Trauma Recovery

The Night We Met

Abby Jimenez · Romance

**A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.** In everyone’s life, there’s a…

slow burn · friends to lovers · romantic comedy · trauma recovery

The Housemaid

Freida McFadden · Horror

Every day I clean the Winchesters' beautiful house top to bottom.

psychological thriller · haunted setting · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery

Wolf Worm

T. Kingfisher · Horror

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T.

gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

Rebecca

Daphne du Maurier · Horror

With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs.

gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · haunted setting · second chance romance · trauma recovery

Alchemised

SenLinYu · Fantasy

« In English: What is it you think you're protecting in that brain of yours?

dark romance · grimdark · amnesia · possessive romance · trauma recovery

Molka

Monika Kim · Mystery & Thriller

From the award-winning author of The Eyes Are the Best Part, praised by The New York Times Book Review as “violent, smart, gruesome and wildly…

psychological thriller · revenge plot · cat and mouse · trauma recovery

Half His Age

Jennette McCurdy · Literary Fiction

**From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of *I’m Glad My Mom Died* comes a sad, funny, thrilling novel about sex, consumerism, class, desire,…

age gap · dark romance · trauma recovery · morally grey character · psychological thriller

One Dark Window

Rachel Gillig · Fantasy

An ancient, mercurial spirit is trapped inside Elspeth Spindle's head - she calls him the Nightmare.

dark romance · gothic atmosphere · chosen one · demons · trauma recovery

King Sorrow

Joe Hill · Horror

Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful…

grimdark · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery

Hamnet

Maggie O'Farrell · Literary Fiction

England, 1580: The Black Death creeps across the land, an ever-present threat, infecting the healthy, the sick, the old and the young alike.

historical fiction · trauma recovery · forbidden romance

The Reformatory

Tananarive Due · Literary Fiction

"Gracetown, Florida. June 1950. Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for…

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery · survival

Daggermouth

H. M. Wolfe · Fantasy

He Is Her Ruin. She Is His Rebellion. The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is mercy no longer exists. Showing mercy is a weakness, and…

dark romance · enemies to lovers · grimdark · dystopian society · trauma recovery · forced proximity

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng

Kylie Lee Baker · Horror

New York Times 100 Notable Books for 2025 Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for Horror USA TODAY Best Books of 2025 Library Journal Best Books of 2025…

coming of age · trauma recovery · psychological thriller

Shatter Me

Tahereh Mafi · Fantasy

Ostracized or incarcerated her whole life, seventeen-year-old Juliette is freed on the condition that she use her horrific abilities in support of…

slow burn · enemies to lovers · dystopian society · forbidden romance · trauma recovery · high stakes survival

King of Ashes

S. A. Cosby · Literary Fiction

When eldest son Roman Carruthers is summoned home after his father’s car accident, he finds his younger brother, Dante, in debt to dangerous…

historical fiction · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

The Names

Florence Knapp · Literary Fiction

**The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?** In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · survival

Play Nice

Rachel Harrison · Horror

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she…

gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · psychological thriller · demons · trauma recovery

The Midnight Library

Matt Haig · Literary Fiction

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever.

magical realism · multiple timelines · trauma recovery · redemption arc

The Bright Years

Sarah Damoff · Literary Fiction

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette.

coming of age · found family · trauma recovery

Binding 13

Chloe Walsh · Romance

He wants to save her. She wants to hide. She's damaged. He's determined. Fate brought them together. Love binds them. Johnny Kavanagh is the…

dark romance · forced proximity · trauma recovery · redemption arc · he falls first

Beloved

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

Toni Morrison--author of Song of Solomon and Tar Baby--is a writer of remarkable powers: her novels, brilliantly acclaimed for their passion, their…

historical fiction · magical realism · trauma recovery · haunted setting · ghosts

Demon Copperhead

Barbara Kingsolver · Literary Fiction

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with…

coming of age · trauma recovery · redemption arc

The Eyes Are the Best Part

Monika Kim · Horror

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · morally grey character · grimdark

Ninth House

Leigh Bardugo · Fantasy

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class.

dark academia · urban fantasy · trauma recovery · ghosts · demons

Assassin's Apprentice

Robin Hobb · Fantasy

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman.

coming of age · found family · redemption arc · quest · trauma recovery · magic academy

The Body

Bethany C. Morrow · Horror

The Body is a pulse-pounding supernatural horror story from bestselling author Bethany C.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · gothic atmosphere

Misery

Stephen King · Horror

Novelist Paul Sheldon has plans to make the difficult transition from writing historical romances featuring heroine Misery Chastain to publishing…

psychological thriller · survival · obsessive love · trauma recovery

The Burning Side

Sarah Damoff · Literary Fiction

When their house goes up in flames, family secrets and thorny histories emerge as they are forced to decide what is worth salvaging.

coming of age · trauma recovery · secret identity

Small Things Like These

Claire Keegan · Literary Fiction

A stunning new edition of Claire Keegan's multi-award-winning, bestselling novel Small Things Like These.

historical fiction · trauma recovery

Nothing Tastes As Good

Luke Dumas · Horror

'A staggeringly honest exploration of how shame, cruelty and the hunger for acceptance can make us feel sub-human.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · coming of age · grimdark

Coffin Moon

Keith Rosson · Horror

and are hunted by—the vampire that slaughtered their family.

vampires · revenge plot · cat and mouse · trauma recovery

Spark of the Everflame

Penn Cole · Fantasy

A captivating fantasy romance that serves as the first book in the Kindred's Curse Saga.

coming of age · grimdark · revenge plot · chosen one · trauma recovery

The Midnight Train

Matt Haig · Literary Fiction

When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop?

magical realism · time travel · second chance romance · trauma recovery

It Could Have Been Her

Lisa Jewell · Mystery & Thriller

PREPARE TO BE HOOKED by the brand new thriller from Lisa Jewell, author of No.1 bestsellers None of This Is True, Don't Let Him In and Then She Was…

psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival · trauma recovery

Keeper of Lost Children

Sadeqa Johnson · Literary Fiction

Very good read

historical fiction · trauma recovery

A Forbidden Alchemy

Stacey McEwan · Romance

Australian BookTok star Stacey McEwan’s stunning slow-burn romantasy series traces a fated pair who stumble upon a world-changing secret and are…

slow burn · fated mates · forbidden romance · quest · coming of age · trauma recovery

