It’s officially the spookiest time of the year! As we get closer to Halloween, action-adventure and mystery thrillers for adults have become a hot topic. After years without action-adventure thrillers for adults, the genre is having a renaissance. There’s a nostalgic feel to some of these stories, and BookTok is eating it up like Halloween candy.
Why do we love nostalgia in books? Why do we obsess over mystery, thrills, and horror?
A love of reading started by fear, and hope…
Many of us found our love for reading through Goosebumps, the beloved series by R.L. Stine, which has been a source of many childhood nightmares. Series like Nancy Drew, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Animorphs, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark were also part of our literacy diets. We were hooked on horror, mystery, and thriller books, but why? There’s an unexpected safety in these stories, believe it or not. The world can be scary, and the listed books offer an escape for kids and adults alike.
Children often feel like life happens to them, but spooky stories put children at the helm of the adventure. They showed kids being brave, facing their fears, and making things better. Their messages were simple: You can make sense of the scary things in life. This gave us a sense of autonomy, and as adults who feel once again like the world is happening to us, the same holds true. User @unclubobsmagiccabinet explains that Goosebumps inspired a generation of horror lovers, calling to kids who were into “spooky shit,” with stories of regular children fighting otherworldly situations.
@unclebobsmagiccabinet og goosebumps 4ever #goosebumps #goosebumps90s #90skid #early2000s #rlstine ♬ Goosebumps – JP The 3rd.
Adults read and collect nostalgic series while discovering new stories that foster thrills, autonomy, and hope. Notably, BookTok loves The Museum Detective by Maha Khan and The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan because of their thrilling mysteries and action-adventure themes. The two novels bring something that’s been lacking in most adult literature in recent years.
The former rings like a true Goosebumps book, with supernatural elements and a protagonist searching for answers. The latter is reminiscent of The Goonies with a ragtag group pursuing treasure and righting the wrongs of the past. Both stories have a nostalgic feel that is simultaneously fresh and familiar.
The Museum Detective by Maha Khan
The Museum Detective takes place in the city of Karachi, Pakistan, as the narrative follows archaeologist Dr. Delani. Dr. Delani is looking for her missing niece when she is called to investigate some odd occurrences at the city’s museum. A peculiar mummy with vague origins shows up unexpectedly, and then strange sightings, disappearances, and rumors of the mummy walking at night ensue.
As Gul figures out what is happening, she wonders if her niece’s disappearance could be linked to the mummy. In his TikTok video, @corneliuspeterauthor notes how the story pulls you in with its gradually unfolding mystery. On each page, the plot is elevated by the rich world of Middle Eastern culture and antiquities.
@corneliuspeterauthor New book recommendation! The Museum Detective by Maha Kahn Phillips #BookTok #mysterybooks #summerreading #fyp ♬ original sound – Cornelius Peter
While The Museum Detective does not explicitly state this, the story is based on a real-life antiquities scandal in Pakistan, one that also includes a stolen mummy and other artifacts. The scandal rocked the Middle Eastern historical and cultural community, and many details in the book are direct parallels, from an indiscriminate mummy to mysterious disappearances, mirroring the very real crime that shocked the Middle East. This backstory, as well as the intricate historical and cultural history of Pakistan, create a compelling sequence of events that makes you feel as if you are playing an active part.
The Museum Detective is faintly reminiscent of Goosebumps: Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb and the sequel Return of the Mummy. Nefarious characters, suspense as Gul investigates dark corridors, and a growing sense of concern that you shouldn’t be there are crucial elements. Chills run down your spine as you turn the pages.
The Museum Detective reminds the reader that you aren’t alone in the museum after dark. When the lights are off and everyone has gone home, you still might encounter someone, or something…lurking and waiting. You can’t be sure what is more frightening: a monster or the humans catching up with you in the dark.
The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan
The Treasure Hunters Club is about friendship, adventure, and justice. Our main characters are lifelong friends, part of a multigenerational treasure hunter club started by their ancestors. The game is simple: Find the treasure, hide it again, and leave it for the next group of kids.
Looking for a fresh start, the group decides on the hidden treasure as a way to begin anew. Having found the treasure and hidden it again, the now-adult group searches for it years later, finding it missing. As they search, they discover ancestral wrongs and must find a way to set things right. User @whatafineplan shares how the book fills a gap in thrillers by focusing on action-adventure instead of psychological or murder mystery, which reminds us of stories we loved as kids.
@whatafineplan Too much fun. 😁 #booktok #tomryan #thetreasurehuntersclub #librariansoftiktok ♬ original sound – Matthew
In The Treasure Hunters Club, intergenerational trauma encapsulates individuality, identity, purpose, and redemption. The characters in the story haven’t done these terrible things, but they are related to the people who did. Thus, they hold the key to setting things right and ultimately moving forward.
The story of The Treasure Hunters Club carries similarities to another tale of adolescent adventure through treasure hunting: The Goonies. Both stories carry a cast of unique characters, friendship that connects, and an adventure for the ages. The stories electrify the page, bringing the reader right into the action and sparking joy similar to reading Indiana Jones or pretending to be pirates with friends as a kid. The book is as cinematic as The Goonies, with reveals that will leave the reader speechless but vindicated.
Why are elements of nostalgia so enticing in books?
Goosebumps kids were often outsiders, either because of an unusual love of the spooky or a propensity for the weird. Reading about kids who were likewise weird, funny, and relatable, these kids felt seen and validated, unlike in traditional children’s media. Stine credits his childhood, which consisted of staying in his room all day writing stories on a typewriter, with his Goosebumps success. He was himself a weird kid whose own mother struggled to understand him at times. This is perhaps why the Goosebumps series and the many spin-offs remain a beloved part of book culture. TikToker @ssnyder333 speaks to how we have immortalized our obsession.
@ssnyder333 I thought this would be fun! Which book or series did you read in your childhood that started your love for reading!? If you didn’t read as child what book got you into reading now!? Mine was the Goosebumps Books 🖤🖤🖤 #goosebumps #reading ♬ original sound – SS🕸️🖤🥀📖
Goosebumps inspired us to read, be brave in stressful times, and have the space to process fear and uncertainty. Before Goosebumps came along, the horror genre had limited content for kids to work through these things. Stephen King’s books are great, but most are too mature and graphic for younger audiences. Stories like Nancy Drew were engaging, but they were largely written for and marketed toward girls. Goosebumps filled such gaps.
Nostalgia is a source of escapism for adult readers. As adults, we feel an unexpected loss of autonomy with age. Childhood had more freedoms and fewer responsibilities. Stories that replicate the joy, fear, and excitement of children’s media return us to a time where things felt safer, calmer, and more manageable.
Let the thrills find you…if you dare
These stories are more than just a passing phase. As the cult favoritism has shown, they were and are a safe haven. If you want similar thrills, fellow Trill writer Rachel Ahrens lists more titles in her article 5-Star Thriller Books You Need To Read This Summer.
Stories that are reminiscent of the 1990s and early 2000s are having a resurgence. Adventure thrillers for adults are filling the same space as Goosebumps and other children’s thriller and horror stories, and Gen Z readers are once again the guinea pig consumers.
The generation that saw the rise of children’s horror is now immersed in adventure thrillers for adults. Stories that change the rules seem to be our thing, and I think that’s really wonderful. These thrillers don’t just revisit the past; they rewrite it. For every grown-up Goosebumps kid, the adventure continues. So, light the flashlight, turn the page, and let the fear find you.
