A good book can do many things to you: make you understand, laugh or reconsider your life. But the tried and true scale of a book’s worth can always be measured by the number of tears it makes you shed. Here are ten books that will have you reaching for the tissues.
- Room by Emma Donoghue
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Room tells the absolutely horrifying story of a five-year-old boy, Jack, and his mother, living in a place called Room. Told from Jack’s perspective, Room is all he’s ever known. What he doesn’t know, however, is that Room is the place where Jack’s mother was kidnapped and placed in seven years prior. Room describes the unbreakable bond between a mother and her son, and how far she will go to protect her son from darkness.
- She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
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Personally, She’s Come Undone is one of the best books I’ve ever read. She’s Come Undone follows the life of Dolores Price, a teenager who, after being sexually abused, turns to food for comfort. As Dolores continues to experience heartbreak well into her adult years, she struggles to find self-acceptance in a world that was so cruel to her. This coming-of-age novel is absolutely beautifully written, and a complete page-turner.
- All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
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Beginning in Nazi Germany, All the Light We Cannot See follows the young life of Marie-Larue, and the journey that she and her father take to escape danger. Simultaneously, the book tells the story of Werner, an orphaned German prodigy, as he navigates Nazi Germany. This heartbreaking novel illustrates how powerful loss is; and how the tiniest bit of light can change everything.
- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
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Set in the 1980s in Omaha, Nebraska, Rainbow Rowell beautifully illustrates the unlikely connection between Eleanor and Park, two awkward and seemingly out-of-place teenagers. The two meet on the school bus, and their relationship grows from there. Alternating between Eleanor and Park’s point of view, the two misfit high schoolers form a connection. Beautifully written and absolutely tragic, Eleanor & Park is a unique young adult novel that will definitely move you to tears.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
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This book is composed of a series of letters written from the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school, addressed to an unknown reader. As he struggles with all the typical challenges of high school -like trying to fit in and make friends- he continues to grapple with trauma from his childhood. Absolutely gut-wrenching and deeply personal, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a must-read.
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
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Set in Afghanistan, The Kite Runner describes an unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and his father’s servant’s son. The Kite Runner tells the story of relationships and connections, and how powerful our personal bonds can be.
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
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Out of all of the books on this list, Beloved is definitely the one that made me weep uncontrollably. Toni Morrison, one of the most talented American writers, tells the story of a former slave named Sethe, who lives in Ohio. Alternating between her flashbacks and her present experiences, Sethe struggles to come to terms with her history– and the ways in which it continues to manipulate the present.
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
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The Namesake starts in India and illustrates the arranged marriage between Ashima and Ashoke. The couple moves all the way to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they have a son named Gogol. The family struggles to adapt to the change of American culture and fit into their new life. This heartbreaking novel shows the unbreakable strength of familial love in a culture that refuses to accept them.
- My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
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My Sister’s Keeper describes the relationship between two sisters, Kate and Anna Fitzgerald. Kate suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia, and Kate is assigned to be Anna’s bone marrow and blood donor. Jodi Piculout tells the story of sisterhood, loss and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the ones we love.
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
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The Giving Tree might be the saddest children’s book ever written. The short story tells the story of a young boy’s friendship with a tree, and the progression of their relationship as he grows up and becomes an adult. A childhood classic, The Giving Tree beautifully connects loneliness, growing up and unconditionally loving someone who doesn’t reciprocate the same feelings.
Sometimes, there’s no better feeling than curling up with a good book and letting out a cry. Whether it is a Pulitzer Prize novel or a children’s picture book, there’s nothing as cathartic as sobbing your eyes out at the end of a book. Hopefully one of these books will do the same for you.