Ok, so I have read a LOT of scary books this year, like a lot. I’ve been trying to find books that really GENUINELY scared me. So off the top of my head and in no particular order, here are some books that did just that
The Shining - Steven King. It is my favorite by SK and was the first book to really genuinely scare me. I reread it recently and yeah still SCARY
Pet Sematery - Stephen King. When you read this, you’ll be able to see the end coming from a mile away but it’s so awful and grotesque you don’t want it to happen. But you know it will, so it’s this tense ride to an awful conclusion