I do not usually cry when I read.
But these books? These books broke me.
Some of these sad books made me cry while I was reading. Others left me staring at the wall afterward, questioning why I willingly do this to myself for entertainment.
And then there are the books I have not even opened yet because Bookstagram and Booktok have been warning me about them for years. People are crying in videos, posting emotional damage ratings, and casually recommending therapy after the final chapter.
I do not think I am ready.
Let’s start with the books that actually made me cry.
The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
The Best of Me was the first book that ever made me cry while reading.
It follows high school sweethearts Amanda and Dawson, who came from completely different worlds. After being separated for 20 years, they reunite in their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once brought them together.
Naturally, everything they thought they had buried comes rushing back.
Nicholas Sparks is going to make you feel things. That is simply what he does.
Then they turned the book into a movie and cast James Marsden.
So, of course, I cried all over again.
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
Nearly every Chris Whitaker book could qualify for this list.
His stories stay with you long after you finish them, and We Begin at the End is especially difficult to shake.
Thirteen-year-old Duchess is essentially raising herself while trying to protect her troubled mother, Star. They live in a small California town that has never fully recovered from a murder committed 30 years earlier.
When the man convicted of that murder is released and returns to town, Star is killed. Duchess is left trying to survive in a world that repeatedly fails her.
This book is beautiful, while being absolutely heartbreaking.
Chris Whitaker just does this to us, and apparently we keep letting him.
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter
Two teenage girls disappear during a Fourth of July fireworks show in a small Georgia town.
The officer investigating their disappearance has guilt and secrets of her own, all tangled up in the case.
We Are All Guilty Here is the first book in a new series, and I went into it expecting a thriller.
It is a thriller, but it is also much heavier and more emotional than I expected.
Karin Slaughter does not write soft books. Consider yourself warned.
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Broken Country is quieter than some of the other books on this list, but it will slowly wreck you.
Beth is a farmer’s wife who is still grieving a devastating loss when her wealthy former lover returns to town. His arrival begins pulling apart everything she believed was settled about her marriage, her past, and the life she chose.
This book gave me a book hangover (and was the one that taught me what this term even means).
When I finished it, I could not stop thinking about it. Those are sometimes the most dangerous books because they do not emotionally destroy you all at once.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale is set in German-occupied France during World War II and follows two sisters who survive the occupation in very different ways.
One hides Jewish children in her home. The other joins the French Resistance.
Some readers may get mad at me for this, but I did not finish listening to this one.
I found it so disturbing and emotionally overwhelming that I had to step away.
That is not a criticism of the book. It is actually a testament to how powerful Kristin Hannah’s writing is. The story affected me in a way I was not prepared for.
Now I am slightly afraid to read anything else by her.
Which brings us to the next category.
Sad Books I Want to Read but am Afraid to Read
These are the books people have been warning me about for years.
I own some of them. I want to read them. I also enjoy being emotionally stable, so we have reached an impasse.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
This is the big one.
A Little Life follows four friends as they build their lives in New York City over several decades. At the heart of the story is Jude, a brilliant lawyer whose horrific childhood shapes nearly every relationship and decision he makes as an adult.
People on Bookstagram describe this book as a trauma event.
I have seen grown adults say one of two things:
- This book changed their life.
- They needed therapy after finishing it.
I own it. It is sitting right here.
I want to read it, but I am terrified.
Am I ready for A Little Life?
Please be honest with me.
The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
A soldier promises his dying best friend that he will take care of the man’s sister, Ella, a single mother raising twins in Colorado.
What begins as a series of letters slowly becomes something much deeper.
I have repeatedly been told that The Last Letter will destroy me, and I believe every word of that.
That is why I have not read it.
For now, I will stick with Rebecca Yarros and her dragon riders. Thank you very much.
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
The Bronze Horseman follows Tatiana and Alexander as they fall in love during the 1941 siege of Leningrad.
The setting is already devastating. Their romance is forbidden, dangerous, and unfolding against one of the most brutal periods of World War II.
Someone recommended this book to me in my comments on Instagram.
My immediate reaction was, “I probably cannot emotionally handle that, but thank you for the attempted wreck.”
The Boys of Tommen Series by Chloe Walsh
Chloe Walsh’s Boys of Tommen series is a popular contemporary romance saga set at a high school in Cork, Ireland.
The books explore sports, family abuse, mental health, trauma, friendship, and romance.
The first two books, Binding 13 and Keeping 13, focus on the relationship between popular rugby player Johnny Kavanagh and Shannon Lynch, a shy student dealing with abuse at home.
My nail technician recommended these books to me.
I trust her with my nails.
I am still deciding whether I trust her with my emotional well-being and an entire series of sad books.
The covers are beautiful, though, so they have that going for them.
Atonement by Ian McEwan
In Atonement, a 13-year-old girl misinterprets an interaction between her older sister and her sister’s lover.
She tells the wrong people what she believes she saw and sets off a chain of events that destroys two lives.
The entire story explores whether someone can ever truly repair the damage caused by one terrible mistake.
Just thinking about that premise stresses me out.
The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb
A new father loses his job, struggles with addiction, causes an accident that destroys his family, and ends up in prison trying to find his way back to a life worth living.
That description of The River Is Waiting alone has already disturbed me.
I have not even opened the book, and I feel emotionally compromised.
Which Sad Book Should I Read Next?
Have you read any of these sad books?
I need to know which ones genuinely destroyed you and which ones you think I could actually handle.
Most importantly, am I ready for A Little Life?
Be honest. I can probably take it.
Probably.
