“On the morning of the exorcism, I stayed home from school.”
If you love unsettling psychological horror, eerie thrillers and mind-bending storytelling, Paul Tremblay is an author you need to read. Renowned for his masterful blend of dread and ambiguity, Tremblay has cemented himself as one of the best modern horror authors. But with so many great Paul Tremblay books to choose from, where do you begin? Today at What We Reading, we’re going through some of the best Paul Tremblay books from his breakout psychological horror novels to his most chilling thrillers. Whether you’re looking for a new horror read, the most terrifying psychological fiction, or simply all the best Tremblay stories in one place, this list has something for every fan. From the unsettling The Cabin at the End of the World to the chilling A Head Full of Ghosts, these are the must-read Paul Tremblay novels that showcase his brilliance in horror and suspense!
The Pallbearers Club (2022)
Kicking off our list of the best Paul Tremblay books is 2022’s The Pallbearers Club. The story opens with Art Barbara, a lonely teenager in the 1980s, who starts a club where he and a few classmates volunteer as pallbearers for the funerals of the forgotten and unclaimed. During this time, he befriends Mercy, an enigmatic, rebellious young woman who introduces him to punk rock music – as well as something far more sinister.
Decades on, Art, now an ageing and struggling writer, writes a memoir recalling his past and his complex friendship with Mercy. But, as he revisits their history, he begins to question whether Mercy is something more than human. Was she a true friend, or was she feeding on him in ways he never realised? Told in a fragmented, unreliable narrative – interspersed with Mercy’s sarcastic ‘corrections’ to Art’s story – The Pallbearers Club is a haunting, introspective novel about memory, obsession and the fear of what lingers in the shadows of our past.
Check Out These Supernatural Horror Books From 2022
The Cabin At The End Of The World (2018)
The Cabin at the End of the World is a harrowing psychological horror novel that explores themes of faith, sacrifice and the terrifying unknown. It follows seven-year-old Wen and her two dads, Eric and Andrew, who are holidaying at a remote cabin in New Hampshire. Their peaceful getaway is shattered when a group of four strangers arrive, armed with makeshift weapons and a shocking claim: the world is on the brink of apocalypse, and only a voluntary sacrifice can prevent it.
As the situation grows increasingly dire, Eric and Andrew struggle to protect Wen whilst questioning whether their captors are delusional – or if there’s any truth behind their apocalypse prophecy. The novel unfolds with relentless tension, forcing readers to confront unsettling moral dilemmas and the horror of uncertainty. The Cabin at the End of the World is an intimately intense and claustrophobic-feeling thriller that sees Paul Tremblay at his best and readers questioning reality long after the final page.
Survivor Song (2020)
2020’s Survivor Song is a fast-paced, emotionally charged horror thriller set during the outbreak of a deadly rabies-like virus within Massachusetts. The infection spreads with incredible speed, causing victims to become violent within hours of exposure. As panic grips the state, hospitals are overwhelmed, and society begins to collapse.
Amid the chaos, Dr Ramola ‘Rams’ Sherman, a paediatrician, receives a desperate call from her pregnant best friend, Natalie. Natalie has been bitten, and now only as a tiny window before the virus takes hold of her. Determined to save both her friend and her baby, Rams sets out on a dangerous journey through an increasingly uncertain world, racing against time to get Natalie the help she needs. Told in real-time, Survivor Song is one of the most gripping Paul Tremblay books, blending horror with deep emotional stakes for a devastating yet powerful reading ride.
Disappearance At Devil’s Rock (2016)
One summer night, thirteen-year-old Tommy Sanderson vanishes without a trace whilst hanging out with his friends in a wooded area known as Devil’s Rock. His devastated mother, Elizabeth, struggles to understand what happened, but the mystery only deepens when she begins to see shadowy figures in her home and Tommy’s diary pages start appearing mysteriously, revealing disturbing secrets.
As Elizabeth immerses herself deeper, she uncovers unsettling details about Tommy’s last moments, his friendship with an older, charismatic boy, and the sinister legend surrounding Devil’s Rock. But, as the line between grief and the supernatural blurs, she’s left wondering: Is there something supernatural at play, or is the truth even more terrifying? Taut, eerie and emotionally resonant, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock is a haunting exploration of guilt, trauma and the darkness that lurks just beyond our understanding.
Horror Movie (2024)
In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious and disturbing art-house horror flick. Yet, only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public. Nevertheless, Horror Movie grew in infamy and developed a rabid fanbase. Thirty years later, Hollywood is planning to give the movie a big-budget reboot.
The man who played ‘The Thin Kid’ in the original movie is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all of the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming and the dangerous crossed lines on-set that led to tragedy. As memories flood back, the boundaries between reality and movie, past and present, begin to blur. The latest Paul Tremblay novel to date, 2024’s Horror Movie offers a chilling twist on the ‘cursed film’ trope that builds to a pulsating and mind-bending finale.
Check Out The Most Terrifying Horror Books From 2024
A Head Full Of Ghosts (2015)
Another one of the most popular Paul Tremblay books, A Head Full of Ghosts, follows the Barrett family, whose lives are upended when fourteen-year-old Marjorie shows disturbing behaviour. Her parents struggle to understand whether she is suffering from a medical condition or experiencing something altogehter supernatural. Desperate for help, they turn to a local priest, who believes that she has been possessed – and convinces them to allow a reality TV crew to document her supposed exorcism.
Fifteen years on, Marjorie’s young sister, Merry, recalls the terrifying events to a journalist, reflecting on the fractured line between reality and performance. As the layers of memory, horror and manipulation unravel, the novel focuses readers to question what truly happened. Blending psychological suspense with eerie ambiguity, A Head Full of Ghosts is a gripping and unsettling exploration of horror, family trauma and the terrifying potential power of storytelling.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
