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Books That Will Emotionally RUIN You 😭
15 items
By
Eri
Not “aww, that was sad.” I mean close the book, put it down, and stare into the void sad.
3
This book broke my heart in ways I genuinely wasn't prepared for, especially because the characters felt so painfully real.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
I finished this feeling like I needed to sit quietly for a while because THAT was emotionally exhausting.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I spent the entire book knowing what was coming and still wasn't emotionally prepared when it actually happened.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Somehow this book made me fall in love with its characters just so it could absolutely destroy me later.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I don't think I've ever read a book where I kept thinking “surely things will get better” for THAT long.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
This felt less like reading someone's memoir and more like being quietly invited into someone's grief.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
It's the kind of sadness that doesn't hit you all at once but somehow stays with you after you finish.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
I knew exactly where this story was going and STILL convinced myself maybe they'd somehow be okay.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I went in expecting Hollywood drama and came out emotionally attached to a fictional woman like she personally broke my heart.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I thought I was prepared for a sad romance and absolutely was NOT.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I went in thinking it would be a sweet YA romance and left feeling like someone had personally punched me in the chest.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
The friendships in this book made me care so deeply that watching everything unfold felt genuinely painful.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
I knew it was going to be heartbreaking, but knowing that somehow made the actual heartbreak hit even harder.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
This is one of those romances where you keep hoping the characters will finally catch a break and then life says absolutely not.
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
I was promised a book about a cat and somehow ended up questioning every emotional decision I've ever made.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