Razorblade Tears

S. A. Cosby · Mystery & Thriller

A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance. Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as…

psychological thriller · revenge plot · trauma recovery

You Weren't Meant to Be Human

Andrew Joseph White · Horror

Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · survival

The Only One Left

Riley Sager · Mystery & Thriller

At seventeen, Lenora Hope Hung her sister with a rope Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one…

psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery

The Crash

Freida McFadden · Mystery & Thriller

**The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed…** Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to…

psychological thriller · road trip · survival · trauma recovery

The Starving Saints

Caitlin Starling · Horror

! “As brilliant as it is bizarre. From the very first page you know you are in the hands of an author at the height of their abilities. . . . This is…

grimdark · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

Flashlight

Susan Choi · Literary Fiction

One summer night, Louisa and her father take a walk on the breakwater.

unreliable narrator · multiple timelines · psychological thriller · twist ending · trauma recovery

The Mad Wife

Meagan Church · Literary Fiction

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery · twist ending

The Yellow Wallpaper

Charlotte P. Gilman · Literary Fiction

Specially printed limited edition release for the Miskatonic Literary Society.

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Promise Me Sunshine

Cara Bastone · Romance

How do you find yourself after you lose the one you loved the most?

slow burn · grumpy sunshine · trauma recovery · second chance romance

If He Had Been with Me

Laura Nowlin · Romance

*A BookTok Viral Sensation* An achingly authentic and raw portrait of love, regret, and the life-altering impact of the relationships we hold…

second chance romance · coming of age · trauma recovery · slow burn

The Summer Fun Massacre

Craig DiLouie · Horror

It’s 1992, and in the heat of Texas, camp Summer Fun rests by a crystalline lake surrounded by a shady forest.

survival · trauma recovery · twist ending · high stakes survival

Foster

Claire Keegan · Literary Fiction

A small girl is sent to live with foster parents on a farm in rural Ireland, without knowing when she will return home.

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

This Book Made Me Think of You

Libby Page · Literary Fiction

A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost—a year of books, one for every month—launching a reading-inspired journey to…

second chance romance · coming of age · trauma recovery

It Ends with Us

Colleen Hoover · Romance

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants.

trauma recovery · forbidden romance · second chance romance

Wretch

Eric LaRocca · Horror

From rising horror star and award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke comes a nightmarish, haunting, tech-Gothic thrill…

dark romance · obsessive love · trauma recovery · gothic atmosphere · ghosts

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart

Christina Henry · Horror

On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house.

haunted setting · gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

Each night Pecola prayed for blue eyes.

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Carrie

Stephen King · Horror

The story of misfit high-school girl, Carrie White, who gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers.

coming of age · trauma recovery · psychological thriller

Pachinko

Min Jin Lee · Literary Fiction

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea.

historical fiction · coming of age · found family · trauma recovery

The Lion Women of Tehran

Marjan Kamali · Literary Fiction

When Homa, a girl from her childhood, reappears in her privileged world, Ellie, amidst Iran's political turmoil, joins her in pursuing their goals…

coming of age · historical fiction · political intrigue · trauma recovery

Unsteady

Peyton Corinne · Romance

“Unputdownable and unforgettable.

slow burn · trauma recovery · coming of age · grumpy sunshine

Before I Let Go

Kennedy Ryan · Romance

Their love was supposed to last forever.

second chance romance · trauma recovery · slow burn

All the Sinners Bleed

S. A. Cosby · Mystery & Thriller

A Black sheriff. A serial killer. A small town ready to combust. Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia.…

psychological thriller · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

How to Sell a Haunted House

Grady Hendrix · Horror

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home.

haunted setting · trauma recovery · revenge plot

Martyr!

Kaveh Akbar · Literary Fiction

God may give the toughest battles to the strongest warriors, but not always.

coming of age · trauma recovery · redemption arc

The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath · Literary Fiction

The Bell Jar is the only novel written by American poet Sylvia Plath.

coming of age · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator

Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut · Literary Fiction

Billy Pilgrim returns home from the Second World War only to be kidnapped by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore, who teach him that time is an…

historical fiction · time travel · trauma recovery · anti hero · psychological thriller

Anathema

Keri Lake · Fantasy

From USA Today bestselling author Keri Lake comes a hardcover repackage of her spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced…

dark romance · gothic atmosphere · paranormal romance · demons · portal fantasy · trauma recovery

Across the Vanishing Sky

Catherine Cowles · Mystery & Thriller

Braedyn Winslow never expected to return to Starlight Grove-the town that took everything from her.

missing person · coming of age · small town · trauma recovery

We Live Here Now

Sarah Pinborough · Horror

Award-winning author of New York Times bestselling breakout novel (and hit Netflix show) Behind Her Eyes returns with a haunting Gothic novel about a…

gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · haunted setting · trauma recovery

The Anniversary

Alex Finlay · Mystery & Thriller

Today became an anniversary they would never celebrate.

psychological thriller · revenge plot · twist ending · trauma recovery

The Girl with a Thousand Faces

Sunyi Dean · Fantasy

Mercy Chan is a triad exorcist with a mysterious past.

gothic atmosphere · ghosts · historical fiction · urban fantasy · trauma recovery

The Fall

Kate Stewart · Romance

Dallas He was the beginning of my heart .

dark romance · slow burn · second chance romance · trauma recovery · forbidden romance

Beneath

Ariel Sullivan · Romance

Hundreds of years before the Illum ruled supreme, humanity risked everything to rebuild after a devastating war in this explosive dystopian romance…

dark romance · slow burn · dystopian society · forbidden romance · trauma recovery

Releasing 10

Chloe Walsh · Romance

He was her anchor. She was his storm. Together, they were everything—and it still wasn't enough. From Chloe Walsh, the international bestselling…

slow burn · second chance romance · trauma recovery · small town

The Girls Before

Kate Alice Marshall · Mystery & Thriller

A search & rescue expert. A kidnapped woman. The lost girls who haunt them both. “A superb mystery. . . Readers will be thinking about this long…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · missing person · twist ending

That's Not My Name

Megan Lally · Mystery & Thriller

She thought she had her life back.

psychological thriller · amnesia · trauma recovery · twist ending

Is This a Cry for Help?

