Reading Time: 3 minutes

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week we will share a list based on the topic provided by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry

I have a whole shelf on Goodreads dedicated to books that will make you cry, as they have definitely brought me close to crying. Even though I had put these books on my Goodreads shelf, going through them again brought all those sad memories to the forefront.

*Warning the following list may contain book spoilers*

1. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 

Susie dies. And then she has to watch her family struggle with their grief over her sudden death. From the moment Susie watches up until the resolution of the circumstances surrounding her death the reader is left feeling heartbroken for her and her family. Sebold really takes you through the wringer with this one.

2. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 

Time Travelling sounds so cool and it is cool until it gets you into trouble. It took a while to grasp time-travel and how it all works but once I did Henry and Clare’s story was bittersweet. I wanted to cry many times throughout the book, but I was happy too. It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

3. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia is struggling with a mental illness. It has destroyed her friend and it is slowly destroying her. Anderson perfectly illustrates the struggles of dealing with mental illness not just how it affects one person but how it affects their family and friends. Lia’s battle with anorexia made me want to cry. It is relatable on so many levels that it will make you cry. It is worth the read though.

4. Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks as “Anonymous” 

It wasn’t just the content of this book that got to me, it was the way it was written. The diary format made it personal and the personal aspect of it made it effective. It will make you cry or at the very least choked up, I guarantee it.

5. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

The premise of this book is interesting. Dying and ageing backwards toward a fresh start is refreshing. But Elsewhere is not just for the old ageing backwards it’s for anyone who dies. What will make you cry are the ones who die young coming to grips with life after death and ageing their ways to a new start.

6. Crank by Ellen Hopkins 

Written like poetry, it was fast-paced. Crank uses poetry, poetic language and other poetic devices to interestingly tackle some pretty heavy issues. The poetic devices lend themselves to both ease in reading and a solemnness. It’s definitely one of the books that will make you cry.

7. Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley 

Nearly Broken was all kinds of messed up. Megan went through a gamut of situations that frankly, I would not wish on my worst enemy. I cried for her, and I cred for every womxn who has ever found themselves in the same situation.

8. If I Stay by Gayle Forman  

If I Stay was gut-wrenching. Mia’s life is idealistic and wonderful. She the perfect book boyfriend, a warm and happy home and all of that is ripped from her. The ultimate decision is at stake and it’s that decision that I find the hardest to come grips with.

9. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

It’s always the ones with suppressed memories, usually, they’re hiding something deeply troubling. It’s hard not to give too much away when writing about how sad a book will make you but trust me, it was tear-inducing.

10. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green 

The Fault In Our Stars was weirdly uplifting. I felt sadness, fear, frustration, amusement, and happiness…and then, and then, I cried. I honestly threw the book I was that upset at the ending. But you know what? It’s an ending that is realistic, it’s a depiction of what many people and families go through every day. This is a book that will make you cry, and so will the movie tbh.

Hopefully, the books that made me sad and emotional enough to almost cry are the same books that will make you cry.

Happy Reading!