Darker Fiction allows us to explore scary and unwanted realistic topics or follow along with witches and necromancers for magical adventures.
This list is also available by podcast. (Alchemy of Genres)
Bod (aka Nobody) is adopted , and kept safe/hidden by ghosts in a graveyard when he goes there as a baby on the night that his family is murdered. The man who committed the crime, Jack, is still out there somewhere. Fast forward 10 years and now Bod is 13 and has finally made a friend and is thinking about school and life....and options. As he contemplates all of these things, he inadvertently resets the events that have been paused since the night of the murders so long ago. Can Bod have a "real" life without danger?
This is an awesome, sweet and twisted story which won a number of awards but is nonetheless perfect for a list featuring darker elements.
You don't get a lot of female serial killers, in real life or in fiction. Thankfully McGinnis kindly helps us out with this story. Three years ago Alex's older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free. Alex is watching and planning for justice and retribution though. She keeps to herself as she knows she can't be trusted near "people". McGinnis dives deep into trauma, revenge and the preconceived ideas that can conflict with facts; as well as the ideas of guilt and innocence (with endless areas of gray in between). This is a deep and satisfying thriller of a dark tale.
Hwani's family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest near a gruesome crime scene. The only thing they remember: their captor wore a painted-white mask. To escape the haunting memories of the incident--the family flees their hometown. Years later, Detective Min (Hwani's father) learns that 13 girls have recently disappeared under similar circumstances and so he returns to their old hometown to investigate; only to also disappear himself. Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore her family apart, Hwani returns to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small villagee and reconnects with her now estranged sister, Hwani comes to realize that the answer lies within her own buried memories of what happened all those years ago.
Hur combines actual historical facts and events in this book and delves into the dark and often unspoken reality of the costs of war and politics.
Dread Nation deals with issues of racism, colorism, misogyny and slavery with the added extra element of zombies. In this reality, zombies interrupted the Civil War at Gettysburg and changed history as we know it in our reality. Jane is an excellent fighter, though she was forced into the school by law and really all she wants is to go home (though secretly she is afraid it is no longer there). When Jane and another girl are sent West, they find a town filled with lies and evil....and a horde of zombies on the way. This is an excellent book, not for the faint hearted though.
The first time the nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she is trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland, with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an over-protective mom, a high maintenance best friend and a slipped GPA. Keeping the Nighmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. When Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she's ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her hear.....literally.
I love an Alice in Wonderland redo; and by moving this to the US, changing the background and ethnicity of the main character and making it more violent McKinney has made this different but still recognizably Alice of Carroll's fame. The way it's written made me think of Buffy (going to school while saving the world); but the character of Alice is original and has her own special talents and issues. Highly recommended.
For a runawau boy who goes by the name Punkzilla, kicking a meth habit and a life of petty crime in Portland, OR is a prelude to a mission....reconnecting with his older brother, a gay man dying of cancer in Memphis, TN. Against a backdrop of seedy motels, dicey bus stations, and hitched rides, the desperate 14 year old meets a colorful, sometimes dangerous, cast of characters. And in letters to his sibling, he catalogs them all--from an abusive stranger and a ghostly girl to a kind transsexual and an old woman with an oozing eye. The language is raw and revealing, crackling with visceral details and dark humor yet with each interstate exit Punkzilla's journey grows more urgent. Will he make it to TN in time? This is an older book, with a terrible cover....but it won a ton of awards and Adam Rapp is unafraid of hitting you right in the head (and heart) with a stream of consciousness story that will rip your heart out. Yup, cannot say more, except...you should read this.
Chloe Doe chronicles a 17 year old girl's tumultuous path to becoming a prostitute and her ultimate transformation back into mainstream society. During her therapy at Madeline Parker Institute for Girls, Chloe slowly reveals aspects of her painful past--the stepfather who abused her sister, the mother who let it all happen, the need to love and be loved--and faces the future she finally decides to build for herself.
This is another dark and powerful tale that is important to read if only to familiarize yourself with other life experiences. These things do happen, and condemnation/judgement without any idea of what led a person to that point; well, it's just wrong. Honestly, condemnation & judgement are kind of pet peeves, and books which examine reality in all its ugliness help combat that.
Muted is a dark story of a man with power, charisma and connections using young girls for their talent and drive; and ultimately destroying them. I have spoken about this title before (in my poetry issue); but it definitely belongs here as well. It's a quick read due to the poetry format and is a great read. It also helps to expose some of the things that happen in entertainment and make a person think.
This is another from my poetry list, but again, bringing it here due to the subject matter. Splintering is a dark tale of the after effects of a home invasion. It is told in multiple voices and pulls no punches.
Melody was horribly burned in a childhood accident and is a pariah at school due to her obvious injuries. Amy Green is "the girl"; beautiful, popular and out of reach for regular mortals. Leon is an average guy who knows he has no shot with Amy, but dreams about it anyway. Leon isn't interested in dating Melody but he feels badly for her; and thanks to adjoining lockers and a random bad joke; they begin a tentative friendship. Turns out, Melody is an awesome person, but Leon finds it embarrassing to be seen with her (lest anyone think they are dating). Amy is bland, and a bit full of herself, but when she asks him out, if he accepts, he knows everyone will envy him.
I wish I could say that this was a fairy tale where the guy magically learns to treasure a person for their personality rather than their looks & status; but I can't. Katcher kept this story real, and maybe, it will make you look at yourself and that "need to be admired" trait we all have .....and ask what choices you would make.
