Did someone say new Free Reads? Yes, that’s right, we did! And we are so excited for October’s Free Reads. This month, we’re celebrating all things creepy and scary in honor of HALLOWEEN!!  Plus, check out all of this month’s new releases with extended excerpts!

Free Reads are only available to Simon Teen members! Not a Simon Teen member yet? It’s free and easy to sign up! Click here to set up your account now. 

Full Reads


1. Infested by Angel Luis Colón

The Taking of Jake Livingston meets Cemetery Boys in this YA ghost story about a Puerto Rican teen’s battle with a malevolent spirit targeting his apartment building and the all-too-real horrors of gentrification.

Start reading now!

2. The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith

“Spectacular, singular, and spellbinding.” —Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue

The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy in this thrilling and atmospheric historical fantasy following a young woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle between witches and wizards.

Start reading now!

3. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

Start reading now!

4. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (Available Until 10/15)

Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town.

Start reading now!

5. Alas Salvajes (Wings in the Wild) by Margarita Engle, Translated by Alexis Romay (Available Until10/15)

This gorgeously romantic contemporary novel-in-verse from award-winning author Margarita Engle tells the inspiring love story of two teens fighting for climate action and human rights.

¡Ahora disponible en español!

Start reading now!


Extended Excerpts


1. The Witch Hunt by Sasha Peyton Smith

Now an Original Series on Prime Video!

The lush and pulse-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Witch Haven follows Frances and her fellow witches to the streets of Paris where family secrets, lost loves, and dangerous magic await.

Start reading now! 

2. Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens

When a teen has an unexpected vision about a future murder, he must juggle newfound interest from the supernatural community with trying to prevent the murder from happening in this new romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author F.T. Lukens.

Start reading now! 

3. The Nefarious Nights of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity and Christopher Baldwin

Haley must return to Willowweep to solve the mystery behind her friends vanishing in this hilarious sequel to the “well-paced and humorous…delightfully spirited” (Kirkus Reviews) young adult graphic novel The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor.

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4. A Bite of Pepper by Balazs Lorinczi

A skateboarding vampire falls for a human artist as they combine their talents to create a skating brand in this lightly paranormal coming-of-age young adult graphic novel romance for fans of Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and The Girl from the Sea.

Start reading now! 

5. The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston

All of Us Villains meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this action-packed fantasy following a teen determined to win the competition held by warring vampire and witch kingdoms, only to develop complicated feelings for the vampire she’s supposed to hand over.

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6. If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry

From Printz Honor–winning and New York Times bestselling author Julie Berry, a true-crime-nailbiter-turned-mythic-odyssey pitting Jack the Ripper against Medusa. A defiant love song to sisterhood, a survivors’ battle cry, and a romantic literary tour de force laced with humor.

Start reading now! 

7. A Match Made in Hell by Charlotte Ingham

Perfect for fans of Hannah Grace and The Dagger and the Flame, this scorching debut romantasy follows a young woman who makes a deal with the Devil to escape the underworld only to fall for him instead.

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8. The Moss by Lisa Lueddecke

A girl returns to her hometown and the sinister bogland surrounding it in search of her missing sister in this harrowing, atmospheric young adult horror perfect for fans of Shea Ernshaw and The Haunting of Hill House.

Start reading now!

9. Black History is Your History by Taylor Cassidy

From TikTok star and creator of Fast Black History Taylor Cassidy comes a witty, lightly illustrated nonfiction debut that blends history and memoir in a joyful celebration of Black American historical figures.

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10. King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin

A powerful, joyful novel in verse about a Black teen with ADHD who finds self-expression and first love during one epic summer school season, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and On the Come Up.

Start reading now! 

11. The Siren and the Star by Colby Cedar Smith

A promising young singer recovers from a traumatic experience by traveling to Venice and connecting with the work of a 17th-century female composer in this gorgeous and sensual novel-in-verse from the acclaimed author of Call Me Athena.

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12. The Prince of Mourning by Jenn Bennett

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace meets A Study in Drowning in this sizzling gothic romantasy that follows the forbidden romance between a young nurse and a mysterious young man imprisoned by a dangerous occultist.

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13. Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington

Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.

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14. MindWorks by Neal Shusterman

From the incomparable mind of award winner Neal Shusterman, New York Times bestselling author of the Arc of a Scythe, comes a collection of uncanny and unforgettable short stories.

