Hi! I’m looking for a book that has vibes like Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera (the musical and 2004 movie versions), so something angsty, with forbidden or unrequited feelings. Preferably not happy endings because my reader self loves to suffer.
I love everything with a character who is a bit (or a lot) dark, feels or it’s treated like an outcast or a monster for x reason, maybe it’s cursed or lives life like it’s under a curse, like Beauty and the Beast, The Phantom of the Opera, Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands, Twilight… It can be have supernatural characters (monster, ghost, dead character) or humans with complex feelings, with depression/ physical challenges (say House from House md).
It also doesn’t have to be a romance. My main example for this is the tv show Hannibal where the two protagonists have a deep complexed relationship that walks the line of hate, friendship and sometimes love but the show has plenty of horror, thriller and serial killer stuff.
It can be fantastical but it could also have a good discussion about this kind of couple that in real life would be way toxic and not sustainable, also it’s okay if it’s not a heteronormative pairing (that should be a little harder to find but also interesting).
Sorry if it’s a bit confusing!
by missborealiz