By Dairell Alvarico

October has just arrived; you know what that means, right? Soon you are going to notice the spooky and scary skeletons chilling on your neighbor’s yard, or see costumes get sold out at your local Target, only to later be worn by children asking for candy on your doorstep. It is not every day you catch sight of these things, so how about joining in on the fun?  This month is the time where everyone around you will dress their worst to be the best.

Unless you are not much of an outdoor person. But even that cannot stop you from doing something exciting for your Halloween night. To each their own, and you my friend, are just getting started. 

So how about getting cozy on your couch, bed, or whatever you can rest yourself on, and grab a book fitting for the eerie, sinister, spine-chilling time of the year? 

Are you ready to read a simple yet interesting story about a kid being forced to go to a haunted boarding school? How about the aesthetics of academia in a historic location like Salisbury, England, but add paranormal activities? This book has both. 

Jon Whitcroft is just a generic kid with stepfather issues, which led him to be sent to a boarding school in Salisbury, England to improve his “behavior,” but fate has not been so kind to him, and his school year could not be any more opposite of ordinary when he suddenly sees ghosts. 

This story is enough to give you the jitters, but not the creeps. It does make you feel the suspense of what the characters will do next and sometimes the paranoia of what is at the end of the hallway, yet it contains lighthearted moments that will give you a break from all that action.

The book has the concept of a simple ghost story, but it is creative and distinct way of turning the plot into something unique is what makes it interesting.

The descriptions of what a character feels are not the usual generic narrations of their inner thoughts, and you can see the struggles and loneliness of John Whitcroft, who did not have time to process the sudden change in his life.

This book is perfect for a casual story by the fireplace on a chilly night in October. 

Sherlock Holmes, but with a twist. This story was written by horror icon Stephen King. It has mature aspects to it and delves deeper into the process of catching an indescribable crime case and the struggles of finding the perpetrator, supernatural or not.  

Ralph Anderson is a detective in Flint City and has not experienced any serious crime until the day the murder of a little boy has shaken the neighborhood.

After tedious interviews with witnesses and gathering of evidence, it all pointed fingers to Terry Maitland, a man who coached Ralph’s own son in baseball. But with further digging, the authentication of proof started to get foggy, and Ralph is starting to doubt they got the right guy, so he goes on a personal detective spree to find answers for himself. 

This book had me on my nerves for the right reasons. The frustration of Ralph is so suffocating, you can feel it from time to time. The character’s actions become questionable, and you would have to think if what they are doing is right or not.

The Outsider is a story where you do not want your favorite character to walk anywhere with a stranger, much more alone. Compelling and spine chilling, it will make you check your window at night. 

This novel can potentially keep you on your toes due to the odd way everything transpires in the heart of the crime. The stories do not match, a simple clue can make the whole investigation go for an unexpected turn, even the consequences of one’s actions can ruin a person’s life. That is why you should tread carefully, for not everything is what it seems to be when you dive deep into the story. 
  

Peter Pan may not be the inspiring and vibrant childhood influence you perceive he is. Sometimes there is genuine curiosity when it comes to the perspectives of villains in a fairy tale.

Lots of narratives are bent and smoothened into a biased outcome in favor of the “hero.” There are always two parts to a story, and Christina Henry did a splendid job of creating lore for the infamous Captain Hook.

Before everything went to the dumps, the pirate captain was known as James who was just another Lost Boy that Peter took an interest in, but the latter considered and acknowledged James more than the other boys for reasons that he did not specifically reveal.

It was known that he was the first one to be swept away by Peter to Neverland, and that he became second in command for their group, but Peter was good at hiding his deepest, darkest secrets.

James was starting to think that his own misfortunes and trauma are tied to it, but he knew that it was impossible for confrontation, since Peter has not a drop of patience for it.

The idea of putting a group of young boys, still on the stage of growth and development to fend for themselves in an unknown island is a recipe for disaster, but with the carefree yet twisted mind of Peter Pan, he made everything a fun little playground for him.

Lost Boy is the type of story that takes you back to the nostalgic tale of Peter Pan. The only difference is that you start to doubt that any of his actions are with good faith.