“The only difference between a happy ending and a sad ending is where you decide the story ends.”
Everyone loves HEAs (Happily Ever Afters). But, after years of growing up on stories of superheroes and fairytales, sometimes it’s nice to find some books with sad endings that dump a sucker punch of a finale at you. In fact, just like how some people love listening to sad music or watching a sombre movie, there’s something so much more powerful about a book that ends on a sombre note. Whether they’re stories that are cathartic throughout, end on a poignant but hopeful note, or dish out a sudden tragic twist during their climax, sad books make us frustrated, angry or heartbroken on behalf of the literary friends we’ve immersed ourselves with. Which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would take a look across the fiction world at some of our favourite books with sad endings and heart-breaking finales that we’re still not over!
(We’ll also be doing our best to keep this list as spoiler-free as possible).
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
Kicking off our list of books with sad endings is Markus Zusak’s acclaimed historical fiction story, The Book Thief. In 1939 Germany, by her brother’s gravestone, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up an object partially hidden in the snow. Left behind by accident, it is The Gravedigger’s Handbook and becomes her first instance of book thievery. Thus begins Liesel’s love affair with all things books and words.
Aided by her accordion-playing father, Liesel teaches herself how to read. She soon begins to steal books from Nazi book burnings, the mayor’s wife’s personal library and just about anywhere else she can get her hands on. But, these are dangerous times. When her family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up and closed down.
Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
Hailsham appears to be the perfect pristine English boarding school. Nestled far away from the influences of the city, the students are taught art and literature are all impeccably behaved, and become just the sort of people the world wants them to be. However, they are never taught anything about the world outside of the school walls and are allowed very little contact with it.
Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman at Hailsham, but it is only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave their sanctuary do they begin to realise exactly what the full truth of it is. A beautifully told love story, gripping mystery and stunning social commentary on how we treat others in society, Kazuo Ishiguro’s dystopian novel Never Let Me Go is the perfect go-to for anyone looking for a sombre ending!
The Song Of Achilles – Madeline Miller
Achilles, son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is swift, strong, handsome and irresistible to anyone who meets him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after a single act of shocking violence. Brought together by sheer chance, they risk the gods’ wrath as they strike up an unbreakable bond in Madeline Miller’s lauded retelling of the Iliad from Patroclus’ perspective.
The pair train at the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine. But, after news of Helen of Sparta’s kidnapping, the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Achilles is lured to the fight by the promise of an immortalised legacy. Out of loyalty, Patroclus follows. Yet, neither of them knows that the cruel Fates will test them like never before, and demand a terrible final sacrifice.
Check Out The Best Greek Mythology Books
Of Mice And Men – John Steinbeck
One of the most famous classic books with sad endings, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is not only a tragic tale of two close friends, but also a wider commentary of the United States during the Great Depression. On the surface, George and Lennie look an unlikely pair. George is small and sharp, whereas Lennie is a mountain of a man but with the mind of a small child.
Yet, together, they have formed a sort of family, depending on one another in the face of alienation and loneliness. They are attempting to eek out an existence as labourers across California’s dusty vegetable fields. But, they also have a plan: make as much money as they can, buy an acre of land of their own and build a home that they can call their own. Of Mice and Men is a timeless portrait of dreams and friendship in the face of misunderstanding, jealousy and callousness.
Check Out The Best Sad Short Stories
The Vegetarian – Han Kang
Before the nightmare, Yeong-hye and her husband lived a perfectly normal life. But, when splintering, blood-soaked images begin to plague her thoughts, she decides to stop eating meat and purge her mind. In a land where social mores are devoutly followed, Yeong-hye’s decision to embrace a plant-like existence is a shocking act of subversion.
As her rebellion manifests in increasingly shocking and extreme forms, scandal, abuse and estrangement begin to send Yeong-hye into a spiral of her own fantasies. In one of the best body horror books with sad endings, Han Kang’s The Vegetarian follows Yeong-hye as her new diet takes her ecstatically, and tragically, far from the self she once knew.
A Thousand Boy Kisses (A Thousand Boy Kisses #1) – Tillie Cole
When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove in Georgia, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did Poppy Litchfield, his childhood best friend, the person he gave half of his soul to and who promised to faithfully wait for his return, suddenly cut him off without an explanation?
Rune’s heart was broken when Poppy went silent two years ago. But, when he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartbreak is yet to come. A Thousand Boy Kisses is a tear-jerker of a romance novel by Tillie Cole that centres around a boy and a girl whose bond is forged in an instant, that isn’t broken by distance, but may not last as long as either of them had hoped.
Check Out The Best Books Like A Thousand Boy Kisses
Flowers For Algernon – Daniel Keyes
Charlie Gordon is about to embark on a remarkable, unprecedented journey. Born with an unusually low IQ, he has been picked out as the ideal subject for a new experimental procedure that researchers hope will improve his intelligence levels. It’s an experiment that has already been successfully conducted on a lab mouse named Algernon.
As the treatment begins to take effect, Charlie’s IQ continues to spike until it has surpassed even the most doctors who engineered the procedure. It appears that the next greatest scientific breakthrough is on the cards. That is until Algernon suddenly deteriorates. Will the same fate befall Charlie? Poignant and thought-provoking, Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon is another one of the best classic books with sad endings.
Check Out The Best Books Like Flowers For Algernon
The Art Of Racing In The Rain – Garth Stein
Enzo knows that he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul, he has educated himself by extensively watching television and listening to what his owner, up-and-coming racing driver Denny Swift, says.
