small, independent psychic detection agency run by three talented teenagers, who take on dangerous ghosts and uncover deeper mysteries.
The blend of horror, humor, and mystery, along with the dynamic between the characters, makes this series a compelling read.
Major Similarities:
This series shares Goosebumps’ focus on young protagonists encountering supernatural phenomena. However, Lockwood & Co. delves deeper into character development and features a continuous storyline across its books, offering a more complex and immersive experience.
The mix of scary moments with light-hearted banter and teamwork echoes the balance of horror and humor found in Goosebumps.
4. Nightmare Room series by R.L. Stine
The Nightmare Room series, also by R.L. Stine, consists of horror stories where ordinary situations turn terrifyingly abnormal, trapping the young protagonists in their worst nightmares.
Each book is a standalone story exploring themes like fear, revenge, and supernatural occurrences, with a twist ending that often leaves readers pondering the moral of the story.
Major Similarities:
Like Goosebumps, the Nightmare Room series is aimed at middle-grade readers and focuses on delivering short, impactful horror stories with a moral or twist at the end.
The presence of supernatural elements, a hallmark of Stine’s writing, is prevalent here, making it an excellent choice for readers looking for more of the Goosebumps vibe. The series emphasizes the theme of facing fears, similar to Goosebumps’ approach to horror.
5. Spooksville series by Christopher Pike
Spooksville is a series of children’s horror novels that follows a group of friends in the town of Spooksville, where they encounter various supernatural creatures and go on eerie adventures.
The series is known for its blend of horror, adventure, and mystery, with each book presenting a new challenge for the characters to overcome. The stories are fast-paced and filled with imaginative scenarios that test the limits of the characters’ bravery and friendship.
Major Similarities:
Spooksville shares Goosebumps’ emphasis on a group of young characters facing supernatural challenges, making it an appealing choice for fans of the genre.
Both series explore a wide range of horror themes and settings, offering readers an expansive universe of scares and suspense. The narrative style is accessible and engaging, designed to captivate the young reader’s imagination and evoke a sense of adventure intertwined with the thrill of horror.
6. The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch
The Secret Series is a collection of five adventurous novels that blend mystery, fantasy, and humor, revolving around the adventures of two young protagonists, Cass and Max-Ernest, as they solve ancient mysteries and battle a secret society.
The series is known for its unique narrative style, breaking the fourth wall, and engaging readers directly with puzzles and codes. The mix of humor, mystery, and the occasional spooky element makes it a captivating read for children and young adults.
Major Similarities:
While not strictly horror like Goosebumps, The Secret Series shares the appeal of engaging young readers with a combination of mystery, adventure, and the supernatural. The series’ use of humor and direct engagement with the reader mirrors the accessible and entertaining style of Goosebumps.
Each book presents a new adventure, reminiscent of the standalone stories in the Goosebumps series, but with a continuous thread connecting the tales.
7. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is a five-book series that follows the life of Vladimir Tod, a teenage half-vampire, as he navigates the challenges of high school while hiding his identity and dealing with the supernatural world.
The series combines elements of horror, fantasy, and the trials of adolescence, offering a unique twist on the vampire genre with relatable themes for young adults.
Major Similarities:
This series shares with Goosebumps the theme of young protagonists grappling with extraordinary circumstances. While Goosebumps often explores a wide range of supernatural phenomena, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod delves deep into the vampire mythos with a modern, youthful twist.
Both series appeal to readers who enjoy the intersection of the everyday and the supernatural, with a balance of suspense, humor, and the challenges of growing up.
8. Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan
Cirque Du Freak, also known as The Saga of Darren Shan, is a series of books that introduces Darren Shan, a boy who becomes entangled in the world of vampires after attending a freak show.
What starts as a fascination quickly turns into a dark and thrilling adventure, involving vampire clans, battles, and moral dilemmas. The series is known for its dark themes, complex characters, and the protagonist’s journey into adulthood.
Major Similarities:
Like Goosebumps, the Cirque Du Freak series captivates readers with its horror elements, though it delves into darker and more complex themes suitable for a slightly older audience.
Both series feature young male protagonists who face supernatural challenges, but Cirque Du Freak offers a continuous narrative across its books, providing a deeper, more immersive experience. The blend of horror, moral questions, and the supernatural is a common thread between the two series.
9. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book tells the story of Nobody “Bod” Owens, a boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered. As Bod grows, he learns about the living world and faces dangers from both spectral and human realms.
The novel blends elements of horror, fantasy, and coming-of-age to create a unique, heartwarming, yet thrilling narrative.
Major Similarities:
Although a single novel rather than a series, The Graveyard Book shares Goosebumps’ ability to intertwine the supernatural with the challenges of growing up.
Neil Gaiman’s storytelling captures the essence of childhood fears and fantasies, akin to R.L. Stine’s approach in Goosebumps. Both works offer young readers a blend of horror and adventure, with a focus on young protagonists navigating a world filled with supernatural elements.
10. The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill
The Witch’s Boy tells the tale of a young boy named Ned, the sole survivor of a tragic accident that claimed his twin brother’s life, and Áine, the daughter of the Bandit King, as their paths cross in a story filled with magic, adventure, and the fight against a dark force threatening their world.
The narrative explores themes of friendship, the nature of magic, and the struggle between good and evil, all woven into a richly imagined fantasy setting.
Major Similarities:
While The Witch’s Boy focuses more on fantasy than outright horror, it shares with Goosebumps the theme of young protagonists facing extraordinary, supernatural challenges.
The novel’s emphasis on adventure, the supernatural, and the battle between good and evil resonates with the kind of engaging, suspenseful storytelling found in Goosebumps. Both stories are accessible to young readers and delve into the complexities of growing up and facing fears, albeit through different genres.
11. Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate
The Animorphs series centers around a group of teenagers who gain the ability to transform into any animal they touch, using their powers to fight against an alien invasion threatening Earth.
The series blends science fiction with action and adventure, exploring themes of friendship, war, and the moral complexities of fighting an unseen enemy. Each book in the series is a thrilling dive into battles, espionage, and the struggle to remain human in the face of unimaginable choices.
Major Similarities:
While not a horror series, Animorphs shares with Goosebumps a focus on young protagonists dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
Both series are beloved for their ability to engage young readers with suspenseful, episodic storytelling, and a mix of adventure and the supernatural (or sci-fi in the case of Animorphs). The transformation aspects in Animorphs offer a unique twist akin to the magical and supernatural changes found in Goosebumps.
12. Holes by Louis Sachar
Holes is a singular novel that tells the story of Stanley Yelnats, a boy who is wrongly convicted of theft and sent to a juvenile detention center, Camp Green Lake, where he is forced to dig large holes in the desert.
The story intertwines Stanley’s present-day struggles with the history of his family and the mystery surrounding Camp Green Lake. It’s a blend of adventure, mystery, and a touch of magical realism.
Major Similarities:
While Holes is not a series and leans more towards adventure and mystery than horror, it shares with Goosebumps the appeal of a young protagonist navigating unusual and challenging circumstances.
The novel’s elements of mystery and the uncovering of supernatural or extraordinary secrets in an otherwise mundane world resonate with the sense of discovery and suspense found in Goosebumps stories.
13. The Bailey School Kids series by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones
The Bailey School Kids series features a group of children who encounter various monsters and creatures posing as ordinary people in their town. Each book presents a humorous adventure where the children try to prove the existence of these supernatural beings, often learning valuable lessons in the process.
The series is known for its mix of mystery, humor, and the exploration of popular myths and legends.
Major Similarities:
This series mirrors Goosebumps in its approach to blending humor with elements of the supernatural, targeting young readers who enjoy spooky stories that aren’t too terrifying.
Both series thrive on the premise of ordinary children encountering extraordinary situations and creatures, making the supernatural accessible and entertaining.
14. The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Shadow Children series is a science fiction sequence set in a dystopian world where the government enforces a strict two-child policy, and any additional children, known as “shadow children,” must hide their existence or face dire consequences.
The series follows different shadow children as they fight for survival and challenge the oppressive laws of their society. It’s a thrilling mix of suspense, adventure, and the exploration of themes like identity, freedom, and resistance.
Major Similarities:
Although the Shadow Children series is more dystopian and science fiction than horror, it shares with Goosebumps the theme of young individuals facing dangerous and extraordinary situations.
The series’ emphasis on suspense and the young protagonists’ resourcefulness in overcoming challenges resonates with the adventurous and sometimes eerie atmosphere of Goosebumps.
15. The Monster Squad series by Laura Dower
The Monster Squad series follows a group of friends who form a club dedicated to investigating monsters and supernatural occurrences in their town.
Each book in the series deals with a different monster, blending humor, mystery, and light-hearted scares. The series is aimed at middle-grade readers and offers a fun and engaging way to explore themes of friendship, bravery, and the unknown.
Major Similarities:
Similar to Goosebumps, The Monster Squad series is centered around young characters encountering the supernatural. Both series use humor and mystery to lighten the horror elements, making them suitable for younger readers.
The episodic nature of both series, with each book presenting a new adventure, ensures a fresh and exciting experience with every story.
16. The Ghosthunters series by Cornelia Funke
The Ghosthunters series is about a fearful boy named Tom and an eccentric ghosthunter named Hetty Hyssop, who team up to tackle ghosts haunting their town.
With a mix of humor, whimsy, and mild scares, the series is an entertaining read for children. Each book focuses on a different ghost or supernatural challenge, providing laughs and light-hearted thrills along the way.
Major Similarities:
The Ghosthunters series shares Goosebumps’ knack for combining supernatural elements with humor and adventure. Aimed at a similar age group, both series present the idea of confronting fears and the unknown in a way that’s accessible and enjoyable for young readers.
The episodic structure, with each book exploring a new ghostly adventure, mirrors the Goosebumps formula of standalone stories within a larger series.
17. The Thickety series by J.A. White
The Thickety series is a gripping fantasy saga about a girl named Kara Westfall, who is suspected of witchcraft in a society where magic is forbidden.
The story unfolds on the island of De’Noran, within the dangerous woods known as the Thickety. The series is known for its dark themes, complex characters, and the exploration of magic and morality in a world filled with danger and intrigue.
Major Similarities:
While The Thickety leans more towards dark fantasy than horror, it shares with Goosebumps the exploration of supernatural elements and the challenges faced by young protagonists in a world where the ordinary meets the extraordinary.
The series’ emphasis on a dark, mysterious setting and the protagonist’s journey through a realm filled with magic and danger echoes the sense of adventure and suspense that Goosebumps offers.
18. The Unwanteds series by Lisa McMann
The Unwanteds series is set in a dystopian world where children are sorted into groups: Wanted, Necessary, and Unwanted. Unwanted children are sent to their deaths but discover a secret, magical world instead, where they learn to use their creativity and magical abilities to survive and fight back against oppression.
The series blends elements of fantasy, magic, and adventure, creating a vivid and imaginative world where art and magic go hand in hand.
Major Similarities:
Although The Unwanteds series focuses more on fantasy and magic than the horror elements typical of Goosebumps, it shares the theme of young characters discovering a hidden world full of extraordinary possibilities.
Both series captivate readers with the idea of young protagonists facing and overcoming challenges through bravery, intelligence, and friendship. The Unwanteds series, with its emphasis on creativity and the power of the imagination, offers a unique twist that fans of Goosebumps’ supernatural adventures might appreciate.
