Books Like FantasticLand

Amusement and theme parks are places of fun, joy, and excitement, making them even more sinister when featured in horror or thriller novels. Of course, this has meant that plenty of authors use these locations, especially when they are empty, for a sense of isolation, distorted reality, and as a subversion of childhood memories. For example, in FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven, the employees find themselves trapped when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park. What follows is a grisly series of events as the survivors compete for resources. For more edge-of-your-seat novels where amusement or theme parks are the starring locations, check out the following books like FantasticLand.WonderlandBy Jennifer HillierWonderland by Jennifer Hillier is centered around the titular park in Seaside, Washington. Vanessa Castro is the town’s new deputy police chief, and her first day on the job begins with an unidentified homeless man who is found inside the park, the main tourist attraction. Whoever murdered him left his decaying body in the midway for all the park workers to see. Vanessa’s job becomes even more complicated when a teenage park employee goes missing. While investigating, Vanessa begins to suspect that the rumors about the park’s dark history might actually be true.Full TiltBy Neal ShustermanFull Tilt by Neal Shusterman is set in a bizarre phantom carnival that traps its customers forever. It’s here where sixteen-year-old Blake finds himself after chasing after his younger brother Quinn. While Blake is the responsible member of the family, Quinn is his exact opposite, but this time his thrill-seeking could be the death of both of them. Faced with the prospect of the carnival claiming their souls, Blake must survive seven deadly rides by dawn if they want any hope of escape. Unfortunately, these rides all represent a deep, personal fear and in the process, Blake will also have to face up to a horrible secret of his own past.Ghostlandby Duncan RalstonGhostland by Duncan Ralston offers a unique twist on the usual theme park formula by setting it inside a haunted one. In Ghostland, visitors can discover and explore haunted buildings and cursed objects and even view spectral beings, while wearing patented augmented reality glasses. It is here where former best friends Ben Laramie and Lilian Roth find themselves on the opening day, although each of them has their own ulterior motives for being there. For Lilian, it is a visit with her therapist to face her fear of death head-on as a form of exposure therapy. For Ben, it’s a revenge mission as his former idol, the deceased horror author Rex Garrotte’s haunted house, is the star attraction. Unfortunately, the park goes into lockdown when a computer virus sets all the spirits free, and the visitors find themselves trapped in an endless nightmare. The IslandBy Natasha PrestonThe Island by Natasha Preston is set on Jagged Island, which is a private amusement park for the very rich or influential. Six social media influencers, Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley, have been invited for an exclusive weekend on the island before the park opens, thanks to their millions of followers. The idea is that they will make videos and posts for their followers and show off the VIP treatment that they are receiving. However, after arriving at the remote amusement park, which has a gothic horror theme, things begin to go very wrong, and the body count rises.HideBy Kiersten WhiteHide by Kiersten White is set inside an abandoned amusement park where fourteen competitors are tasked with hiding for an entire weekend without getting caught. On the line is enough prize money to change everything, which means everyone is desperate to win. One of the people who take up the challenge is Mack, who believes she has a shot at winning as she is an expert at hiding. In fact, her skill at hiding is the reason why she is alive, and her family isn’t. Unfortunately, when the other contestants begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes that the competition is a lot more sinister than what she imagined. Carnival of FearBy JG FahertyCarnival of Fear by JG Faherty is set in a Halloween carnival where a group of teenagers find themselves trapped in the haunted house. What was supposed to be the perfect way to spend a Friday night turns into a fight for survival through a maze of torturous attractions. In the process, the teens learn the truth about the carnival and the demons that run it. Unfortunately, to escape, they will have to face vampires, werewolves, and other monsters that are all eager for human blood.DeadlandBy Sawyer HallDeadland by Sawyer Hall features a theme park filled with zombie-themed robots. The park was inspired by a mysterious virus that ended the lives of some island tourists a few years back but never went global. Disgraced virologist, Dr. Piper Prescott is eager to see the attractions of this theme park, but upon arrival, encounters a father frantically looking for his 11-year-old son. However, when the boy is found, he is very sick, and Piper immediately recognizes that he is infected with the deadly virus that should have been eradicated ten years ago. The Terror at Turtleshell MountainBy Sean McDonoughThe Terror at Turtleshell Mountain by Sean McDonough is set at a theme park, which is supposed to be the most joyous place on Earth. Tess Cameron invites all her friends to the park for the weekend as she is eager to share a secret with the people she loves the most. Unfortunately, something has awakened inside the park, and it is scarier than any of the rides. Soon, Tess and her friends find themselves alone in the park as the only survivors.