This week’s Top Ten with The Broke and The Bookish is Books Dealing With Tough Subjects. Here are a bunch of my favorite reads that had tough subjects. What I like about each of these is that they all deal with their tough topic in a realistic way that never plays down the severity of the situation but at the same time in the end all these books are stories of hope, perseverance, and survival.
- Escape – Can you believe it I’m including a non-fiction book. This book is GREAT. It’s about the first woman to leave polygamy that got custody of all her kids. You get to see what life is like for her growing up, raising her kids, getting out, and living in the real world. It’s fascinating.
- Forgotten – This book reads like a light contemporary mixed with mild sci-fi but actually deals with some heavy matters. I won’t say what exactly since it may be a bit spoiler-y but it’s an excellent book.
- The Sky is Everywhere – This is a heart breaking beautiful story of sisters. It’s about surviving after you lose the person closet to you. I definitely cried during this one and it was hard in some parts but it’s definitely worth reading. It is such a gorgeous story full of love.
- Pretty Girl – 13 – This one is intense. Think Elizabet Smart intense. A girl gets kidnapped from camp and finds herself back home after two years with no memories. She’s experienced some terrible things but can’t remember what. It’s a super interesting read and while it’s a very heavy topic it never felt overwhelming or hopeless.
- Airman – This is a midgrade read with some fantasy elements but at it’s core it’s a story about wrongful imprisonment and how to survive and thrive regardless. The main character is wronged so egregiously and while he could let it consume and define his life he finds a way tho work through it and have something beautiful.
- The Book Thief – This is a story about a little girl growing up in Nazi Germany. It’s not all sad but it definitely deals with the horrors you’d expect from a book with that setting. But it is also a wonderful story of familiar love and friendship.
- Dark Triumph – While the first book in this series, Grave Mercy dealt with tough issues of abuse and more, Dark Triumph delves into even tougher situations. Some of the things we learn about Sybella’s past are rough, really rough. But this is a story about a broken girl who has experienced horror making something of her self.
- The Program – The Program has been set up to combat the teen suicide epidemic. But while participants seem to be free of their suicidal tenancies the so-called cure achieves this by riding the patient of many of their memories. This book is great. It’s intense but never overly heavy. It’s a cool spin on the dystopian stories that I love.
- The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer – Both the Mara Dyer books are SO good. Mara is the survival of a building collapse in which her friends have died. She has obvious psychological issues as a result. But there is so much more going on. It’s a crazy series unlike any I’ve ever read.
- If I Stay – This whole book takes place in the mind of a girl who has been in a terrible accident. She is unconscious hearing what is said around her. Her family members have died and she is trying to decide if she should stay. It’s a beautiful story full of love and happiness as well as pain. The way it’s told is so interesting and the sequel while dealing with more tough issues is just as lovely.
- Fire – This is one of my favorite books but it is rough. While it is definitely a fantasy Fire is a story of a terrible totally evil man. If he lived in our world he would be called a psychopath (no empathy, tortures animals at a young age, all of it). And Fire unfortunately had to live with and through his madness but her strength and goodness are amazing. There is so much more to this story than the hard stuff, magic, romance, growth it really is one of my favorite books.
krweinert.com says
I love that you listed Airman! :) Fire and The Book Thief too, but I rarely read about the Airman on blogs and feel like it should get more press.
Katja
Merin says
I really want to read Fire. I liked Graceling but didn’t love it, so am eager to see if I like Fire more.
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Belle of the Literati says
LOVE your list! Never would have thought to include Fire but everything you said is SO TRUE! I TOTALLY need to read Grave Mercy and The Sky Is Everywhere. They are close to the top of my TBR :)
Debra Hawkins says
Ooooo! I am so interested in The Program now. I am adding a few of these to my lists!
whyanot says
I love so many of these – and are dying to read a lot of others. The Book Thief was such a beautiful book. I loved it. And The Program looks incredible. Great list!
Becca Bee says
My friend told me The Sky is Everywhere is a really good book, so I want to read it. Dark Triumph was a good idea – it was very, very dark in some places, especially towards the end. Nice list. :D
chrissireads says
I’m reading The Program soon. It sounds really intriguing. Great list!
Amanda Caldwell says
I want to read Escape! I’m a sucker for polygamist cults. I’m really not sure why lol. There’s a good fiction read about that subject called, The 19th Wife which I enjoyed.
Eve says
I’ve only read Pretty Girl-13, Mara Dyer and If I Stay. Although I’m reading The Program now. And The Book Thief and The Sky is Everywhere sound really good, too!
tigerlilyrachel says
I REALLY want to read The Sky is Everywhere. I currently have it checked out from my library so I should get to it at some point soon. I’ve read most of the other ones on this list (though not all, for sure), and I liked some of them. The Book Thief is especially amazing.
Michelle says
ESCAPE!! I love that book!! I love nonfiction when it’s actually about a unique experience. I really liked Mara Dyer too, I’ve only read the first one so far, but really really liked it. Pretty Girl-13 looks really intense and good, I want to read it!
Oh and of course I loved The Sky is Everywhere :) Although I can’t really imagine Selena Gomez as Lennie AND as Hannah from 13 Reasons Why :(
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Shooting Stars Mag says
Awesome choices- I like that you have a mix of things. If I Stay is on my list too. Such a powerful and unique novel. I still need to read The Program and Pretty Girl-13 but I hope too soon. They both sound so amazing.
-Lauren
quinnsbooknook says
I should really read If I Stay. I’ve seen it on lots of lists, and everyone says it’s amazing. I think I need to wait until I am in the right mind frame to handle it, though.
Lauren @ Love is not a triangle says
Great list! So many of these I love – or want to read. Also, I like that you included fantasy on here too. Dark Triumph and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer both deal with really tough issues, though I don’t think of them first because of the fantasy elements. The one on this list that I really want to read is Fire.
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elena says
the sky is everywhere is suuuch a good pick! also, man, i know it’s long overdue but i will read the book thief hopefully this year.
Tracee Gleichner says
Fire sounds great but so do most of them – a great list!
Margo Berendsen says
I’m late to this but I love your list – several of your books ALMOST made mine – I thought of The Sky Is Everywhere and the Book Thief and Dark Triumph. I picked books with similar though issues – Never Gone for family loss of loved one; Code Name Verity for WWII. I’m intrigued by Forgotten and the Unbecoming…