Through Denny, Enzo has unlocked an incredible insight into the human condition. He observes how life, much like racing, isn’t always about going as fast as possible. As he comes closer to death, Enzo takes stock of his life, looking back on everything he and his family have been through together. One of those books with sad endings that still manages to cling onto an uplifting final message, Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain is a heart-wrenching look at human life as only a dog could tell it.
We Were Liars (We Were Liars #1) – E. Lockhart
Author E. Lockhart introduces readers to the affluent Sinclair family in her YA mystery book, We Were Liars. Every summer, the wealthy Sinclairs vacation to their private island where Cadence Sinclair Eastman, her cousins Mirren and Johnny, and their friend Gat form a tight-knit circle that they dub ‘the Liars’. Until their fifteenth annual visit together, where a tragic accident has left Cadence with severe amnesia.
Returning to the island after two years away from it, a series of flashbacks and fragmented memories sees Cadence gradually peeling away the mysteries of what happened on that tragically fateful fifteenth summer together. A sophisticated and suspenseful mystery, We Were Liars is the perfect book for readers looking for an ending that tackles coming to terms with guilt and loss.
Check Out The Best Books Like We Were Liars
All The Bright Places – Jennifer Niven
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death and often thinks about ways he might kill himself. But, every time, something good, no matter how small, manages to stop him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting down the days until she graduates and can escape her Indiana town, and the grief of losing her sister.
When Finch and Violet encounter on the ledge of the bell tower at their school, it’s unclear who saves who. And when they buddy up on a project to discover the ‘natural wonders’ of their state, they discover that the can only exist with one another. It is only with Violet that Finch can be a funny, live-out-loud guy. It is only with Finch that Violet can forget counting away the days and begin living them. But, as Violet’s world, Finch’s starts to shrink. An intense tear-jerker of a story with a sucker punch sad ending, Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places is the perfect read for any fans of John Green, Jenny Downham and Gayle Forman.
The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah
Ernt Allbright, a former POW in the Vietnam War, comes home as a changed and volatile man. When he loses another job, he moves himself and his family to Alaska where they will live off grid on America’s final frontier. For thirteen-year-old Leni, she hopes the change in scenery will be the remedy her parents’ stormy relationship is in desperate need of. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves. Even if it means following him into the unknown.
At first, Alaska appears to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a community of strong men and even stronger women. The long sunlit days of the summer and local hospitality make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources. But as the winter and darkness sweep into Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family soon threatens to splinter for good.
Heartless – Marissa Meyer
Another retelling with a sad ending, Heartless is a 2016 fantasy book by Marissa Meyer. Catherine may be one of the most desired women in Wonderland, but her own interests lay elsewhere. As a skilled baker, all she wants to do is open up a shop with her best friend. But, according to her mother, such an end goal is unacceptable for someone who could be in line to be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time in her life, she feels the pull of true attraction. Knowing that being discovered would risk offending the king and invite the wrath of their parents, the two embark on a passionate, secret courtship. She is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her own terms but, in a world teeming with magic, madness and monsters, fate has other plans in store for Cath.
Check Out The Best Books For Spring Reading
Thirteen Reasons Why – Jay Asher
On the back of the success of its hit Netflix series, it can be easy to forget Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why is still one of the most heart-wrenching books with sad endings. The story follows Clay Jensen as he returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it waiting for him. Inside, he finds a number of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker – his classmate and crush – who had committed suicide two weeks before.
Pressing play leads to Hannah’s voice telling him that there are thirteen reasons why she chose to end her life. Clay is one of them. And, if he listens, he’ll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his hometown listening to Hannah as his guide. Along the way, he witnesses firsthand the pain she experienced and discovers things that change his life forever.
Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver
Like Thirteen Reasons Why, Lauren Oliver’s debut novel, Before I Fall, delves into love, death and how one person’s life can impact so many others. For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, ‘Cupid Day’ should be one big party. A day of roses, Valentine’s confessions and the privilege of being at the top of the popular social pyramid. That is until she dies in a tragic accident that night.
But, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times in total before she begins to realise that, even through the smallest of changes, she may hold more power than she ever thought imaginable.
You’ve Reached Sam – Dustin Thao
Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out. Move out with her boyfriend, Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Overcome with grief, Julie skips the funeral, throws out all of his things and does everything in her power to forget about the tragedy of his death. But, desperate to hear his voice one more time, a yearbook message leads to her ringing his mobile. And Sam picks up.
Miraculously, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. Nevertheless, every call makes her fall in love with him all over again. But keeping otherworldly phone calls a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie sees the anguish Sam’s family are going through. Torn, Julie is forced to decide between spilling the beans or letting him go forever. Another one of the best romance books with sad endings, You’ve Reached Sam is a 2021 story by Dustin Thao.
A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara
When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York in search of a better life, they’re broke, isolated and only kept afloat by their friendships and ambition. For Willem, JB and Malcolm, the centre of their connection is Jude, who is equally brilliant and withdrawn.
Over the following decades, their relationships with one another deepen and darken, tarnished by successes, pride and addiction. Yet they all soon realise that their greatest challenge is Jude himself. By midlife, he has become a talented litigator, but also an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood. Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life is an expertly-weaved tale of friendship, abuse and identity that is sure to have you reaching for the tissues.
Check Out The Best Books Like A Little Life
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
