Dark Books I Love 😈

Okay, can we all agree that the devil face emoji (😈) is the best emoji? Yes? Yes. Thank you.

Keeping in theme with this week’s review (Vengeful, if you missed it), today’s post is my favorite dark books. That can be extremely morally grey novels or emotionally dark or whatever. I’ll explain each book and why as I go.

But I Love dark books! They’re a breath of fresh air (??) in a fluff-obsessed culture! I mean, amirite? So of course, if you have suggestions, shoot them at me with a big, scary looking cannon! (because i would love nothing more…)

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Vicious

Yes, of course I have this book on here. 🙃 Vicious is a beautiful, dark book with a beautiful, dark main character. (Victor) Coincidentally, the first book to this week’s review (again, Vengeful). I honestly felt like the first book was darker, tho???

Anyways. Every. single. character. is a psychopath (except Mitch, that glorious cinnamon roll of a man). Any character killed is considered collateral damage and there are absolutely no morals to be found in the whole book. Also, the book has a very heavy feel to it, which I absolutely, completely loved. 💕

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Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Now this one is dark in a different way. It’s more of a heavy book, but still applicable, I feel.

Basically, we’re in a suicidal teen’s head, Leonard. He’s had his life rough and we see flashes of that come slowly over the course of the book. It takes place in just one day, but the pacing is slow enough to feel the momentum of Leonard and his actions. We see that no one really notices him. No one cares about him. It’s heartbreaking.

And the scary thing? Is that I think that nearly everyone can relate to some part of this dark, tragic book.

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Tokyo Ghoul

The cool thing about these mangas (at least, I think) is that they’re only dark and heavy if the reader so chooses. See, the drawings themselves aren’t that dark or brutal (though I wouldn’t recommend it to the youngins), but rather the storyline is. The more that you allow yourself to slip in Kaneki’s skin and to realize the brutality of it all.

As the mangas progress, they got more and more rushed and fast paced and dark. However, I feel that the beginning ones are deep. Where do we cross the line? Where do our personal moral guidelines come to a stop?

It gives me shivers just thinking about the twistedness of it all.

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The Sandman

Yup, sorry, I’m adding in a graphic novel, as well. (for some reason i feel like mangas/graphic novels can get away with a lot more gory topics… *shrugs*)

Unlike the Tokyo Ghouls, The Sandman novels do have some graphic depictions. Graphic being somewhat relative, but still. They really mess with your head. I’m still haunted by a panel in the first one where all of these people are driven to insanity and… *shivers) ANYWAYS. These aren’t overall all that dark, imo, but there are a few scenes that really get ya.

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The Dream Thieves

Let’s get back to “actual” books, shall we? 😂 So The Dream Thieves is one where it was the whole aura of the book rather than the actual story that got me. It gives off this stuffy, dark vibe (to me) and I think that it warrants a place on this list.

Perhaps it is just in due to Ronan’s emo nature, but whatevs. This whole book is a mindbend on reality (though do give it to me that I haven’t read it in a g e s), with us travelling into Ronan’s nightmares and his daily life that is … also a nightmare.

Basically, I just got all the dark feels.

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The Hunger Games

And finally, The Hunger Games. Let’s be real, peeps. I couldn’t write this post without adding this little beauty to my list. 😉

Unlike the majority of the other books on this list, THG didn’t cut it due to all the dark feels, but rather the idea of it all. Personally, the brutally murdering children didn’t bother me (hey, what do you think that I do in my spare time?), but I know that it really f-ed up a lot of people. Because I mean, let’s face it, the hunger games were horrible. Still, I felt that we had a very removed presence from the whole thing.

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Well, I haven’t read many dark books (hey! they’re super hard to find!), but I hope that you liked the suggestions that I did give! Speaking of which … do you have any recs for me? I am in desperate need of them!