Sex has always come without consequences for 17 year old Evan. In each new town and new school, he can count on plenty of action before he and his father movie again, especially with his strategy of "The Girl Who Would Say Yes". Then he hooks up with the wrong girl, and meets her in the wrong place and finds himself in the hospital bleeding and broken from an assault. His father takes him to the family cabin in rural Minnesota so Evan's body can heal and he can stay in one place for awhile. But his mind can't stop remembering what happened. Nothing seems safe anymore. The fear and the guilty are inescapable. He can't sort out how he feels about anyone, least of all himself. The cabin is in a small town where everyone knows each other well, but Evan has never had that. Forming friendships or contemplating a romantic relationship feels unattainable to Evan, but maybe a small town (and some therapy) can help untangle this mess of sex and violence.
This is a really good book on a topic not many discuss; male trauma from assault. Evan is so lost and scared and not sure if any of this is his fault; and going through some very dark times psychologically.
Myers book is a look at the juvenile justice system and is frank and explosive (and has aged really well, as so many things, sadly, haven't changed even 20 years later). A young man making bad choices is facing unfathomable consequences. This is a quick read thanks to an interesting format and writing style (movie scripts of his life he writes in his head). It is a dark look at the pipeline to prison and inequitable justice system and was so well done, that Myers won numerous awards for it. It is also available in graphic novel format.
This graphic novel is set in the 90's at a boy scout camp where a young man realizes his sexuality and faces losing his last bastion of hope and normalcy. ...because he loves the scouts, but "real scouts" can't be gay. For an already struggling and ostracized boy, the thought of losing that last think brings darkness and despair.
This book is a look at anti-gay biases, homophobia and toxic masculinity in the disguise of "boys being boys"...all from the point of view of a lost and hurting twelve year old boy. This is a very hard read, because the imagery and the despair are almost palpable; but I encourage you to do so because denying the darkness exists doesn't help. Providing hope and love and that things do get better will feel even more important after reading; and while it is set in the 90's, none of those issues have really gone away so.....yeah. Read this. Bring tissues.
I read this under a slightly different title (H2O) but still the same book.
In this SF thriller, we find that the destruction of an asteroid that was due to hit the Earth has dire consequences when the small and microscopic debris mixes with our atmosphere, making our water toxic....and deadly.
An interesting and dark look at an environmental apocalypse.
Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he'll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills (and maybe meet some girls). Sounds awesome and he is excited. Everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy's only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits CA, with catastrophic consequences and everything is changed. The earthquake is only the first disaster, and suddenly it's a fight to survive for those left living....and for those stranded at sea, it's an even tougher fight.
This book sucks you in quick and will definitely make you think about what you would do should the worst happen.
15 year old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in the hospital....the psych ward specifically. Clearly this is all a big mistake. Forget about the bandages on his wrists and the notes on his chart. Forget about the problems with his best friend Allie and her boyfriend Burke. Jeff is perfectly fine, and perfectly normal--not like the other kids in here with him. But a funny thing happens as his 45 day sentence drags on; the crazies start to seem less crazy and maybe "normal" isn't a real thing after all.
Ford provides dark humor and a deep dive into depression, suicide and families that you should definitely read.
Hermione Winters has been a flyer. She's been the captain of her cheerleading team and the envied girlfriend and undisputed queen of her school. Now it's senior year and she is thinking about her future--thinking she is ready for anything. But then someone puts something in her drink at a party and in an instant she finds herself wearing new labels. Victim. Survivor. That Raped Girl.
This is a book about the aftermath of trauma...about how things can change in an instant...but it's also about friendships and strength. It's about refusing to let bad things destroy you.
Yadriel has summoned a ghost and now he can't get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo (male witch). With the help of his cousin and best friend, Maritza, he performs the ritual himself and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He is determined to find out what happened and exact justice. Yadriel agrees to help (he really doesn't have much of a choice).
The darkness in this book is in the form of witchcraft (that works), ghost, and Santa Muerte (a diety of Death); but it is also about transgender bias, family acceptance and not being afraid to follow your heart.
Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhorsen....a necromancer who sends the dead back when evil sorcerers summon them. When her father disappears she must take up his post, as Abhorsen, while searching for what happened to him.
Nix gives great detail in this fantasy novel, with seven gates of death, bell rituals to summon and cast out revenants, magical constructs and the obligatory fantastical quest. This is a fully realized fantasy series (one of my favs) which explores the nature of death (and life).
The audio version is told by actor Tim Curry (and is amazing).
Deerskin is a fairy tale retelling of an obscure old tale. In it a girl transforms into a deer after an unspeakable trauma (indeed, she cannot even remember what it is for much of the book). There are dark themes of rape and incest; but it is also about a girl taking back her power and confronting evil.
This is an old book, perhaps hard to find; but it is terrible and beautiful in equal measures.
New London, TX in 1937. Naomi Vorgas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them, "no negroes, mexicans or dogs allowed".
They know the people who enforce those lines. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful that it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences of breaking the rules can be explosive.
Ashley Hope Perez takes the facts of the 1937 New London school explosion (one of the worst school disasters in American history) and uses it as a backdrop for a riveting novel about segregation, love, family and the forces that destroy.
A look at some dark, but important to know, pieces of United States history told in a fictional way.
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