Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Novels with a Captivating and Unforgettable Antihero
15
items If you're into characters who aren't your typical heroes—people who blur the line between right and wrong, or even just make you question everything—this list is for you.
Amy Dunne’s manipulative brilliance and psychological complexity make her a chillingly unforgettable antihero, keeping readers hooked with her calculated mind games.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Joe Goldberg’s obsessive and delusional narration forces readers into the unsettling position of sympathizing with a stalker, making his character disturbingly compelling.
You by Caroline Kepnes
June Hayward’s morally slippery choices and self-justifications create a fascinating descent into literary theft and self-delusion, making her both repulsive and riveting.
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
Jacob Finch Bonner’s quiet desperation and moral compromise in stealing a dead student’s idea unravel into a suspenseful examination of ambition, guilt, and literary ethics.
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Richard Papen’s moral ambiguity and willingness to be swept into an elitist world of murder and secrets make him a haunting and unreliable antihero in this dark academia masterpiece.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Victor and Eli’s battle of intellect, power, and revenge flips traditional superhero narratives into a morally gray war.
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Merricat Blackwood’s eerie detachment and protective instincts make her both unsettling and strangely sympathetic.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Kathy’s quiet, haunting acceptance of her fate highlights the moral dilemmas of a dystopian world.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The characters in this novel, especially Madeline and Celeste, play antiheroes in a suburban setting, where their personal flaws, secrets, and moral choices take center stage.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Celia and Marco, two powerful magicians, play antiheroes in this magical, atmospheric tale as they engage in a deadly competition, all while struggling with the ethical implications of their actions.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Camille Preaker, a journalist with a troubled past, is a deeply flawed antiheroine, whose dark, introspective journey into her hometown’s mystery makes her both captivating and unsettling.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Anna Fox is an unreliable, agoraphobic protagonist whose obsession with spying on her neighbors reveals dark secrets, turning her into a compelling antihero in this psychological thriller.
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
Mare Barrow, a young woman with special powers, finds herself torn between loyalty and revenge as she navigates a world of class inequality and war, making her a memorable antihero in a dystopian world.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Rachel Watson, a deeply flawed alcoholic, is an antiheroine whose perception of reality and unreliable narration leads her through a dark and twisty investigation that keeps readers hooked.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Connell and Marianne’s complex relationship is full of emotional and psychological depth, with both characters playing antihero roles as they navigate love, betrayal, and self-doubt.
Normal People by Sally Rooney