Emily Austin · Literary Fiction

Emily Austin, the bestselling “queen of darkly quirky, endearingly flawed heroines” (Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus), returns with a luminous…

coming of age · trauma recovery · small town

Kindred

Octavia Butler · Sci-Fi

Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California…

time travel · historical fiction · trauma recovery · survival · forced proximity

The Weight of Blood

Tiffany D. Jackson · Horror

* AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * INDIE BESTSELLER * JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION * KIDS' INDIE NEXT LIST PICK * NPR BEST PICK * KIRKUS BEST…

psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

The Only Good Indians

Stephen Graham Jones · Horror

Ten years ago outside Browning, Montana, four Blackfeet shot some elk, and then went on with their lives.

revenge plot · gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Ottessa Moshfegh · Literary Fiction

It's early 2000 on New York City's Upper East Side, and the alienation of Moshfegh's unnamed young protagonist from others is nearly complete when…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery · morally grey character

Odessa

Gabrielle Sher · Literary Fiction

In a powerfully imagined Russia at the height of the pogroms, a grief-stricken family turn to ancient magic to bring their daughter back from the…

magical realism · historical fiction · trauma recovery · grimdark

Parable of the Sower

Octavia E. Butler · Sci-Fi

In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future.

dystopian society · coming of age · survival · road trip · trauma recovery

Daughter of Crows

Mark Lawrence · Fantasy

Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters. The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image…

grimdark · coming of age · redemption arc · revenge plot · trauma recovery

Royal Assassin

Robin Hobb · Fantasy

Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him…

political intrigue · revenge plot · quest · trauma recovery · survival

Morsel

Carter Keane · Horror

Carter Keane's Morsel is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive.

coming of age · trauma recovery · grimdark · survival

A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing

Alice Evelyn Yang · Literary Fiction

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION A dark, magical realist debut family saga that moves through the Japanese occupation of Manchuria,…

magical realism · historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery

The Remains of the Day

Kazuo Ishiguro · Literary Fiction

In the summer of 1956, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the countryside and…

historical fiction · unreliable narrator · coming of age · trauma recovery

Natural Beauty

Ling Ling Huang · Literary Fiction

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can.

dark academia · coming of age · trauma recovery · morally grey character

Soul Searching

Lyla Sage · Romance

Home is where the heart is—and this one is haunted.

paranormal romance · small town · slow burn · ghosts · trauma recovery

Penpal

Dathan Auerbach · Horror

Penpal began as a series of short and interconnected stories posted on an online horror forum.

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery

ITCH!

Gemma Amor · Horror

READERS LOVE GEMMA's DARK WORLD 'If you are after something that is both shocking and horrifically beautiful then take a journey and discover this…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery

My Heart Is a Chainsaw

Stephen Graham Jones · Horror

You won’t find a more hardcore eighties-slasher-film fan than high school senior Jade Daniels.

coming of age · revenge plot · grimdark · trauma recovery · psychological thriller

The Hill in the Dark Grove

Liam Higginson · Horror

Moving and chilling, The Hill in the Dark Grove is a story about a lost way of life and the terrifying lengths we go to to protect what we know.

gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · grimdark · trauma recovery

Seed

Ania Ahlborn · Horror

With nothing but the clothes on his back--and something horrific snapping at his heels--Jack Winter fled his rural Georgia home when he was still…

survival · trauma recovery · revenge plot · demons

Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro · Sci-Fi

Ishiguro explores what it means to have a soul and how art distinguishes man from other life forms.

dystopian society · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

SHE WHO REMAINS

Rene Karabash · Literary Fiction

High in the Accursed Mountains, in a village ruled by the ancient laws of the Kanun, Bekija escapes an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin,…

historical fiction · coming of age · forbidden romance · trauma recovery

Good Girl, Bad Blood

Holly Jackson · Mystery & Thriller

More dark secrets are exposed in this addictive, true-crime fueled sequel when Pip finds herself in another deadly case.

psychological thriller · revenge plot · missing person · trauma recovery

Strange Sally Diamond

Liz Nugent · Mystery & Thriller

Reclusive Sally Diamond is thrust into the media spotlight when she tries to incinerate her dead father, causing widespread outrage.

unreliable narrator · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

The Girls Who Grew Big

Leila Mottley · Literary Fiction

Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant.

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · small town · trauma recovery

Firefly Lane

Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

Inseparable best friends Kate and Tully, two young women who, despite their very different lives, have vowed to be there for each other forever, have…

found family · coming of age · multiple timelines · trauma recovery

June Baby

Shannon Garvey · Literary Fiction

Some summers never leave you. In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block…

coming of age · small town · trauma recovery

Daughter of No Worlds

Carissa Broadbent · Fantasy

A former slave fighting for justice.

dark romance · enemies to lovers · slow burn · morally grey character · trauma recovery

Lady of Darkness

Melissa Roehrich · Fantasy

A CAGE. Owned by a ruthless Assassin Lord, Scarlett Monrhoe and her two sisters have been trained since they were children to torture and take life.…

dark romance · grimdark · redemption arc · trauma recovery

No Matter What

Cara Bastone · Romance

Sometimes love sends you back to the drawing board.

slow burn · second chance romance · trauma recovery

Nesting

Roisin O'Donnell · Literary Fiction

Longlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction From an unforgettable new voice in Irish fiction, a heart-pounding, life-affirming story about one…

coming of age · psychological thriller · trauma recovery · redemption arc

My Dark Vanessa

Kate Elizabeth Russell · Literary Fiction

"2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and…

unreliable narrator · coming of age · trauma recovery · twist ending

Lincoln in the Bardo

George Saunders · Literary Fiction

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long,…

historical fiction · magical realism · found family · trauma recovery

Endling

Maria Reva · Literary Fiction

Ukraine, 2022. Yeva is a loner and a maverick biologist who lives out of her mobile lab. She scours the country’s forests and valleys, trying and…

magical realism · historical fiction · trauma recovery

The Goldfinch

Donna Tartt · Literary Fiction

"The Goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as…

dark academia · coming of age · morally grey character · trauma recovery · found family

Sing, Unburied, Sing

Jesmyn Ward · Literary Fiction

**A SEARING AND PROFOUND SOUTHERN ODYSSEY BY NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER JESMYN WARD** In Jesmyn Ward's first novel since her National Book…

coming of age · found family · trauma recovery · magical realism · ghosts

Once There Were Wolves

Charlotte McConaghy · Literary Fiction

"Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team of biologists tasked with reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the…

coming of age · magical realism · trauma recovery

The Last Letter

Rebecca Yarros · Romance

Beckett, If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill.

