10 Sad Books Guaranteed To Make You Cry

In reading any genre, whether it be classic literature, contemporary, or even fantasy, there’s a chance the narrative — if well written — could invoke deep emotions within the reader. These types of books are usually incredibly heartbreaking to read, but in the best way, as the authors are masterfully able to engage and influence a reader’s emotional state. And in my book, if a novel’s writing or storytelling is able to make me cry, it’s automatically a five-star read.

While I’m not necessarily a mood reader, there are times that I’m looking for a book that will, for lack of a better term, make me feel “all the feels”. There are dozens of popular books that have become famous for their tear-jerking narratives, but these 10 are among some of my favorites across all genres — and are practically guaranteed to make you cry. However, I’d be remiss not to warn you to proceed with caution or without tissues on the ready.

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10

The Nightingale

Written By Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah has long been known for her incredibly emotional stories, and The Nightingale, published in 2015, is no exception. The novel is one of her most beloved works, and, regardless of being published a decade ago, is continuously recommended and has become a popular BookTok read. There’s a reason The Nightingale‘s narrative has stuck with readers all those years, and its heartbreaking story is as tragic as it is endearing.

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The story follows two sisters during the German occupation of France in World War II, and depicts women’s “hidden” role in the war efforts — each doing their part to fight against oppression. While one sister ventures off to join the French Resistance, the other is left to play host to a German soldier in her own home. The story shows how their different paths affect the overall war effort, and the ending is beautiful and tear-jerking at the same time. Kristin Hannah is also the author of popular novels such as The Women, and The Great Alone.

9

As Long As The Lemon Tree Grows

Written By Zoulfa Katouh

As Long As The Lemon Tree Grows by Zoulfa Katouh follows Salama, a pharmacy student turned hospital volunteer during the Syrian Civil War, as she attempts to find her way out of the country before her beloved sister-in-law Layla gives birth. The story is beautifully written and perfectly encompasses the struggles of surviving and maintaining hope in a war-torn country, and Katouh does a brilliant job of immersing the reader in such an environment.

While As Long As The Lemon Tree Grows may be daunting to jump into, given its serious themes, its narrative is well worth the tears that will be shed.

The story is full of tragedy and loss, but all the more prevalent are the themes of hope and resilience — which are symbolized by the lemon trees themselves. While As Long As The Lemon Tree Grows may be daunting to jump into, given its serious themes, its narrative is well worth the tears that will be shed — and Katouh expertly draws out readers’ emotions alongside those of her characters.

8

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Written By Audrey Niffenegger

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The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is another classically tragic love story — following the lives of both Henry and Claire, who meet each other at completely different times in their lives. Despite being only eight years apart in age, Clare is six years old when she meets 36-year-old Henry, but Henry is 30 when he meets 22-year-old Clare. And as the novel’s title suggests, the story revolves around Henry’s ability to time travel and his wife, Claire, who is often left to wait for his return.

Niffenegger does an incredible job at building out the romance between the two protagonists, Henry and Claire, all the while weaving magical realism into the book’s plot with the idea of time travel. There are several ups and downs both characters endure during the 30 years the novel spans, but time and time again it seems as if fate was always meant to bring them together. The Time Traveler’s Wife‘s ending is one of the hardest to get through, but I promise the story is worth your time and tears.

7

Handle With Care

Written By Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is another author well known for her tear-jerking novels, like My Sister’s Keeper, but Handle With Care is another of her extremely heartbreaking stories. The novel revolves around Willow O’Keefe, a five-year-old girl born with osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as brittle bone disease — meaning she will sustain hundreds of breaks over the course of her life. This diagnosis has affected the O’Keefe family in different ways, and the overall narrative is told through several POVs aside from Willow’s own, including her mother Charlotte, her father Sean, and her elder half-sister Amelia.

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While Willow’s diagnosis clearly affects her daily life, she is full of life — known as being as funny as she is smart. However, in evaluating the life her daughter is confined to living, Charlotte begins to take actions that tear apart the world the O’Keefe’s and those closest to them have come to know. Handle With Care explores the complex ethical dilemmas of prenatal diagnosis, the effects of parental choices, and overall the impact of disability on family life.

