Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

“Tough subjects” are some of my absolute favourite kind of books, so I’m thrilled to be participating in this Top Ten Tuesday topic! So without further ado, here are some of my favourite intense, dark, gritty, emotional books:

Going Under by S. Walden
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
In The After by Ashley-Mackler Paternostro

Going Under by S. Walden
WOWIE! This book was so intense and had me at the edge of my seat. But it also deals with some really scary sexual abuse topics. It’s intense, and kind of ‘wrong’, but so incredibly good.
My ReviewGoodreads

Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Pretty Girl-13 is dark and creepy. It deals with kidnap and abuse—two very intense subjects. But it also talks a lot about how people deal with abuse psychologically (i.e. developing multiple personalities to cope with the trauma). This book is dark and gritty, but will have you totally addicted.
My ReviewGoodreads

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
This book mixes abuse and romance. The romance is a great way for the character to have support and someone to lean on, as she uncovers the abuse from her past, which she hid so deep down that even she didn’t know it was there! It’s an emotional whirlwind for sure!
My ReviewGoodreads

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
The Sea of Tranquility is a brilliant example of two people coming together to support each other through the traumas of their past. Even though it’s a bit dark and emotional, the romance also makes it incredibly sweet and heartfelt.
My ReviewGoodreads

In The After by Ashley Mackler-Paternostro
This book is like the movie Enough. It’s sad, devastating, powerful, but also has that element of bittersweet hope. In The After is about an abusive relationship and how you can get out of it when there’s a child involved. There’s always a risk of the abusive parent gaining custody, and that’s something every parent wants to avoid!
My ReviewGoodreads

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts
The Program by Suzanne Young
Premeditated by Josin L. Mcquein
Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
Wow the end of this book will blow your mind. Ultimately I think it’s about forgiving people who cause you pain. It’s a tough thing to learn, but man.. this book rocks that message! But Ten Tiny Breaths is also fun, and sexy. It’s a great read all around!
My ReviewGoodreads

Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts
I actually like the second book in this series—Seduced in the Dark—even more, but I’ll list book #1 for the sake of this post. Captive in the Dark deals with Stockholm Syndrome. Enough said? This book is scary, SUPER dark, intense, and all kinds of incredible. It’s definitely only recommended for adults or ‘mature’ readers. But damn, it is incredible.
My ReviewGoodreads

The Program by Suzanne Young
I totally did not expect The Program to be as emotional as it was. Just imagine: your brother committing suicide, your friend being hauled away for depression, your other friend committing suicide… and now you’re in danger of losing your boyfriend and yourself. An emotional wreck wrapped up in an amazing dystopian book. Go for it!
My ReviewGoodreads

Premeditated by Josin L. Mcquein
Sexual abuse, fierce friendship, heartbreak, and the promise of revenge. This book will rip through your heart and soul! Plus it’s a fun read.. because it’s about undercover revenge! Girl power! Premeditated is actually quite similar to Going Under now that I think about it.
My ReviewGoodreads

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick
This is one of those books that’s just indescribable. You have to read it to get it. It does involve a student-teacher relationship. But it’s raw, dark, and gritty. The story will completely own you and pull you under.
My ReviewGoodreads

I hope you’ve discovered some great new books!

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11 comments

  1. So from that awesome list of yours, I’ve only read one.. That’s Pretty Girl-13 and I really liked it! It was definitely a difficult subject. I really need to read Ten Tiny Breaths and The Program soon, see what all the fuss is about. πŸ™‚

    Melanie recently posted: Shadows By Paula Weston
  2. Oh, Going Under got a better cover, so, since you vouch for it, I can maybe add it to my GR shelves without feeling like a creeper. The girl with just swimsuit bottoms on a diving board over a bed pool was weiiiiird.

    I liked Ten Tiny Breaths too, even if the romance was a bit too sweet and perfect and immediate.

    Drowning Instinct is my favorite dark contemp ever. All of the love for it. ALL THE LOVE.

    Christina (A Reader of Fictions) recently posted: Audiobook Review: Better Nate Than Ever
  3. I haven’t read any of these πŸ™ I’m definitely not a tough-subjects reader, like at all. I struggled to compile my list, because some of the books that I read dealt with some tough-subjects, and they were prevalent but didn’t permeate the entire book.

    Janita @ Book, Interrupted recently posted: Top Ten Tuesdays! (17)
  4. Even before I clicked on this post I knew for sure that Captive in the Dark and Hopeless would be on here. (Also The Sea of Tranquility, even though I haven’t read it yet)
    I want to read Premeditated so freaking bad but Random House hates me πŸ™
    Great picks, even though I’ve only read 2. But those are in my all time favorites list.

  5. The Sea of Tranquility = YES!

    I’m reading Drowning Instinct now and I’m really loving it so far, I can already tell that it’s totally going to tear me apart! haha

    Love your list Ashley, I have to add a few of these to my TBR list!

    Nancy (Tumbling Books) recently posted: Review: The Replacement

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