slow burn · second chance romance · trauma recovery

Hemlock

Melissa Faliveno · Horror

A woman haunted by a dark inheritance returns to the woods where her mother vanished, in this queer Gothic novel.

gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · trauma recovery · coming of age

The Final Girl Support Group

Grady Hendrix · Horror

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre.

revenge plot · trauma recovery · cat and mouse · found family

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak · Literary Fiction

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. By her brother's graveside,…

historical fiction · coming of age · found family · trauma recovery

Stay Buried

Jennifer McMahon · Horror

From the New York Times bestselling author of Children on the Hill comes a queer folk horror in which a woman must confront decades of secrecy and…

gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery · haunted setting · revenge plot

The Winter Folk

Jen Julian · Horror

A woman returns to the mysterious lodge in the woods where she once worked, and to the inscrutable creature that bound her there, in this haunting…

gothic atmosphere · slow burn · haunted setting · paranormal romance · trauma recovery

Heartwood

Amity Gaige · Mystery & Thriller

Deep in the Maine woods, an experienced hiker goes missing.

psychological thriller · survival · missing person · trauma recovery

When I Was Death

Alexis Henderson · Horror

A group of girls does Death incarnate's bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel by the author of The Year of the Witching.

coming of age · trauma recovery · found family · ghosts

Good People

Patmeena Sabit · Literary Fiction

“Good People is a stunning read.

historical fiction · political intrigue · trauma recovery

Boy's Life

Robert McCammon · Literary Fiction

An Alabama boy's innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song.

coming of age · small town · trauma recovery · historical fiction

Angel Down

Daniel Kraus · Literary Fiction

A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR NATIONAL BESTSELLER “A thunderous gallop of a war novel, a new classic, a best-in-class example of…

historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · quest

Us Against You

Fredrik Backman · Literary Fiction

Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too. A small community tucked deep in the forest,…

found family · coming of age · trauma recovery · small town

Mrs. Dalloway

Virginia Woolf · Literary Fiction

Mrs. Dalloway is the portrait of a single day in a woman's life.

coming of age · trauma recovery

Giovanni's Room

James Baldwin · Literary Fiction

In Paris, France, a young American is caught between relationships with both a woman and a man and the struggle with conventional morality.

coming of age · forbidden romance · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Flesh

David Szalay · Literary Fiction

"Teenaged Istvâan lives with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary.

coming of age · forbidden romance · small town · trauma recovery

Ward D

Freida McFadden · Mystery & Thriller

**All she has do is make it through the night shift...** Ward D is the hospital's mental health unit and as a medical student, Amy is required to…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · twist ending · unreliable narrator · high stakes survival

Gloria Don't Speak

Lucy Apps · Literary Fiction

Gloria has a learning disability.

coming of age · found family · trauma recovery · small town

Love

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

The epitome of a group of women's ideals about love, fatherhood, and friendship, wealthy hotel owner Bill Cosey finds his life compromised by his…

forbidden romance · dark romance · trauma recovery · obsessive love · morally grey character

The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers · Literary Fiction

The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about the Problem of race in America, and what he called “Double Consciousness,” a sensitivity that…

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · trauma recovery

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Ocean Vuong · Literary Fiction

Nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction • Ocean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive…

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · trauma recovery

The Calamity Club

Kathryn Stockett · Literary Fiction

Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now…

coming of age · found family · historical fiction · trauma recovery

What Hunger

Catherine Dang · Literary Fiction

A haunting coming-of-age tale following the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Ronny Nguyen, as she grapples with the weight of generational trauma…

coming of age · trauma recovery · found family

The Forever War

Joe Haldeman · Sci-Fi

"The legendary novel of extraterrestrial war in an uncaring universe comes to comics, in a stunningly realized vision of Joe Haldeman's Vietnam War…

space opera · survival · trauma recovery · first contact · time travel

The Broken Earth Trilogy

N. K. Jemisin · Fantasy

[Volume 2: The obelisk gate] : The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night.

grimdark · dark academia · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

The Winter People

Jennifer McMahon · Horror

The New York Times bestselling author of The Invited will shock you with a simmering psychological thriller about ghostly secrets, dark choices, and…

psychological thriller · haunted setting · ghosts · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

Hum

Helen Phillips · Literary Fiction

A Most Anticipated Book for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Goodreads, LitHub, and Book Riot A Best Book of the Summer for Esquire,…

magical realism · trauma recovery

Into the Fading Twilight

Catherine Cowles · Mystery & Thriller

Book Two in a brand new suspenseful small town series - Starlight Grove - from New York Times Bestselling Author, Catherine Cowles.

found family · psychological thriller · small town · trauma recovery

Still Beating

Jennifer Hartmann · Romance

When Cora attends her sister’s birthday party, she expects at most a hangover or a walk of shame.

dark romance · obsessive love · possessive romance · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

Out of the Woods

Hannah Bonam-Young · Romance

“Absolute, utter perfection.” ―Chloe Liese, USA Today bestselling author of Only and Forever A married couple joins a week-long wilderness expedition…

slow burn · second chance romance · marriage of convenience · road trip · trauma recovery

The Mindf*ck Series

S. T. Abby · Romance

They took too much. Left too little. I had nothing to lose... until him. Lana I didn't expect him. I didn't want to fall in love. But I can't…

dark romance · psychological thriller · obsessive love · trauma recovery · morally grey character

This Could Be Us

Kennedy Ryan · Romance

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out.

second chance romance · slow burn · trauma recovery · found family

The Green Mile

Stephen King · Horror

The Green Mile is a 1996 serial novel by American writer Stephen King.

psychological thriller · closed circle · redemption arc · trauma recovery

This Thing Between Us

Gus Moreno · Horror

"A widower battles his grief, rage, and the mysterious evil inhabiting his home smart speaker, in this mesmerizing horror thriller from newcomer Gus…

cosmic horror · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery

Finding Grace

Loretta Rothschild · Literary Fiction

A July Indie Next Pick • "A strikingly original and deeply moving debut." —People • "Begins with such a gasp-inducing twist that it's almost…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · twist ending · trauma recovery