6

The Things We Leave Unfinished

Written By Rebecca Yarros

While Rebecca Yarros may be best known for her extremely popular Empyrean Series novels, the author first got her start in contemporary romance — and The Things We Leave Unfinished is one of her best. The novel is a romantic historical fiction taking place during World War II, and depicts two distinct love stories — one from the days of the war and another in present-day America. The narrative kicks off as Georgia Stanton’s marriage falls apart, and has her moving back to her great-grandmother’s estate, only to find popular romance writer, Noah Harrison, intends to finish her deceased grandmother’s unpublished novel.

If you’re familiar with any of Yarros’ work, you should understand when I say this book is one of her most devastating.

As they begin to work together in the hopes that Georgia’s grandmother’s story will be told in a way that honors her legacy, the pair quickly discover her unpublished novel is based on her own romantic past—which brings readers back to England during WWII and begins to unravel the mystery of Scarlett Stanton’s own story. The narrative is impressively able to capture the romance of both the past and present, and, if you’re familiar with any of Yarros’ work, you should understand when I say this book is one of her most devastating.

5

A Little Life

Written By Hanya Yanagihara

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A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is another novel that has become extremely popular with readers on BookTok in recent years, despite being originally published in 2015, and is known for making nearly everyone who reads it cry. The story follows the lives of four classmates from a small Massachusetts college — Willem, JB, Malcolm, and Jude — as they move to New York to make their way in the world as adults. The story spans over several decades and sees each of the characters struggle with their relationships with one another, success, and addiction — and it’s heartbreaking in every possible way.

4

Flowers For Algernon

Written By Daniel Keyes

Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, was published in 1959 and has long been considered one of the most profound and inspiring novels — while being deeply saddening. The story is about Charlie Gordon, an intellectually disabled man who undergoes an experimental surgery in the hope of increasing his intelligence. While Charlie is their first human subject, the procedure itself had already been successful for that of a lab mouse named Algernon.

The narrative explores themes of the ethics of scientific experimentation, the treatment of the intellectually disabled, and love. It’s an incredibly heartbreaking tale that is told through Charlie’s own POV through a series of written “progress reports” or diary entries — which progressively change in clarity as his intelligence levels change. Algernon and Charlie’s relationship is one of the best things throughout the novel, and, whilst incredibly sad, is immensely heartfelt.

3

The Kite Runner

Written By Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is another unforgettable historical fiction — telling the story of an unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant in Afghanistan. The story spans over the course of 40 years and explores the themes of friendship, betrayal, and how the actions one takes can ultimately lead to redemption. The relationship between its two main protagonists, Amir and Hassan, drastically changes throughout the novel, but their story is equally gut-wrenching and endearing.

2

Bridge To Terabithia

Written By Katherine Paterson

While Bridge To Terabithia may technically be marketed as a children’s novel, its story is one that is meant for everyone to read at one point in their life. I read this when I was younger, and in a recent re-read, it was just as compelling and devastating as it was when I was a child. The story follows Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke, two fifth grade students who, after a rough introduction, become fast friends and create a world of their own making right in their backyard, known as Terabithia.

However, their days of daydreaming are short-lived when one day Leslie enters the forest alone and tragedy strikes. The story depicts how friendships, even at such a young age, can impact and change a person for the better. The powerful themes of friendship, imagination, and even the struggle of grief and loss are applicable to readers of all ages, and I’d highly recommend giving this novel a read if you haven’t yet already.

1

Heartless

Written By Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer might feel like a surprising addition to the list, but believe me when I say that while this book is full of magic and whimsy, it’s also incredibly tragic. The novel is an Alice in Wonderland retelling of sorts, as Meyer uniquely creates an origin story for the notorious Queen of Hearts. While the story does make sure to include other notable characters, such as the King of Hearts and the Mad Hatter, Meyer expertly weaves her own twist into the narrative.

However, as her future of becoming the Queen of Hearts suggests, hers is not a happy ending.

Marissa Meyer is known for her ability to write compelling retellings of fairytale stories, and it’s no surprise Heartless is one of her most popular fantasy books. The narrative follows Catherine, a young girl of noble birth who wishes for nothing but to open a bakery with her best-friend Mary Ann. However, as her future of becoming the Queen of Hearts suggests, hers is not a happy ending. Heartless adds so much more depth to the character from Carroll’s original story, and it’s almost impossible not to mourn the character Meyer’s origin story created for her.

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment