If you've marathon-watched all of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and don't know what to do with yourself, I've got just the ticket to help you keep the magical, spooky fun going. These 13 books about teen witches are perfect for Sabrina fans, so pick up a few to get you through the rest of the fall season.
Based on the Archie Horror comic book series, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina makes a few big departures from the bubblegum-pop adventures that millennials grew up with in Melissa Joan Hart's Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which was based on an older Archie Comics series of the same name. Reviewing the second issue of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, IGN observes that "Sabrina was painted first as a petulant child and then as a manipulative teen. Even now that she seems to have mellowed out at the ripe old age of 16, readers can't ignore the notion that Sabrina basically hexed a boy into falling in love with her. She's clearly willing to use her magic and connections to get ahead in life in a way that the more traditional, clean-cut version of the character would frown upon."
Netflix's The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina may faithfully adapt, if not the letter of the comic book series, then the spirit. As Vanity Fair points out, there are a whole lot of subplots that might not be friendly enough for TV, even on a streaming service. With that being said, the show's creators did make Hilda and Zelda indulge in cannibalism, so maybe the Netflix series will bring up the comic's more... questionable elements.
If you're a Sabrina fan, you've got to check out the 13 books about teenage witches on the list below:
'Akata Witch' by Nnedi Okorafor
Uprooted from her New York birthplace and transplanted into her parents' home country of Nigeria, Sunny has a hard time fitting in with her new classmates. But she soon befriends Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha — three other children with strange powers like hers — and learns that she is one of the Leopard People: a human able to contact the spirit world.
'The Bear and the Nightingale' by Katherine Arden
Vasilia has grown up far from the rest of Russian society, raised by parents who honor the protector spirits that guard them from danger. When her mother dies, and her father remarries a woman who believes the old ways to be evil, however, Vasilia must delve into new depths of sorcery in order to keep her family safe.
'Labyrinth Lost' by Zoraida Córdova
Set in Brooklyn, Labyrinth Lost centers on Alex, a young bruja who wishes for her magical powers to disappear. Instead, her family vanishes, forcing Alex to venture into the topsy-turvy land of Los Lagos to save them.
'The Witch's Daughter' by Paula Brackston
After her mother is hanged as a witch in 1628 England, Bess flees to the protection of an infamous warlock to save her own life. Years later, and now immortal, she begins to teach a teenage outcast the ways of her craft.
'Forest of a Thousand Lanterns' by Julie C. Dao
After her witchy aunt foretells her ascent to the throne of the empire, beautiful Xifeng must choose between her lover and the dark form of blood magic that will give her the power to fulfill her destiny.
'Uprooted' by Naomi Novik
A village on the edge of a malevolent Wood must give up one girl every 10 years to a wizard called the Dragon in exchange for his protection. Agnieszka knows that her best friend Kasia will be next, but the Dragon throws her — and the rest of her village — for a loop when he chooses Agnieszka instead.
'The Bone Witch' by Rin Chupeco
From The Girl from the Well author Rin Chupeco comes this spooky witch novel about a teenage necromancer who is outcast from her family after she raises her brother from the dead.
'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' by Shirley Jackson
For Merricat and Constance Blackwood, nothing has been the same since their entire family died from a poisoned dinner that left their Uncle Julian disabled and Constance on trial for murder. Now, their cousin Charles has come sniffing around the family fortune, and Merricat must protect their way of life at all costs.
'White Is for Witching' by Helen Oyeyemi
After her mother is killed during an out-of-country trip, Miri Silver develops mysterious food cravings for chalk and plastic. Her family's home, haunted by the spirits of those who came before, intends to consume her, as it does all the witches in her family.
'Shadow and Bone' by Leigh Bardugo
On the edge of the Shadow Fold — a land of darkness and death that has consumed half of their country — a war orphan named Alina explodes with a previously dormant power in order to save her friend from the monsters that live in the dark. Elevated in status, Alina is pulled into the world of the elite magicians known as Grisha, where she learns that she may be the key to saving her country from ruin.
'Beautiful Creatures' by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
In Beautiful Creatures, Lena Duchannes is a 15-year-old Caster whose fate will be decided on her next birthday. Will she be claimed by the forces of good and become a Light Caster? Or will she fall to become one of the evil Dark Casters?
'Truthwitch' by Susan Dennard
Safiya's powers as the eponymous Truthwitch are in high demand, but she wants to make her own destiny. Her friend Iseult is a Threadwitch, a magic user who can see how people are connected to each other, and she joins Safi on her flight from those who would use the Truthwitch's power to suit their own ends.
'Children of Blood and Bone' by Tomi Adeyemi
Years after her Reaper mother was killed in a purge of maji, Zélie must fight alongside her brother, Tzain, and the princess Amari against Amari's brother, the crown prince Inan, who wants to destroy every last bit of magic in the land of Orïsha.