There are a lot of genres and subgenres when it comes to books. And while horror is a very broad category, have you heard of the subgenre Bubblegum Horror before? We recently came across the term and had to figure out exactly what it meant and which books would qualify for the subgenre.
After seeing someone talk about Bubblegum Horror on Instagram, we did some research and learned from Goodreads that the definition of this subgenre makes it clear that this is horror that is not necessarily as dark as one would expect. Specifically, it is described as, "a sub-genre of horror that focuses on beautiful imagery and visuals (forgoing a darker palette in favor of bright colors) and evokes an undeniably sticky sweetness to the story’s plot and tension."
Considering we have seen this style of horror book before, without knowing this particular subgenre existed, it makes a lot of sense. There are some horror stories that don't necessarily scream dark and scary because of the way the storyline is crafted.
Some books don't feel like they fall under the right category. And that is where the subgenres come to play, as they give us a better feel for what to expect from a story. Considering how different these lighter and more visual horrors feel from the classics, it makes sense that the idea of "bubblegum" comes through in this subgenre.
So what are some examples of Bubblegum Horror?
10 Bubblegum Horror books adding color to the genre
The following books fall under the Bubblegum Horror subgenre thanks to their less dark aesthetic and the more vibrant visuals. While they are definitely full on horror books, they are written in a way that doesn't scream dark and terrifying, but still give us the tensions we want and the scares we want. These books can be just as brutal as any other horror novel, but with more color.
- I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew (This book has also been classified as a dark romance.)
- Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington (This is a Young Adult novel, but it definitely brings the horror.)
- Nightmares by Jason Segel (This is a young adult book that has fantasy elements, but would also fall under the idea of Bubblegum Horror.)
- This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham
- There's No Way I'd Die First by Lisa Springer
- Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
- You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron (This one is great if you grew up reading the Fear Street books! It's what drew me to the book anyway.)
- The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky (This was a Barnes & Noble recommended book that I picked up for Halloween and it was a quick and easy read.)
- I'm Not Supposed to Be in the Dark by Riss M. Neilson (This falls more into the YA category, but it is still a horror.)
- The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Interestingly enough, quite a number of the Bubblegum Horror books also fall into the Young Adult category. And in a lot of ways, that makes me think that perhaps R.L. Stine was the original Bubblegum Horror writer. Either way, if you like horror and a brighter aesthetic, then this subgenre is the one for you.