It’s probably no surprise that I love Stranger Things. I love it enough that I’ve watched it twice, once with my husband and once with my son (because I thought he would love it too (he did)). With season three not releasing until July 4th, 2019, I thought a list of books that are reminiscent of Stranger Things** was in order*. A few of these will be of no surprise to anyone even remotely acquainted with the show (IT, anyone?), but I hope there will be a few new books to tide you over – if, like me, you’re impatiently waiting for July.
IT // Stephen King. Possibly the most obvious of the bunch, IT follows a group of boys and one girl as they are terrorized by, and later fight against, an evil entity living (essentially) underground.
American Elsewhere // Robert Jackson Bennett. One the surface, Wink, New Mexico is a normal town and the residents are normal people. A government building sits outside and above the town, and their work has influenced the town in…unique ways.
Christine // Stephen King. Christine may be a less obvious choice, but if you’ve seen season two, I think it’s a good, very applicable one in regard to Will. Because sometimes, even when you’re trying to do the right thing, you’re taken over by someone else entirely.
Summer of Night // Dan Simmons. Goodreads sums it up better than I could: ”
It’s the summer of 1960 in Elm Haven, Illinois, and five 12-year old boys are forming the bonds that a lifetime of changes will never erase. But then a dark cloud threatens the bright promise of summer vacation: on the last day of school, their classmate Tubby Cooke vanishes. Soon, the group discovers stories of other children who once disappeared from Elm Haven. And there are other strange things happening in town: unexplained holes in the ground, a stranger dressed as a World War I soldier, and a rendering-plant truck that seems to be following the five boys. The friends realize that there is a terrible evil lurking in Elm Haven…and they must be the ones to stop it.”
Beast of Extraordinary Circumstance // Ruth Emmie Lang. This one is the most heartwarming selection on the list, but I couldn’t resist including Weylyn’s story. Weylyn is different. Raised by wolves, eccentric by nature, and possessing unique abilities, he is quite the curiosity. From stopping storm in its tracks to living in a decrepit house filled with spiders, he always has good intentions, even when he’s not quite brave enough to execute them.
When the Sky Fell on Splendor // Emily Henry. Franny and her friends – The Ordinary – investigate paranormal activity and legends near their small Ohio town. One night, a bright light comes hurtling from the same, and after that, things aren’t quite the same. Much like Stranger Things, this isn’t a book just about the unique abilities that develop, but much more about the meaning of friendship and family.
The Boys of Summer // Richard Cox. In 1979, a tornado strikes a small town in Texas. In 1983, Todd finally wakes from his coma, only he’s not quite the same. Struggling to separate fact from fiction, Todd and group of friends come of age in a mysterious summer, discovering a secret so terrible they can’t speak of it. But secrets can’t stay hidden.
The Disappearance at Devil’s Rock // Paul Tremblay. “But Tommy isn’t a ghost. He can’t be, because right now Tommy is the opposite of a ghost. He is nowhere.” Out with his friends one night, Tommy disappears without a trace. But he’s not really gone, is he? And what it the town’s history hiding?
*I am not the first, and likely not the last, to make a list like this. I do hope to offer a unique suggestion or two though.
**I am not a fan of tv shows turned book, so you won’t find those on this list.
flannel and folklore 