Question: What makes a book scary / sends shivers down your spine?

Question:

What makes a book scary / sends shivers down your spine?

17 Answers

Haunting on Hill House, The Shining.

I just recently read You by Caroline Kepnes and I think the scariest thing about it was that a similar situation could happen to anyone and is very likely happening right now somewhere in the world.
Also, Birdbox by Jason Malerman had these beyond amazing descriptions. I can’t adequately explain what made them so scary, but that book definitely gave me new things to fear at night.

CierraQuestion author

The first book is second person point of view, right?? I’ve been dying to read it!!

Caroline

Yes! Second Person POV is very hard to do right, but Kepnes nailed it. The book was amazing, but terrifying.

CierraQuestion author

I’ve read the first chapter, I believe and really enjoyed it! Unfortunately, I am broke, lol. So, I’m hoping to find it at the library or recommend it there and they can get it.

Roberta

I have it in my tbr pile!

Kristyn

Posession creeps me out a little. And very realistic torture type things can give me a shiver. Nothing actually scares me though. I wish I could find something that did.

Marcia

Woman in Black

Michelle

Chevy Stevens Still Missing

Ann

I dunno…several things…

Claudia

The only scene to ever genuinely freak me out was in the book “It” by Stephen King;
SPOILER!!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
In the scene where Stan meets It at the Stand Pipe, with the drowned kids coming at him. I had to set down the book 4 separate times to calm myself down, no clue why but it messed me up!