Eight Devestarting Books That May Make You Cry

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3 days ago

Recently, u/PublicConstruction55 asked r/suggestmeabook, "Please suggest a book that will devastate me," so we thought we'd share some of the suggestions.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
"Man, that book is absolutely devastating. A love letter to a son he knew he'd have to entrust to the world long before he was ready to." –ArturosDadAbout the book: This haunting novel follows a father and son as they struggle to survive in a desolate post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Night by Elie Wiesel
"This book took me weeks to finish as I could only read a few pages at a time. A story that should always be told, and its lessons never forgotten."–AlReduxAbout the book: This is the memoir of Elie Wiesel, telling his personal account of his experience of being in concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald with his father towards the end of the Second World War.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
"This was the first book that ever devastated me. My dad had the best intentions when he decided to share one of his favourite childhood stories with us kids as our bed time story, but the devastation and sense of betrayal was very palpable when we got to a certain part of that novel."–Sisu4864About the book: This children's book follows a young boy who trains two dogs for hunting, we follow their adventures and the bond that grows between them.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
"I read this in a course so I knew a bit of what was coming and I still cried through the last few chapters. I recommend this to every person who will listen."–veronavillainyAbout the book: This dystopian novel follows a group of students growing up in a different, dark version of modern day England. It's a story of friendship, love, and considers what it means to be human.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
"This is the one. My go-to when I need to cry."–davesmissingfingersAbout the book: Beginning as a short story before being expanded into a book, Flowers for Algernon follows unintelligent Charlie Gordon. After getting an operation to expand his IQ, Charlie is also introduced to heartache.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
"I don't think I ever cried so hard at a book. It shattered me and I read it in three hours. Goodreads labels it as YA/middle school but don't believe it, it's beyond that. It deals with death and grief so it's obviously not a happy book, but it's a great one. It's so raw that it's not a novel I like to recommend, but you asked for a book to shatter your soul."–unifartcornAbout the book: We follow Conor, a lonely boy who's struggling to to deal with his mother's illness. When a monster visits him in the night, he's forced to face the truths he's been hiding from.
My Lobotomy by by Howard Dully
"I just finished My Lobotomy. It's a memoir of a man who was lobotomised when he was 12. I bawled my eyes out"–Bookophillia
Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala
"It's a beautifully written memoir about her family and the changes that unexpectedly transformed her life following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and Tsunami. I'm still thinking about this book one year after reading it."–KAM1953
H/T to u/PublicConstruction55 and r/suggestmeabook for the recommendations!
Any of your own to add? Let us know in the comments below.