The Subtle Art of Folding Space

John Chu · Sci-Fi

The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged…

trauma recovery · found family · coming of age

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro · Sci-Fi

"Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial…

trauma recovery · coming of age · paranormal romance

Meat Bees

Dane Erbach · Horror

Jaws with wasps. By the time Scarlett Sutton arrives at her dad's cabin in the Smoky Mountains, two locals have already been eaten alive by wasps. Of…

high stakes survival · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

Ben Reeves · Literary Fiction

For fans of Fredrik Backman, Virginia Evan s and Lisa Ridzén, an astonishing, deeply moving novel about finding beauty in the brevity of life, as…

coming of age · magical realism · trauma recovery

The Renovation

Kenan Orhan · Literary Fiction

A dazzlingly original new voice in literary fiction for fans of Ali Smith, Mohsin Hamid and Elif Shafak The Renovation is a heart-breaking portrait…

historical fiction · trauma recovery · political intrigue

Daughter of the Forest

Juliet Marillier · Fantasy

Daughter of the Forest is a testimony to an incredible author's talent, a first novel and the beginning of a trilogy like no other: a mixture of…

slow burn · forbidden romance · historical fiction · trauma recovery · magical realism · redemption arc

A Court of Silver Flames

Sarah J. Maas · Fantasy

Sarah J. Maas's sexy, richly imagined Court of Thorns and Roses series continues with the journey of Feyre's fiery sister, Nesta. Nesta Archeron…

dark romance · slow burn · redemption arc · trauma recovery · enemies to lovers

Good Intentions

Marisa Walz · Mystery & Thriller

INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER • "A stunning debut with razor sharp tension and surprising twists." —Jeneva Rose, #1 bestselling author Even the best…

psychological thriller · obsessive love · twist ending · trauma recovery

Warning Signs

Tracy Sierra · Mystery & Thriller

“The tension, the atmosphere, the dread .

psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival · trauma recovery

Then She Was Gone

Lisa Jewell · Mystery & Thriller

"Ten years after her teenage daughter disappears, a woman crosses paths with a charming single father whose young child feels eerily familiar, in…

psychological thriller · missing person · trauma recovery

Afterbirth

Emma Cleary · Horror

For fans of Nightbitch, Motherthing, and Baby Teeth, a "mommy horror" masterpiece as hypnotic as it is terrifying, from bold new talent Emma Cleary A…

psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery · obsessive love

I Will Kill Your Imaginary Friend for $200

Robert Brockway · Horror

To bright and anxious eight-year-old Kay Washington, the worst thing in the world is being alone with the quiet.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator · coming of age

Dig

J. H. Markert · Horror

The soil on Crow Island holds secrets, and they’re ready to be unearthed.

psychological thriller · revenge plot · trauma recovery · closed circle

Does It Hurt?

H. D. Carlton · Horror

Who am I? I've forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the…

dark romance · psychological thriller · trauma recovery · obsessive love · unreliable narrator

Good Joy, Bad Joy

Mikki Brammer · Literary Fiction

She's lived by the rules. Now she's breaking them . . . For more than eighty years, Joy Bridport has followed the rules - devoted wife, loving…

coming of age · small town · found family · trauma recovery

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

Fredrik Backman · Literary Fiction

Grandpa and Noah are sitting on a bench in a square that keeps getting smaller every day.

historical fiction · trauma recovery · found family · coming of age

Lone Women

Victor LaValle · Literary Fiction

Blue skies, empty land—and enough wide-open space to hide a horrifying secret.

historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · grimdark

Loved One

Aisha Muharrar · Literary Fiction

"[Loved One] is special...full of wildly astute, delectably thorny questions about love and loss and possession." --Maggie Shipstead, author of Great…

coming of age · trauma recovery

Flowers for Algernon

Daniel Keyes · Literary Fiction

Charlie Gordon is about to embark upon an unprecedented journey.

coming of age · redemption arc · trauma recovery

Migrations

Charlotte McConaghy · Literary Fiction

"Franny Stone has always been a wanderer.

slow burn · magical realism · survival · trauma recovery

Crux

Gabriel Tallent · Literary Fiction

Dan e Tamma sono all’ultimo anno di liceo nella loro cittadina in California, all’ombra del Joshua Tree National Park, una delle mecche mondiali…

coming of age · psychological thriller · small town · trauma recovery

The Poppy Fields

Nikki Erlick · Literary Fiction

Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.

found family · magical realism · trauma recovery · coming of age

Stay with Me

Ayobami Adebayo · Literary Fiction

"A novel about a married Nigerian couple who must grapple with staggering levels of loss and betrayal in their quest to create a family for…

coming of age · small town · trauma recovery

Fundamentally

Nussaibah Younis · Literary Fiction

Nadia is an academic who's been disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, Rosy.

coming of age · slow burn · trauma recovery · fish out of water

A Far-flung Life

M.L. Stedman · Literary Fiction

about tragedy, family secrets, and the enduring power of love.

historical fiction · trauma recovery

Let Us Descend

Jesmyn Ward · Literary Fiction

In this reimagining of American slavery, Jesmyn Ward describes a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans…

historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · dark academia

The River Is Waiting

Wally Lamb · Literary Fiction

Corby Ledbetter is struggling. New fatherhood, the loss of his job, and a growing secret addiction have thrown his marriage to his beloved Emily into…

coming of age · trauma recovery · redemption arc · morally grey character

Twelve Months

Jim Butcher · Fantasy

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times…

urban fantasy · redemption arc · quest · trauma recovery

The Pucking Wrong Guy

C. R. Jane · Romance

I came to L.A. for my fresh start...and then my past showed up. I'm happy. At least that's what I tell myself. I'm working hard to pursue my dreams.…

second chance romance · slow burn · sports romance · trauma recovery

The Black Farm

Elias Witherow · Horror

After the loss of a child along with a slew of agonizing misfortunes, Nick and Jess decide to end their lives.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · haunted setting

Souls in Ruin

Jacqueline White · Fantasy

Raven Kennedy’s Gild meets Jennifer L.

dark romance · revenge plot · obsessive love · trauma recovery · demons

The Silversmith

L. J. Claren · Fantasy

This slow-burn romantasy debut filled with yearning, tension, and forbidden love will feature an exclusive bonus chapter and foil on the cover.

slow burn · forbidden romance · chosen one · trauma recovery · quest

Godkiller

Hannah Kaner · Fantasy

INSTANT #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

grimdark · quest · found family · redemption arc · trauma recovery

Seven Days in June

Tia Williams · Romance

"Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides.