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15. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Serpent & Dove, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

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16. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy reinvents the King Arthur legend and “braids together Southern folk traditions and Black Girl Magic into a searing modern tale of grief, power, and self-discovery” (Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles).

Start reading now! 

17. Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, this young adult fantasy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other.

Start reading now! 


Extras


1. The Eid Gift by S.K. Ali

The Eid Gift is a companion short story to Love from A to Z. Adam and Zayneb —engaged but continents apart for so long— are finally in the same city!

Start reading now!

2. Love at First Fight by Sandhya Menon

Join Dimple and Rishi as they do an escape room in this exclusive short story from Sandhya Menon! You’ll also see how Pinky and Samir met for the first time before you can read about them in 10 Things I Hate About Pinky.

Start reading now!

3. As Kismet Would Have It by Sandhya Menon

Will Dimple and Rishi find their happily ever after? Find out in this funny, romantic, endlessly charming e-novella sequel to When Dimple Met Rishi!

Start reading now!

4. The Thief by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

A short story prequel to Sky Without Stars about the origins of fan-favorite character, Chatine!

Start reading now!

5. These Precious Scars by Emily Suvada

A haunting short story prequel to the Mortal Coil series.

Start reading now!

6. Better Than the Prom by Lynn Painter

A swoonworthy short story from Wes’s perspective from Better Than the Movies.

Start reading now!

7. Uncharted Dreams by Pascale Lacelle

Romie Brysden is a Dreamer, the best at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics. She knows the realm of dreams like a sea captain knows the tides. And she’s gone deeper into this vast sleepscape than any Dreamer ever has. This is a prequest short story to A Curious Tides.

Start reading now!

8. The Priest and the Shepherd by Chloe Gong

Set six years before the events of Foul Lady FortuneThe Priest and the Shepherd follows Orion’s sister, Phoebe, and his best friend, Silas!

Start reading now!

9. Our First Chance by Robbie Couch

Long before they were best friends, River wasn’t a fan of Dylan—Mavis’ suspiciously perfect new boyfriend who was slowly stealing her away. But in this short story prequel to Another First Chance, Mavis cleverly plans for them both to attend an Astronomy Club meeting, hoping the after-school activity brings the pair closer together. Meanwhile, many states away, the mastermind behind a secretive research group scores a big win that will upend the high schoolers’ lives forever…

Start reading now!

10. Better Than Before by Lynn Painter

Lynn Painter’s Better Than the Movies collides with Betting on You when, after meeting the annoyingly cute Bailey on his flight, Charlie gets picked at the airport up by his cousin, Wes, who introduces him to his annoyingly cute neighbor, Liz.

Start Reading Now!

11. Second First dATE BY RACHEL LYNN SOLOMON

Graduation has come and gone, and there’s one major milestone Rowan and Neil haven’t yet hit in their relationship: going on a real date. Neil’s planned every detail, determined to give his girlfriend the ultimate romantic evening, although he’s secretly worried their connection may not spark the way it did on the last day of school—which, given how much he adores her, would be absolutely devastating. When the night turns out to be one disaster after another, they realize the date itself hardly matters. They’re still completely starry-eyed over each other, and with a little of Seattle’s natural magic, they have a whole summer to get it right.

Start Reading Now!

12. Werewolves, witches & Wyverns by F.T. Lukens

Claire and Grant are best friends who love to play a fictional and fantastical table-top card game which features a bevy of supernatural beings including werewolves, witches, and wyverns. During a playing session, Claire accidentally opens a portal and she and Grant are promptly sucked into a parallel world that is startlingly familiar to their game and where the card dynamics allow them to cast magic spells. Thus, their adventure begins in the pilot episode of Werewolves, Witches, & Wyverns, the television show beloved and raved about by the characters of Otherworldly.

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13. Nothing Better Than You by Lynn Painter

Experience Wes and Liz’s first kiss from Better Than the Movies from Wes’s point of view!

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14. the way we met by amber smith

Eden and Josh are in a good place – finally. But now Eden is facing down a new major milestone: spending the weekend with Josh’s parents. The last time she met them, it didn’t exactly go so well. She needs it to be perfect, for them to like her, and like her with Josh. As the weekend unfolds and she gets to know Josh’s family, the return home also brings back memories of the first time Eden met Josh. The real story, the one Josh doesn’t even know…

Start Reading Now!