Guest Blogger: Rachel from Beauty and the Bookshelf with Character Halloween Costume Ideas

One of the best parts of blogging is becoming friends with fellow bloggers who are just as passionate about books as we are. One of those bloggers is Rachel from Beauty and the Bookshelf. She’s been hosting a great series called Don’t Look Behind the Bookshelf full of spooky fun featuring thirteen different authors. Check out her blog for more Halloween fun, but not before reading her guide for YA Character Halloween Costumes! Are you a bookworm who needs a quick, inexpensive costume for a party tomorrow and need some inspiration? Look no further than Rachel’s guide here: — Guest Hello, creatures of the night! I’m super excited to be on Appraising Pages to talk about Halloween! And what’s one of the biggest things about Halloween? COSTUMES. We’ve all been witches and cats and vampires, but now that most of us are older, we kind of want to up the anty. But that’s kind of hard to do when a) costumes aren’t very cheap and b) women’s costumes tend to be quite revealing. So I’m going to attempt to compile a little list of some hopefully affordable, appropriate, and easy to put together costumes based on YA books that you can wear this Halloween. Not only will you be representing some awesome books, but you’ll also be spreading the word about books! I hope you find it thrilling!

Quick Tips! -Buy pieces! Buying a whole costume (which usually doesn’t always have anything, anyway) can cost over $30. By buying pieces at different stores, you may save money. -Shop secondhand! Raid people’s closets! At places like Goodwill and Value Village, you can buy a costume for super cheap. (I think my flapper dress was less than $5!) Maybe go to the big stores for ideas, then go shop for similar pieces at used stores. -This isn’t a contest! Have fun! No one said you had to look exactly like a certain character. Don’t freak out just because you can’t find the exact thing you need; compromise if you have to, or alter your costume. It doesn’t have to be exact, and no one will care if it isn’t. And if they do care, then make a voodoo doll of them. -Google is your friend! If you’re not sure how to do something or what to do, just ask Google. And you could always get creative! -Gender swap! All the costumes I’m mentioning are pretty much girl costumes, but most can easily be flipped to work for you boys! Anna Korlov What You’ll Need: A white dress, something red to imitate blood I think being Anna may be the one of the easiest and coolest looking costumes. In order to be this teenage ghost who was murdered by having her throat slit, you really only need two things. Find something red to put on a white dress (note: there’s a high chance your dress will never be white again, and if you want it to stay white, find a dress you don’t mind recreating), splatter and dab it on a dress like blood, and voila, you’re Anna dressed in blood–literally. Have your hair down and messy, maybe put some blood on your skin, and if you wear makeup, have it worn and ghost-looking. I may do this myself!
Cassie Sullivan What You’ll Need: Basic clothing, some dirt, a teddy bear

Another simple costume! Just put on some basic clothes you’d wear if you were trying to live by surviving in the wild–maybe even add a hoboish looking jacket–and add some dirt to make them look dirty. Then add dirt to any showing skin, and make your hair look not-fresh, as well. Remember, you’re living all over the place and you’re pretty alone–there’s no need to look pretty and there aren’t many resources to look pretty, either. To top it off, dirty up the necessary accessory to make this costume Cassie and you’re good: a teddy bear. For a bonus you could add a toy military-looking gun.

Tris Prior

What You’ll Need: Black clothing, combat boots, black paint or Sharpie
I don’t know about you, but when I wear black I’m feeling pretty Dauntless. And who better to represent Dauntless than Tris Prior? So to be her, all you really have to do is wear all black. I’d add my studded combat boots and paint or draw on her tattoos, and voila, you’re Tris! For a bonus, you could wear a blonde wig if you’re not already blonde. To up the ante, you could even add some weaponry (not real, of course). And if you can find Four/Tobias as an accessory then I hate you.

America Singer
What You’ll Need: A dress, makeup, nice shoes
The main reason I’m suggesting America Singer is not so you can go out and buy some pretty, fancy dress just for Halloween. I’m suggesting her because you can reuse a pretty, fancy dress you already have. I don’t know about you, but I have a few dressy dresses that I’ve only worn once and just sit in my closet. But if you recycle one of those dresses, get all dolled up, and shine up your shoes, you can be America Singer–or any girl from The Selection, really.

Griet
What You’ll Need: A scarf, makeup, one pearl earring
Somebody please, please do this. I just think it would be so cool! This may be an iconic painting, but Girl with a Pearl Earring is also an excellent book. And really, all you need is a pearl (obviously not real) earring! You could modernize it or keep it original, but just make sure the earring is displayed. If you go with the original, be sure to wrap and cover up all your hair–it can’t be showing. And if you’ve got some mad makeup skills and can make your face look like a painting, I would give you all the props.

I’ve already made this post way too long, so I’m going to cut it off at five costumes. However, I do have more ideas, so contact me if you’re interested! You really can never go wrong when you go bookish, and it’d be awesome to see a bunch of characters from books roaming the streets on Halloween. So Happy Halloween, my pretties! And thank you so much for having me, Appraising Pages!

Guest Blogger: Rachel from Beauty and the Bookshelf with Character Halloween Costume Ideas

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