The book: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (No. 1 in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series)
The hook: Graphically abhorrent monsters, dark history, and murder make this time-travelling story about a boy who discovers his late grandpa's secret past anything but kid friendly.
Fear factor: What really makes this book chilling is the vintage photos interspersed throughout, which the author used as inspiration for the story.