The book the patron was referring to is H2O by Virginia Bergin. I knew I wanted to read this book, but it just zoomed to the top of my 'to be read' list. It is about a future world where the water has been contaminated and the clean water is running out. I attended an emergency response program this summer, and to meet the water needs of my family for 3 days would require us to store close to 30 gallons. Now, we have a large family, but that's a lot of water. The thought of a world without clean water could get a little scary.
A couple of other books that follow that same line of thought include; Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer and Ashfall by Mike Mullin. Life as We Knew It is a story of survival after an asteroid hits the moon and pushes it toward Earth. This changes the tides and causes the Earth to become a dark, cold place. Food, fuel, and basic necessities become very scarce. I was reading this book during harvest season one summer and it made me seriously start to think about how much canning I would need to do just to feed my family a jar of vegetables each day for a year. Wow, that can make you think. I am reminded of this book every time I hear of an asteroid near miss.
Ashfall by Mike Mullin presents another natural disaster that gets the imagination running. Here we see our main characters trying to survive the fallout of a volcano that erupts in Yellowstone National Park. What makes this type of fiction scary is the real possibility that is present when nature is involved.
Another type of scary book is the psychological thriller. Erebos by Ursula Poznanski will cause you to wonder what a hacker can really do with a computer. It will also appeal to those who like virtual reality gaming.
A little bit more traditional scary book is Gentlemen by Michael Northrop. This is a murder mystery that will keep you guessing and wondering right up to the end.
So, if you like a scary book, we have plenty to choose from. I know that I'll be reading a few more.