Standalone Sad Books- For When You Want A Real Weeper

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I've been toying with the idea of writing another list for a while, and I was going to start a list of new adult romances, but then I started thinking about the opposite side of the genre, the books where you just, can't stop bawling. 

So here's a list of books I've accumilated, which I couldn't stop crying whilst reading them. 

I hope you like it. 

1. Before I Die, by Jenny Downham 

I didn't even have to scroll down to find this photo- that's how long ago I first read this. The fact that I still consider this one of my biggest tear-jerker's, still-says something. 

As you can probably tell from the cover, this is a book about a girl with cancer. But before she dies, she has a list of things she has to do. And we get to go on that journey with her. And the inevitable deterioration and the emotional punch at the ending. 

Honestly, just thinking about the ending makes me start to tear up. 

Honestly guys, I cannot recommend this book enough- just read it. 

2. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult 

I feel like most people, if they haven't read the book, they've seen the film. Yeah, it's another cancer book, but at the same time, it also isn't. There are so many strands of plot, that all weave to make one very sad and sensational story. It jumps from POV to POV over the course of the book and although it's just 400 pages, the emotional impact that's threaded into each and every chapter will just make you weep, because in the matter of family, there's no black and white.

3. The Start of Me and You, by Emery Lord

When I heard about this, it didn't seem like there was a whole lot to premise. A year after Paige lost her boyfriend in a horrific accident, Paige is finally ready for a shot at normalicy- it go back to high school. She has a list of things she needs to do. 1) Find a boyfriend- to convince everyone she's fine, 2) join a school club and 3) swim (her boyfriend died from drowning). The Start of Me and You, although it's sad, didn't think I was going to be bawling. 

I was so wrong. About as wrong as I could be. You guys, this book packs a punch. Before reading this, Paige just seemed like another protagonist who had suffered a traumatic event, but because of how real she felt, everything she felt, you also feel. You feel her pain, her hope, and you see this messy, vulnerable journey she goes on, to rebuild her life again. 

An absolute marvel, I could not stop crying. 

4. Five Feet Apart, by Rachel Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Laconis

I read this in one night, it was that gripping. You live the life of Stella and Will who, because they both have cystitic fibrosis, have only ever been inside a hospital room. And when they want to be together, but can't even be within six feet, your heart cries out for them. It's more than a want with these two, it's a need for, just a simple hug. But when your life rests on you keeping your distance from the one you want to be close to the most, how can you not cry? Sob fest, constantly.

5. The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Stedman

Going into this, I knew precisely zero about what this was about. I went into it completely blind and that is how I believe you should go into it. It tore my heart and my tear ducts to absolute shreds. 

Out of all of these books, this has the most mature themes to them. Trigger warning for miscarriages, stillbirths, isolation, and having a child taken, so stay away from this if those kinds of themes are upsetting for you. It remains one of my favourite standalones to this day, and I know that the second I want an emotional read, that this will be the book I reach for. 

Heart-shatteringly good, you'll barely be able to see the words on the page, I guarantee you'll be crying that much. 

6. How to Make Friends With the Dark, by Kathleen Glasgow

I've been lucky enough to not have been through the turmoil of losing a loved one yet, but one of the people I dread losing the most is my Mum. Imagine the last thing you ever said to your mum being spiteful and mean? That's what Tiger has to go through in How to Make Friends with the Dark. Now, this is a sad book. You know that from the premise. But what made this a real weaper above the rest is that the grief process that Tiger experiences isn't glamourised in the slightest. There are upsetting themes within this book, but it's written in the highest amount of sensitivity. This book is real, raw and so bloody emotional and although no book can ever prepare a person of the crushing pain of losing a loved one, this feels like a pretty realistic interpretation.

7. The Ghosts We Keep, by Mason Deaver

My final book on this list. Pretty similar to the book above- it's about losing a brother, also suddenly and without warning. I have a twin, I don't think I could imagine life without him, and him me. You have a different relationship with your siblings than with anyone else in the entire world. Sometimes you hate eachother's guts, like when they tell tales when you're children, and vise versa. But then you grow up, they move away, but in those gatherings when you're together again, it's like no time has passed. I can't even imagine what it's like to know you'll never squabble or play fight again. The Ghosts We Keep follows Liam, who has lost his brother in a hit and run and now must figure out a way to deal with life without Ethan, and also learn to navigate their identity without the one person they could have confided in. 

Not that the speed with which I read a book is any measure on how sad or good the book was, but I finished this in two days. This starts of as a sad book, and it stays sad throughout, but this book is hopeful too. It's a book about brothers, new love, acceptance and grief, and it's phenomenally written. Highly recommend this if you want a sad book, but also a book about hope. 

Okay! Those are my sad book recommendations! I hope you enjoyed them, and if you have any recommendations for me, I'd love to hear about them in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all with my wrap up! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx