Hi! I’m looking for sad book recs that will rip out my soul. I like books with sad endings, major character death, doomed narratives/characters. Emphasis on sad endings cause I love books that dont have a happy ending!! Books that fit this vibe that I have read and loved are: if we were villains, the outsiders, blood over bright haven, Babel, the poppy war, dead poets society, sunrise on the reaping (alien stage, it is not a book but if anyone has watched it). Books I did not like that people said were gut wrenching were: a little life, if he had been with me (I like sad romance plots but not sad romance books, where it just focuses on the romance). I will read any genre (though I’m not a big fan of ww2 books) and would prefer standalones but if you have series I would still love the rec! Thank you and I hope this made sense and sorry if I rambled!
by Key-Title-3984
9 Comments
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong is all sorts of emotionally devastating.
Missing Person by Patrick Modiano
The House of Sand and Fog, absolutely gutting story, ugly tears for sure. The Book Thief, as well. It is set during WWII in Germany but it’s a different take than most. I sobbed in public, on a plane, without an ounce of shame lol.
girl if you haven’t read “they both die at the end” yet, it literally tells you what’s gonna happen and still manages to destroy you anyway.
“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara
“Norwegian Wood” by Haruki Murakami
I’ve just started “The Prince of Tides” by Pat Conroy and can feel something coming…
*Wings of Morning: The Story of the Last American Bomber Shot Down Over Germany in World War II* by Thomas Childers.
The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollack is excellent and is absolutely filled with horrible things happening.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai is more of an emotional bummer (follows a group of friends in Chicago across many years, with a focus on when the AIDS epidemic started).
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel is also just one bad thing after another, was almost so depressing it transcended an emotional response from me lolol.
I’d like to put forward my friend, Amanda Sung’s debut novel, *How to Break a Girl.* It wrecked me in the best way: tender, quiet yet devastating look at the lives of three Asian immigrant women, who are best friends navigating not just love and career, but also displacement, identity, and trauma. It’s emotionally raw and unflinching, which makes it even more sad in my opinion. If you do pick it up, let me know! I’d love to discuss 🙂
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb, The Four Seasons by Kristin Hannah (okay really any Kristen Hannah)