Recently, I had the honor of joining my friend and colleague Dr. Chea Parton in lecturing online at the 2022 Summit on Research and Teaching of Young Adult Literature, hosted by UNLV. Our presentation was entitled “Horror as a Lifeline: How Rural Identities Survive through YA Horror.” In it, we discussed the popularity of rural identities in recent YA horror fiction and the vital role horror can play as both a window to the fears and trauma of young people and as a mirror to the injustices and failures of our world.