second chance romance · slow burn · found family · trauma recovery · romantic comedy

The Happy Ever After Playlist

Abby Jimenez · Romance

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track.

second chance romance · slow burn · found family · trauma recovery

The Honeys

Ryan La Sala · Horror

From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded…

dark academia · coming of age · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery

Maeve Fly

CJ Leede · Horror

By day, Maeve Fly works at the happiest place in the world as every child’s favorite ice princess.

psychological thriller · grimdark · trauma recovery

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini · Literary Fiction

Two women born a generation apart witness the destruction of their home and family in wartorn Kabul, losses incurred over the course of thirty years…

found family · historical fiction · trauma recovery

An American Marriage

Tayari Jones · Literary Fiction

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB 2018 SELECTION One of the most anticipated novels of 2018 according to Entertainment Weekly * Goodreads * Esquire * Elle *…

historical fiction · trauma recovery · twist ending

Reminders of Him

Colleen Hoover · Romance

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her…

second chance romance · coming of age · redemption arc · trauma recovery

Saving 6

Chloe Walsh · Romance

Joey Lynch has always been a protector.

found family · slow burn · trauma recovery · grumpy sunshine

Broken

Fatima Bala · Romance

"A rare and honest insight into a battle between the heart and mind." (LONDON POST) "Tradition and conservative culture serves as a backdrop for this…

coming of age · forbidden romance · trauma recovery · second chance romance

From Lukov with Love

Mariana Zapata · Romance

If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one.

enemies to lovers · slow burn · sports romance · trauma recovery · workplace romance

The Butcher

Jennifer Hillier · Mystery & Thriller

"Thirty years after police chief Edward Shank killed Seattle's infamous 'Beacon Hill Butcher', Shank's grandson, Matt, and Matt's girlfriend, Sam,…

psychological thriller · revenge plot · trauma recovery

Madwoman

Chelsea Bieker · Mystery & Thriller

'Chelsea Bieker breathes thrilling, risky energy into the familiar trope of the madwoman...

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · twist ending · unreliable narrator

Before I Go to Sleep

Steven J. Watson · Mystery & Thriller

it's good

psychological thriller · amnesia · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator · twist ending

No Place Left to Hide

Megan Lally · Mystery & Thriller

Some secrets just won't stay hidden in this twisty new thriller from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Lally!

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · survival · trauma recovery

Where the Crawdads Sing

Delia Owens · Mystery & Thriller

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast.

psychological thriller · small town · trauma recovery

Mean Spirited

Nick Roberts · Horror

An alcoholic teacher and father's world spirals out of control when a former student is killed and he is left with her dog and the dark presence that…

psychological thriller · haunted setting · trauma recovery · demons

The Bog Wife

Kay Chronister · Horror

. . Pick this one up for its exquisite characterization, decaying settings and a dash of Southern gothic horror." —Kiersten White, The New York Times…

gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · trauma recovery · psychological thriller

Mrs. Jekyll

Emma Glass · Horror

A brilliant, feminist retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s evergreen classic, The Strange Case of Dr.

psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · dark romance · trauma recovery · grimdark

The Remembered Soldier

Anjet Daanje · Literary Fiction

INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE LONGLIST NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST—THE NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2025—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL THE 10 BEST…

historical fiction · trauma recovery

The Forgotten Midwife

Laura Anthony · Literary Fiction

Set in the dual timelines of present-day and 1950s Ireland and based on real historical events, a powerful, poignant novel of feminism and resilience…

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

The Collected Regrets of Clover

Mikki Brammer · Literary Fiction

What’s the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can’t give yourself a beautiful life?

coming of age · trauma recovery · redemption arc

Train Dreams

Denis Johnson · Literary Fiction

Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams is an epic in miniature, one of his most evocative and poignant fictions.

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · survival

Shark Heart

Emily Habeck · Literary Fiction

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last.

slow burn · magical realism · trauma recovery

Lightbreakers

Aja Gabel · Literary Fiction

Named a Most Anticipated Book by LA Times, LitHub, and Harper's Bazaar What would you give to relive the past?

slow burn · multiple timelines · trauma recovery

Stone Yard Devotional

Charlotte Wood · Literary Fiction

. . A powerful, generous book' GUARDIAN 'Beautiful, strange and otherworldly' PAULA HAWKINS, bestselling author of A Slow Fire Burning 'It extends…

coming of age · trauma recovery

Immaculate Conception

Ling Ling Huang · Literary Fiction

What if you could enter the mind of the person you love the most?

coming of age · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery

The Stationery Shop

Marjan Kamali · Literary Fiction

"A novel set in 1953 Tehran, against the backdrop of the Iranian Coup, about a young couple in love who are separated on the eve of their marriage,…

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery

No One Is Talking About This

Patricia Lockwood · Literary Fiction

"From "a formidably gifted writer" (The New York Times Book Review), a book that asks: Is there life after the internet?

coming of age · trauma recovery

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Gail Honeyman · Literary Fiction

No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.

coming of age · found family · trauma recovery · redemption arc · cozy vibes

The Widows of Malabar Hill

Sujata Massey · Mystery & Thriller

"Introducing an extraordinary female lawyer-sleuth in a new historical series set in 1920s Bombay.

historical fiction · trauma recovery

Nowhere

Allison Gunn · Mystery & Thriller

"Rachel Kennan, the new police chief of a fundamentalist southern town, relies on her job to push through the pain of losing her young son and the…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · small town · morally grey character

A Flicker in the Dark

Stacy Willingham · Mystery & Thriller

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town.

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery · twist ending

Darkrooms

Rebecca Hannigan · Mystery & Thriller

'Haunting, fast-paced and unforgettable' KARIN SLAUGHTER 'Astonishing' LUCY ROSE A chilling thriller' PETER SWANSON A masterful, menacing debut' ANNA…

psychological thriller · small town · trauma recovery

The Girls' Trip

Zoe Miller · Mystery & Thriller

It was a holiday she would never let them forget ...

psychological thriller · twist ending · trauma recovery · cat and mouse

Edge of Darkness

Karen Rose · Mystery & Thriller

Homicide detective Adam Kimble is no stranger to battling demons.

psychological thriller · forbidden romance · cat and mouse · trauma recovery

Letters to the Purple Satin Killer

Joshua Chaplinsky · Mystery & Thriller

Jonas Williker is considered one of the most sadistic serial murderers of the modern era.

