Top Five Wednesday Group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday
Books with “Hard” Topics (ie mental health, sexual assault, illness, etc.)
- Forbidden – Tabitha Suzuma
Incest.
Forbidden is the story of a brother and sister who develop serious, emotional feelings for each other and the consequences of those feelings.
What makes this book worth reading is its moral ambiguity. The author sets up an intricate story making it hard to pinpoint the reason why they developed feelings for each other. Was it neglect? Emotional abuse? Loneliness? Or lack of supervision? There is no right answer, which is what makes this book different from Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews.
Check out my review: https://nadsbooknook.wordpress.com/2016/04/08/forbidden-tabitha-suzuma/
- Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness – Susannah Cahalan
Mental health.
Brain on Fire is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking books I’ve ever read. It follows the author, Susannah, as she slowly looses her mind altogether for a month. During this month she showed psychosis, violence, and dangerous instability, to which she has no recollection.
As mentioned previously, this is one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve ever read. Without spoiling it, what is has to say about mental health and how society views it and how this view impacts everyone (not just regular people, but doctors and mental health professionals) is absolutely amazing. It offers a keen insight into brain science and psychology without being bogged down by jargon.
- Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn
Self-harm.
Sharp Objects is a masterpiece. It follows Camille as she covers a murder in her hometown for the newspaper she now works for, but going home isn’t easy.
The mystery takes precedent over everything else in the book, however Camille’s past and resulting self-harm is one of the reasons for the way she acts, thinks, and perceives the world. Sharp Objects is an absolutely fascinating read simply because of Camille. She’s flawed, decisive and indecisive, and dark. What else do you expect from a Gillian Flynn novel?
Check out my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1523903871?book_show_action=false
- Tricks/Traffick – Ellen Hopkins
Prostitution. Rape. Depression. Addiction.
Tricks and Traffick follows five teenagers as they explore sex for the first time and their eventual downfall into prostitution. They wrestle with depression, addiction, rape, and suicidal thoughts.
True to Ellen Hopkins fashion, these books are hard to read. These fictional characters will mark you ways you never thought possible. The people in their lives are often disgusting, the decisions they make are brutal, and their futures are bleak.
Check out my reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5510384-tricks?from_search=true&search_version=service
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23015872-traffick?from_new_nav=true&ac=1&from_search=true
- All the Rage – Courtney Summers
Rape.
All the Rage is a book about rape and its effects. It follows Romy’s life in high school as she tries to deal with day-to-day activities as well as trying to emotions and thoughts.
This book is another hard book to read. The characters around Romy are despicable and will make you want to reach inside the book and punch them. This book will make you angry because the author has the ability to paint rape in such a sharp light that you have no choice but to come face to face with it and have an opinion and pick a side to stand on. After finishing this book you will feel, think, and perceive things differently.
Check out my review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853636-all-the-rage?from_new_nav=true&ac=1&from_search=true
Book reviews and more! 