Dawn's Journal

Back in the day, the purpose of fairytales was to be scary. Before Disney came along and turned them into wholesome family fests, fairytales were warnings meant to be didactic terror tales. Gretel & Hansel is a visually stunning take on the classic fairytale chockablock with symbolism and a deep meditation on the female. Many have said that it is more style than substance, but that’s only on the surface. Dig deeper and there is plenty to analyse and pick through.

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that 2020 has been tough on all of us. If it wasn’t wildfires, it was flooding; if it wasn’t a pandemic, it was lockdown cabin fever. I think we all deserve a round of applause for having come this far and still having our sanity.

Halloween 2019 is approaching. We are all excited. But more importantly, we are craving a good scare. Here are 10 YA horror novels that deserve your attention this Halloween.