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery · cat and mouse

Final Girls

Riley Sager · Mystery & Thriller

Ten years ago, six friends went on vacation.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator · twist ending · survival

A Monster Calls

Patrick Ness · Literary Fiction

A brilliant, graphic novel written by young but promising Patrick Ness.

coming of age · trauma recovery · magical realism · found family

Soft Tissue Damage

Anna Whitwham · Literary Fiction

coming of age · trauma recovery

The Beach

Alex Garland · Literary Fiction

Een jonge reiziger komt met zijn metgezellen terecht op een verborgen, paradijselijk Thais eiland, dat langzaam aan verandert in een nachtmerrie.

coming of age · psychological thriller · closed circle · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery

This Here Is Love

Princess Joy L. Perry · Literary Fiction

“A luscious storyteller, Princess Joy L.

coming of age · trauma recovery

The Trees

Percival Everett · Literary Fiction

After a series of brutal murders in a rural Mississippi town, investigators arrive and discover a large number of similar cases that all have roots…

dark academia · psychological thriller · historical fiction · revenge plot · trauma recovery

The Artist

Lucy Steeds · Literary Fiction

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2025 A RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME IN APRIL 'A blaze of a book, poetic, passionate and quietly powerful'…

coming of age · trauma recovery · found family

Winter Garden

Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother?

found family · coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Hunger & Thirst

Claire Fuller · Literary Fiction

An addictively propulsive, richly nuanced and haunting story of horrors from Women’s Prize for Fiction finalist and Costa Novel Award–winning author…

coming of age · trauma recovery · psychological thriller

Burial Rites

Hannah Kent · Literary Fiction

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master,…

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · closed circle · trauma recovery

Brain Damage

Ava Stewart · Literary Fiction

Ava and her Mother began a wintry Tahoe Christmas with skis and smiles, but would end their foray with a life-flight to the traumatic care ward of a…

trauma recovery

Till We Have Faces

C. S. Lewis · Literary Fiction

This twist on an old story, is an exploration of love—between sisters, between friends, between teacher and pupil, between men and women.

coming of age · historical fiction · redemption arc · trauma recovery · forbidden romance

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy · Literary Fiction

A young woman finds herself the victim of fate and of forces beyond her control in nineteenth-century England.

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · morally grey character

Room

Emma Donaghue · Literary Fiction

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · coming of age · survival

Junie

Erin Crosby Eckstine · Literary Fiction

"A strong-willed enslaved girl is haunted by her sister's ghost as she grapples with circumstances beyond her control, risking her life as the Civil…

survival · trauma recovery · historical fiction · ghosts

Discipline

Larissa Pham · Literary Fiction

A taut, electrifying debut about a woman forced to confront unsettling truths about herself, her past, and the life she rebuilt following a ruinous…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator

Shuggie Bain

Douglas Stuart · Literary Fiction

Shuggie Bain is the unforgettable story of young Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public…

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Monster

Walter Dean Myers · Literary Fiction

While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a…

coming of age · unreliable narrator · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

Red Clay

Charles B. Fancher · Literary Fiction

An astounding multigenerational saga, Red Clay chronicles the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War…

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

Autumn

Ali Smith · Literary Fiction

A girl's friendship with an older neighbor stands at the center of this multifaceted meditation on aging, art, love, and affection.

magical realism · historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery

Happy Land

Dolen Perkins-Valdez · Literary Fiction

A woman learns the incredible story of a real-life American Kingdom—and her family’s ties to it—in this enthralling novel from the New York Times…

historical fiction · found family · coming of age · trauma recovery

Theodora's Tea Shop

Christy Anne Jones · Fantasy

A richly imagined, dark and dazzling cosy fantasy about learning to love ourselves by wondrous new Australian novelist, Christy Anne Jones.

dark academia · cozy vibes · trauma recovery · coming of age · gothic atmosphere

Jackal

Erin E. Adams · Mystery & Thriller

RECOMMENDED BY GILLIAN FLYNN ON THE TODAY SHOW • A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town.

psychological thriller · missing person · cat and mouse · trauma recovery

The Silence of the Girls

Pat Barker · Literary Fiction

A Washington Post Notable Book One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Economist, Financial Times Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award Finalist…

historical fiction · grimdark · trauma recovery

Three Days in June

Anne Tyler · Literary Fiction

**A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's…

coming of age · small town · found family · trauma recovery

The Things We Cannot Say

Kelly Rimmer · Literary Fiction

In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war.

historical fiction · trauma recovery · missing person · survival

Ancillary Justice

Ann Leckie · Sci-Fi

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

revenge plot · space opera · psychological thriller · quest · trauma recovery

The Sparrow

Mary Doria Russell · Sci-Fi

The Sparrow is a novel about a remarkable man, a living saint, a life-long celibate and Jesuit priest, who undergoes an experience so harrowing and…

space opera · first contact · trauma recovery · redemption arc · quest

The Radiant Dark

Alexandra Oliva · Sci-Fi

***Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore in this captivating novel that follows a family for over fifty years—a bold and compassionate exploration of the…

coming of age · multiple timelines · trauma recovery · space opera · found family

West of Wicked

Nikki St. Crowe · Fantasy

A dark, sexy, and twisted reimagining of The Wizard of Oz from USA Today bestselling author Nikki St.

dark romance · grimdark · forbidden romance · trauma recovery

How to End a Love Story

Yulin Kuang · Romance

The brilliant contemporary romance novel debut from Yulin Kuang, the acclaimed screenwriter of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation and director…

second chance romance · trauma recovery · slow burn

Drifting Dawn

Samantha Young · Romance

After eighteen years, I've come home to the Scottish island of my childhood.

second chance romance · small town · slow burn · romantic comedy · trauma recovery

Primal

Kayleigh King · Romance

From USA Today Bestselling Author, Kayleigh King, comes an angsty new rejected omega romance.

enemies to lovers · paranormal romance · fated mates · slow burn · trauma recovery

If You Stayed

Brittainy Cherry · Romance

"Brittainy Cherry's storytelling is brilliant and beautiful." —LUCY SCORE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over He was…

slow burn · second chance romance · amnesia · trauma recovery

Lost and Found

Tarah DeWitt · Romance

A stunning novel of romance and redemption filled with heartbreak and hope from the 'master of emotion' (Rachel Lynn Solomon) Tarah DeWitt Bea always…

second chance romance · found family · romantic comedy · trauma recovery · redemption arc

Evocation

S.T. Gibson · Horror

The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.

cosmic horror · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

Bad Cree

Jessica Johns · Horror

When Mackenzie wakes up with a severed crow’s head in her hands, she panics.

coming of age · magical realism · trauma recovery

Gerald's Game

Stephen King · Horror

Gerald and Jessie Burlingame have gone to their summer home on a warm weekday in October for a romantic interlude.

