It’s official: Stranger Things 4 is over, and if you’ve already finished Volume 2 you’re probably looking for something to keep the thrills and the 80s vibes going. Well, never fear, because there are plenty more stories like Stranger Things to enjoy. Here are five great books to read while you’re waiting for Part 5.
1. The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson
Jake Baker lives in 1980s Niagara Falls with his eccentric Uncle Calvin, who introduces them to the “Saturday Night Ghost Club”. Eventually, Jake and his friends realize there might be more to the club than meets the eye. This is a coming-of-age story, about both ghosts and growing up, all set in the 80s for that nostalgia factor we love about Stranger Things.
2. The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
The Maximum Ride series isn’t set in the 80s, but it has a lot in common with Stranger Things, and the main character Max has plenty in common with Eleven. Eleven has powers from her time at the Lab, and Max and her “flock” have avian DNA from the scientists at the School. Max and the flock can fly, and some of them have other impressive abilities, but they’re being hunted for them, both by the School and by others wanting to get their hands on their powers. There are 9 books in the Maximum Ride series, with another sequel series just starting, so these books will last you a long time before Stranger Things 5.
3. Firestarter by Stephen King
Stranger Things has been compared to a lot of Stephen King books, especially It, but Firestarter is one with a lot of parallels. Charlie McGee has pyrokinetic powers, after her parents participated in a government experiment that gave them both telekinesis. Firestarter, written in 1980, is from the same time period and deals with the same Cold War politics as the show. The idea of a girl with frightening powers, and her dad trying everything to protect her from the government agents who want her out of the picture, definitely reminds us of some Stranger Things characters we know.
4. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The main character of The Raven Boys, Blue, doesn’t have psychic powers (or doesn’t think she does), but her aunts and her mother do. When they go to the cemetery to see the souls of people who will die that year, one of them, a student at the mysterious Aglionby private school, speaks directly to her. Blue and the Raven Boys become a team, discovering a world with ley lines, Welsh mythology, and dark rituals. Just like Stranger Things, The Raven Cycle series is about a ragtag group of kids trying to stop a paranormal evil, but it also has lots of great one-of-a-kind characters and stories to love.
5. Paper Girls series by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
On Halloween 1988, in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, four 12-year-old paper delivery girls discover a mysterious group of time travellers that lead them into a thrilling sci-fi adventure. Paper Girls is the only graphic novel on this list, and even beyond the fast-paced mystery story, the art style brings a whole new level of 80s nostalgia. There are six volumes in the series, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat the whole time.
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