- The Memory of Animals – Claire Fuller
- Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn
- A Rip in Heaven – Jeanine Cummins
- American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis
- Dark Matter – Blake Crouch
- Tender is the Flesh – Augustina Bazterrica
- Haunted – Chuck Palahniuk
When I sat down to write this list (which was supposed to be a cheeky, cozy Halloween roundup), I realized that the titles I selected were anything but. Tis the season for horror after all, but these ones cut deep enough to stay with me long after I finished them.
So with that said, please note: Many of these books contain graphic violence, psychological abuse, or disturbing themes including self-harm and sexual trauma. Please take care in choosing what you read.
The Memory of Animals – Claire Fuller
It probably wasn’t the best idea to read this one while coming off the heels of a global pandemic, but I did. From the first sentence, the book is chaotic and extremely unsettling, as Fuller pulls you into a world where grief, memory, and obsession twist together. It’s haunting and completely unforgettable.
Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn
From the author of Gone Girl comes another dark psychological thriller. I read this one at my cottage, in the quiet of rural Ontario, and immediately questioned that decision. Flynn has a beautiful way of crafting a slow, unsettling descent; you think you know where the story is going until she turns everything upside down. A perfect quick read for Halloween season.
A Rip in Heaven – Jeanine Cummins
For true crime lovers, this one’s a gem. In 1991, Cummins’ brother and cousins were victims of a violent robbery. Her brother survived—but was then accused of his cousins’ murder. It’s an intense and heartbreaking story that’s even more haunting because it’s true.
“A Rip in Heaven is true crime, but it approaches the genre from a unique angle. Its focus is on a man named Tom Cummins, who was not only the victim of this particular crime, but also spent time as the chief suspect. The twist is that the author, Jeanine Cummins (who has recently found herself in the center of a different kind of storm), is Tom’s sister. Thus, the potentiality is there for a rare kind of intimacy in the narrative, with Cummins given the opportunity to both look in from without, and out from within.” — Matt on Goodreads
American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis
The only way to describe my experience of this book is that I had many moments like that infamous GIF of Bert from Sesame Street slowly looking up from a book. You may be familiar with the 2000 film adaptation of this novel starring Christian Bale, and while it’s already a horror, the book goes far further in detail and intensity.
Dark Matter – Blake Crouch
This book makes me want to wipe my memory clean just so I can read it for the first time again. It’s a roller coaster from start to finish, and I loved every second of it. This fast-paced, mind-bending thriller follows Jason Dessen—a physics professor pulled into an alternate version of his own life—as he confronts every version of “what could’ve been.”
“To you, that little pond is an entire universe. Now imagine that someone reaches down and lifts you out of the pond. You see that what you thought was the entire world is only a small pool. You see other ponds. Trees. The sky above. You realize you’re a part of a much larger and more mysterious reality that you had ever dreamed of.“
Tender is the Flesh – Augustina Bazterrica
Another true horror selection and transgressive fiction at its finest. Let’s just say I appreciated the larger societal commentary, but the way it was delivered… not so much. The world Bazterrica builds is brutal, grotesque, and relentless. It’s not an easy read, but if you’re drawn to fiction that shocks and unsettles, it’s worth it.
Haunted – Chuck Palahniuk
Palahniuk is best known for the cult-classic Fight Club, but Haunted proves he can shock just as hard in his lesser-known work. I love the structure of this book: 23 short stories nested in an overarching narrative, in which writers are invited to a retreat in an abandoned mansion. Deprived of heat and food, the darkness in their surroundings begins to seep into their stories.
Fun fact: A short story in this book, Guts, famously caused over 60 fainting episodes during Palahniuk’s live readings. So yes, this one is highly graphic. Consider yourself warned.
Final Thoughts
If I’m picking up a dark, unsettling book and it doesn’t make me need to go for a walk afterward, I’m not interested. These are just a few that had that effect on me. What about you?
See you soon,
Crumb & Quill 
Leave a comment