1. I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
If you only read one book this year, make it this one. This book still has me shook. I ended up staying awake till 3 in the morning because I had to figure out what was going on. Basically, it starts out with a couple driving in the car on the way to visit the man’s family home. The narrator has decided that she wants to end things with her boyfriend and is trying to find the right way to do it. The first few chapters of the book are relatively normal (although slightly unsettling). However, once they get out of the car the story continues to escalate in eeriness until the very end. I picked this book up with no knowledge of what it was going to be about, and it ended up scaring the shit out of me while also giving me a lot to think about. Everything about this book makes it weirdly disturbing but impossible to put down. This book really captures suspense and anticipation while giving a whole new perspective of mental illness.
2. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
If you’re a fan of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn then Sharp Objects is right up your alley. Reporter Camille Preaker must return to her hometown in Wind Gap, Missouri in order to investigate the murder of two teenage girls. Camille’s childhood was pretty messed up, causing her to have some dark secrets. She quickly realizes that the town she has tried so hard to escape from has some twisted secrets of its own. This book is a psychological thriller with some major plot twists. It leaves room for the reader to guess what is going on, but I was shocked by the ending. As far as murder mysteries go, this one is dark and gripping.
3. It by Stephen King
This one is pretty self explanatory. If you haven’t seen It at the movies where have you been? While I found the movie to be a nice mixture of funny and scary, the book is pretty disturbing. It happens to be like a thousand pages which is scary in itself. Though we all know the basic plot of It, Stephen King goes into way more depth in the book. King’s method of writing has a way of making even the most ordinary things seem really creepy. One of the most memorable parts of this book for me was his description of a faucet running. The language he uses turned the sound of water dripping into the most unsettling experience. While this book is very long I definitely recommend reading it just so that you can fully experience the horror of Stephen King’s storytelling ability. You can also see how the book was modified for the movie and read certain disturbing scenes that were cut out of the film version.
4. We Were Liars by E. Lockart
This is another book that shook me. We were Liars is about a damaged girl who decides to return to her family’s summer home after being away from them for awhile and not hearing from her closest friends who live there. She knows that something important has happened since she was last there but she can’t remember what. This book was full of suspense and had me constantly questioning what was going on. The title is accurate in the sense that you have to distinguish the lies from the truth. It is very powerful and emotional and has a completely shocking ending.