Social Horror books that tackle hard topics

Hey everyone and welcome to Owl Book World! Today I’m wanting to talk about social horror books. It seems like this is a horror subgenre that is easily growing and becoming popular.

More movies with these sorts of topics are being made along with books as well. This is actually probably a good thing because these topics should very well be brought up.

The only thing about having these topics in the horror genre is that the horror genre seems to really push things that aren’t that good. So if you do decide to read social horror books then make sure you prepare yourself. These types of books can come with just a few trigger warnings or they can come with a lot.

So, depending on the book some of these might be a good idea to do some research on before starting. That is unless you don’t get triggered all that much. If you’re interested in horror then you ought to know that they definitely come with a ton of triggers as it is.

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Social Horror meaning

When it comes to social horror you can think of something along the lines of Get Out. Social horror books take on social aspects of real life and put them in an even bigger scarier situation. I am by no means saying that those situations aren’t scary in real life, but in most cases, it is exaggerated in movies and books.

This can take on topics dealing with race, gender, and other social injustices.

Social Horror Books

Here are seven social horror books that will be great to start off with. Quite a few of these are on my TBR (to be read) list. With that being said there is only one of these books that I have actually read and I loved them. I need to try and get to the rest of them soon!

The Stepford Wives (Social horror books that tackle gender)

I think almost everyone knows about The Stepford Wives. It has been out a long time and was actually made into a movie.

So if you haven’t heard of The Stepford Wives then here is what it is about.

The Stepford Wives follows Joanna who moves to a new neighborhood with her husband. At first, she likes the area and it seems like it would be the best place for them to live. But the longer she stays there and gets to know the wives the more she realizes that something is wrong with the women. They are compliant with their husbands and for the most part, they act like slaves to them. Can she escape all of this with her children?

So I actually never did read the book for this. I was kind of young when the movie came out and at the time I actually didn’t know anything about the book. But I do remember really enjoying the movie. Granted I’m sure that was because I never read the book in the first place.

I know some of you are probably wondering how exactly this cut the list of social horror books. Well, that’s because of the wives in this book being oppressed. That makes it the perfect book to add to the list.

If you’re interested in this book then you can find it through the links below.

Amazon | Bookshop

White Smoke

White Smoke is one of those social horror books that I actually wouldn’t mind reading soon. When I still had my blog on Instagram it was one that constantly popped up on my feed.

Supernatural-type stories are always my favorite. I love them because I think the afterlife always catches my attention. Because of that, I love reading about it. I don’t really care if they are fictional because some of them can have some truth about what happens in the afterlife.

This one actually seems pretty creepy! Here is what this particular social horror books is about.

Marigold is trying to run away from ghosts. She wants nothing to do with her past. So when her mom takes a new job that requires them to move somewhere else, she’s more than happy to move away. She’s just not happy about having to share the home with her new step-sister.

The newly renovated home they move into is the perfect home but it definitely has its secrets. After they move in things start to disappear and doors start to open on their own. It doesn’t help that Marigold’s step-sister starts talking to someone that they can’t and that person wants Marigold gone. Running from ghosts is just a saying right?

If you’re interested in this book you can find it in the links below.

Amazon | Bookshop

The Circle

So, The Circle is one where I have actually watched the movie before I actually read the book. But since I didn’t really have any interest in the movie I don’t know if I really have any interest in the book.

The story does have a great concept though. If I were to ever go back to work I do kind of wish that we had a company like this around our area. I don’t want it to be a bad company that ends up being against you though. It would just be nice to work for a company that actually cares.

Here is what The Circle is about.

The Circle is one of the most powerful internet companies around. So, when Mae is hired to work for them she thinks that she is given the opportunity of a lifetime. When she’s given a tour of the company she realizes how comfortable they have made it. Not only that they have rooms where others can actually spend the night at work. There are days when they have parties there as well that will last all night. Mae can’t really believe her luck about getting a job there. But is it too good to be true?

If you’re interested in this book then you can find it through the links below.

Amazon | Bookshop

The Grace Year (Social Horror Books that tackle gender)

The Grace Year is one that I read I think earlier this year or sometime last year. If you would like to read my review then you can find that here.

I don’t know if I would fully say that this is a horror book. In fact, it’s more dystopian than horror, but it does have horror elements to it. Since it has horror elements that is why I’m adding it to the list of social horror books.

To be honest I think I would absolutely hate living in a world like The Grace Year. I would hate when I feel like we’re always in a competition and we have to kill each other to win. That’s just me though.

Here is what The Grace Year is about.

Tireney James is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in a different world than we do. She dreams of an escape and living a normal life where girls aren’t pitted against each other. As her grace year comes closer she slowly starts to realize that the outdoor elements aren’t the threat. In fact, the poachers who want to snatch them up aren’t nearly as big of a threat as they are to one another.

If you’re interested in this book then you can find it through the links below.

Amazon | Bookshop

Lakewood

Lakewood is another one of those social horror books that I actually want to try and read soon. The idea of it sounds kind of good.

To be honest I couldn’t really imagine having to drop out of college in order to help my family pay off a debt. I would absolutely hate it. I know there are some families that really have no choice but I think it’s something that I would eventually regret.

Hopefully, this is one of those social horror books that you wind up picking up!

Here is what Lakewood is about.

Lena’s very loved grandmother just passed away. With that, the debt that her family is in comes to light. So Lena drops out of college and moves back to Michigan. The job that she managed to get seems like it’s too good to be true. She gets a free place to live, no expenses for medical, and it’s a high-paying job. The discoveries at her job are supposed to be life-changing. But is it just that, too good to be true?

If you’re interested in this book then you can find it through the links below.

Amazon | Bookshop

Have you read any of the books yet? If so let me know what you thought in the comments. Hopefully, there are some social horror books on this list that you may actually want to try and read soon. I know there are quite a few for me!