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · survival

Not Your Final Girl

Mikayla Randolph · Horror

A feminist slasher novel fueled by female rage and haunted by gruesome murders, in this contemporary reimagining of Tess of the D'Urbervilles there…

coming of age · revenge plot · trauma recovery · found family

Penance

Eliza Clark · Horror

A Guardian Best Book of the Year A Dazed Best Novel of 2023 'An unmissable banger.' ALICE SLATER 'A meta-meditation on the mysteries, malice, and…

dark academia · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery · closed circle

The Dead Zone

Stephen King · Horror

The Dead Zone is a science fiction thriller novel by Stephen King published in 1979.

psychological thriller · time travel · trauma recovery

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky · Literary Fiction

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school.

coming of age · found family · trauma recovery

And the Sea Gave Up the Dead

William Friend · Horror

For fans of Jennifer Thorne's Diavola and We Have Always Lived in the Castle comes William Friend's latest stunning novel where grief, mystery, and…

gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · trauma recovery · ghosts · small town

Talonsister

Jen Williams · Fantasy

Uncover a magical past that refuses to be forgotten in a world of mythical creatures and ruthless religion in this brand-new duology from the…

grimdark · chosen one · amnesia · trauma recovery · witches

The Summer War

Naomi Novik · Fantasy

In this poignant, heartfelt novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Spinning Silver and the Scholomance trilogy, a young witch who has…

redemption arc · witches · trauma recovery

Pieces of the Night

Jennifer Hartmann · Romance

I already had a life. A future. A man I'd promised forever to. But the night I found Chase Rhodes—bleeding, broken, and more lost than I…

second chance romance · slow burn · forbidden romance · trauma recovery

Older

Jennifer Hartmann · Romance

Halley is living a lie… and falling for someone she never should have met.

dark romance · forbidden romance · age gap · slow burn · trauma recovery

Archer's Voice

Mia Sheridan · Romance

From New York Times bestselling author Mia Sheridan comes an emotional, slow burn romance about a woman desperate to hide and the man who sees…

slow burn · trauma recovery · forced proximity · grumpy sunshine

Redeeming Love

Francine Rivers · Romance

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • The classic story that has captured the hearts of millions worldwide: a tragically wounded…

dark romance · historical fiction · redemption arc · trauma recovery

Last to Fall

Lynn H Blackburn · Romance

Bronwyn Pierce has poured everything into The Haven, her family's exclusive mountain resort in Gossamer Falls.

small town · slow burn · forced proximity · second chance romance · trauma recovery

All the Missing Pieces

Catherine Cowles · Romance

An all new, small-town romantic suspense from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles.

small town · grumpy sunshine · slow burn · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

Body of Lies

Jo Callaghan · Mystery & Thriller

The brand-new thriller featuring DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock from the award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of In the Blink of an Eye.

psychological thriller · cat and mouse · trauma recovery

Gray After Dark

Noelle West Ihli · Mystery & Thriller

A merciless wilderness. A harrowing attack. A desperate escape. When a tragic accident sidelines Miley's dreams of Olympic gold, she takes a summer…

psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival · closed circle · trauma recovery

Nobody Knows You're Here

Bryn Greenwood · Mystery & Thriller

A desperate woman fights to escape captivity in this gripping thriller from the New York Times-bestselling author of All the Ugly and Wonderful…

psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

Paper Cut

Rachel Taff · Mystery & Thriller

“Darkly addictive with a blistering pace and puzzle-box structure” —Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters A page-turning…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator · cat and mouse · survival

Those Girls

Chevy Stevens · Mystery & Thriller

"Life has never been easy for the three Campbell sisters.

psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery · revenge plot

Where He Left Me

Nicole Baart · Mystery & Thriller

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER From Nicole Baart, the bestselling author of Everything We Didn’t Say, comes a twisty, atmospheric novel about a newlywed…

missing person · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

13 Reasons Why

Jay Asher · Mystery & Thriller

Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch.

psychological thriller · revenge plot · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery

A Sea of Unspoken Things

Adrienne Young · Mystery & Thriller

"In this captivating atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow, a woman investigates her twin…

psychological thriller · trauma recovery · ghosts

The Other

Thomas Tryon · Horror

NYRB Classics presents the landmark psychological horror novel about 13-year-old twins living in a bucolic New England town—one good and the other…

psychological thriller · haunted setting · trauma recovery

The Graceview Patient

Caitlin Starling · Horror

Misery meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers in this genre-bending, claustrophobic hospital gothic from the bestselling author of The Death of Jane…

psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · trauma recovery · closed circle

The Cold House

A.G. Slatter · Horror

When Everly’s husband and young daughter die in a car crash she finds out nothing is quite what she thought… Secrets, lies and grief collide in this…

haunted setting · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery · twist ending

Brother

Ania Ahlborn · Horror

"Deep in the heart of Appalachia stands a crooked farmhouse miles from any road.

coming of age · trauma recovery · gothic atmosphere · grimdark

Firestarter

Stephen King · Horror

Firestarter is a science fiction-horror thriller novel by Stephen King, first published in September 1980.

survival · coming of age · trauma recovery · psychological thriller · high stakes survival

A Head Full of Ghosts

Paul Tremblay · Horror

"The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute…

psychological thriller · haunted setting · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery

The Dumb House

John Burnside · Horror

As a child, Luke’s mother often tells him the story of the Dumb House, an experiment on newborn babies raised in silence, designed to test the…

psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery

The Summer I Died

Ryan C. Thomas · Horror

So much screaming. Roger Huntington is home from college for the summer, and he and his best friend, Tooth, can't wait to start having fun. It's…

high stakes survival · trauma recovery · found family

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport

Paulette Kennedy · Horror

The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman…

historical fiction · haunted setting · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

Juniper & Thorn

Ava Reid · Horror

From highly acclaimed, bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · dark romance · redemption arc · trauma recovery · witches