As a long-time, avid reader, I enjoy recommending books to people. I have been logging my books on Goodreads since 2021, and I have grown quite an extensive collection of recommendations. Here are three books that are severely underrated, but everyone should read.Â
1. “Girl in Pieces” by Kathleen Glasgow
Trigger warning: This book discusses self-harm, suicide and drug use.Â
“Girl in Pieces” is a fiction novel that follows the story of a teenage girl named Charlotte “Charlie” Davis. The book describes how Charlie has suffered with mental health and family issues since she was young. She is taken to a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, Charlie was released from the hospital and left unhoused. She moves to a new city and attempts to put her life back together piece by piece.
I read this book four years ago, and to this day, it remains my favorite book. It is always my first recommendation when people ask. As a social work student, I particularly enjoy mental health-related books. However, due to how well-written and engaging this narrative is, anyone would love this one.Â
2. “This is Where it Ends” by Marieke Nijkamp
Trigger warning: This book involves a school shooting.
“This is Where it Ends” is an intense fiction novel that tells the story of a high school shooting. It involves the first-person viewpoints of four students: Autumn, Claire, Slyv and Thomas. All of these students have various relationships with the shooter, Tyler, a fellow student. The book concludes with a tragic plot twist.
This book describes the horror of school shootings and how they affect students directly. School shootings are a huge problem in our country, so everyone should read this book, or one similar, because this is an unfortunate reality that many students face. It creates a feeling of empathy, and many people in the world do not have empathy anymore.
3. “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson
Trigger warning: This book discusses sexual assault.
“Speak” tells the story of the main character, Melinda Sordino, and her freshman year of high school. After being sexually assaulted at a party before the school year started, Melinda is rejected by her peers for calling the police to the party. Throughout the narrative, she struggles with anxiety, loneliness, trauma and depression. By the end of the year, life has started to look up for her after she confronts her rapist and other girls come forward about what he has done to them.Â
I loved reading this book because the author framed how sexual assault affects someone in such a distinct way. It shows Melinda’s individual trauma response and that is a great way to teach people how reactions to traumatic events or triggers can look differently for everyone.Â
These books all have some sort of significant life event that shapes the character, or characters, drastically. After reading them, I always feel more aware of how I treat people and their past experiences because you do not ever know what someone is going through, or has been through. These books teach valuable lessons that everyone should know.