Read It Like You Stream It: Wednesday

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Coraline, like the show Wednesday, features a smart, independent female protagonist uncovering dark secrets hidden beneath the surface of her seemingly normal world. Both stories blend spooky atmospheres with mystery, a touch of the supernatural, and a strong sense of personal identity. Fans of the show’s eerie adventures and gothic vibe will love this classic.

“Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.”

-COSMOS

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

This book is another one that fans of all things gothic will devour! Gallant will hit if you resonate with misunderstood protagonists, live for the grandiose setting of Nevermore Academy, and prefer their mysteries a little moody and atmospheric.

“Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal–which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home–to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways. Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant–but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from. Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?”

Provided by Publisher

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

The heroine of The Mary Shelley Club shares Wednesday Addams’s sharp wit, obsession with the macabre, and propensity for getting pulled into dangerous secret societies. With suspenseful twists and a dark academia vibe, this book is perfect for fans of treacherous secrets and clever heroines.

“Scholarship student Rachel keeps to herself at Manchester Prep, preferring the company of horror films to trust fund babies. When a prank puts her on the radar of a mysterious student society, “The Mary Shelley Club”, they subject her to a number of escalating Fear Tests, which eventually puts them on the radar of a serial killer.”

COSMOS

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

Looking for another elite school setting where everything is not as it seems? The Honeys might be the book for you! Like Wednesday, this book features a sharp, outsider protagonist who uncovers dark secrets. But The Honeys stands out with its surreal, dreamlike horror and exploration of gender identity and grief in an emotional, haunting, and thoughtful narrative that will draw you in until the very end.

“Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline’s radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once inseparable sister, who’d grown tragically distant. Mars’s genderfluidity means he’s often excluded from the traditions–and expectations–of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy, where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place. What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister’s old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying–and Mars is certain they’re connected to Caroline’s death. But the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars’s memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can’t find it soon, it will eat him alive.”

Publisher

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

We’re back at it again with the elite boarding schools and mysterious deaths that have been a recurring theme … but this time, sprinkle in a bit of the occult and a splash of slow-burn sapphic romance!

“Felicity Morrow returns to the Dalloway School after her girlfriend’s tragic death, only to meet Ellis Haley–a new student and a teenage literary prodigy–who enlists Felicity’s help in researching the school’s bloody, occult history for her new book.”

COSMOS

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

If you want even more occult elements, an added classic horror aesthetic, and retro graphics, you will love this comic series! The protagonist Sabrina is just as fierce, disturbed, and misunderstood as Wednesday, but this series is darker, bloodier, and more supernaturally focused in a way that the Addams would definitely approve of.

“On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, young sorceress Sabrina Spellman finds herself at a crossroads, forced to choose between an unearthly destiny and her own mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But Madam Satan, a deadly foe from her family’s past, has arrived in Greendale, and she has her sights set squarely on the young witch. Can Sabrina face the challenge, or will her witching career–and high school life–end all too abruptly?”

From Book Cover

Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos

We’ve got snark – we’ve got strong-willed women – we’ve got inappropriately using dark humor to cope with the potential of your untimely demise … what more could a fan of Wednesday want? Eat Your Heart Out ups the chaos that fans of the show adore with a full-on zombie outbreak at a weight-loss camp, blending horror, satire, and body image commentary, all in an unapologetic and comedic package.

“Vivian Ellenshaw is none too happy to find herself forced into a weight-loss camp’s van with her ex-best friend, Allie, a meathead jock who can barely drive, and the camp owner’s snobby son. When they arrive at Camp Featherlite at the start of the worst blizzard in the history of Flagstaff, Arizona, it’s clear that something isn’t right. A camper goes missing down by the lake, and something not human is spotted out in the snow. The camp’s supposed “miracle cure” for obesity just seems fishy, and Vee and her fellow campers know they don’t need to be cured of anything. When Camp Featherlite’s bungalows are overrun with zombies, what starts out as a mission to unravel the camp’s secrets turns into a desperate fight for survival– and not all of the Featherlite campers will make it out alive.”

Adapted from the publisher’s description

The Complete Emily the Strange: All Things Strange by Rob Reger

This book is perfect for Wednesday Addams stans, following a dark, deadpan girl who embraces her weirdness with terrifying confidence. Surrounded by gothic visuals and offbeat humor, this graphic novel is a quirky, visually inventive pick for any Wednesday fan.

“Emily the Strange is not your ordinary thirteen-year-old girl — she has a razor-sharp wit as dark as her jet-black hair, a posse of moody black cats, and famous friends in very odd places!”

Provided by publisher

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia

Speaking of being Wednesday Addams coded, Raven is one of the founding club members. She’s spooky, powerful, secretly full of heart, and won’t let anyone tell her who to be. Fans of the show’s striking visuals will also appreciate the expressive art style of this graphic novel.

“When a tragic accident takes the life of the only family she’s ever known, 16-year-old Raven is sent to New Orleans to start over. She soon discovers that she can hear the thoughts of others around her … and another, more disturbing, voice in her head.”

Provided by Publisher

The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson

Surprise, surprise, we’re back with another elite (and creepy) school setting. This book explores similar … complicated family histories and captures the atmosphere of the show but with heavy themes of revenge that make this book feel fresh and gratifyingly anxiety-inducing.

“When the murder of his classmate at an elite boarding school seems to be forgotten overnight, seventeen-year-old Douglas must confront centuries of secrets in the school’s past and a vengeful creature in the forest surrounding the campus.”

COSMOS