Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter is the most brutal book I’ve ever read. I’m a true crime junkie and some of it was hard for me to read. That being said, it’s an awesome book
My thoughts exactly! I experienced it via audio and although it was so graphic and turned my stomach, at times – I couldn’t stop listening! She certainly puts twists and turns in her plots and since then I’ve listened to several more. Excellent story teller – if you can handle the graphic nature of the violence!
I just can’t read books like this anymore. Old age has turned me into a wimp. Or maybe it is just that I am so aware of the cruelty all around us and need to keep unnecessary darkness away. That said, I loved The Stand and Pet Sematary back in the day. 🙂
The Stand by Stephen King. The Children of Men by PD James. I am just now realizing I could list at least a dozen more. I think I may read too many of these.
Brutal? The Summer I Died by Ryan C Thomas, Little Heaven or The Troop both by Nick Cutter, The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, The Jack Daniels series by J.A. Konrath (graphic but with hilarious dialogue.) People mention Karin (not Karen) Slaughter as being disturbing but if you read the above books you’ll know why (though I like her books) I find them more tame.
most shocking book i read was My Lobotomy by Duffy. a memoir about his life in the Bay Area, importantly what happened after an icepick lobotomy was performed on him.
FIEND. The only thing that keeps a small group of survivors from turning into the zombies that are hunting them is their meth habit. It… it does not go well for them.
McCarthy, in general, is always good for a dead baby barbecue. Nick Cutter also goes petty deep into the gross/brutal. The Troop” and “The Deep” were not bad.
Oooh, I forgot Survivor by JF Gonzalez! My dad said I left that book for him to read and I KNOW there’s no way. I would not even want my dad to know I read stuff like that! Not sure how he ended up with a copy but it was not my copy. LOL
For shocking books – A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is shocking because of the many trigger warnings for abuse and self-harming. The Unwind series by Neal Shusterman is shocking because of the kind of dystopian society it presents, so realistic that it frightens you, as well as some really graphic scenes and descriptions.
Yes on Unwind! There was one point where I had to stop reading forward and go back over the 3 pages I had just read because it was too shocking to absorb the first time.
@Carole Yeah.. Now, 4 years after I read all the books, I think I remember all the gory/brutal scenes better than any good ones, it was that impactful. I think that if we did a top 10 brutal/violent scenes for the series, we’d still have a top 10 honorable mentions to choose from, as well. However, I think that the violent aspect fits well in the story and it isn’t used just for the shocking effect. Also, some parts are so well done that it makes you visualize them so well that you feel nauseous…
I am guessing you have read them both, but I was really moved by 1984 and V for Vendetta.
Justin Cronin’s The Passage and next two books of his trilogy. It reminded me of The Stand by Stephen King. I loved both.
Loved the series. First book kept me up nights though.
Agree!!!
Loved the first 2 in the trilogy. Last book. Not so much.
Agree with @Judith
Read em
A Canticle for Leibowitz is a classic
Haven’t read that. I must look for it.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and the sequel.
Yes!!!!!
Station Eleven
Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter is the most brutal book I’ve ever read. I’m a true crime junkie and some of it was hard for me to read. That being said, it’s an awesome book
My thoughts exactly! I experienced it via audio and although it was so graphic and turned my stomach, at times – I couldn’t stop listening! She certainly puts twists and turns in her plots and since then I’ve listened to several more. Excellent story teller – if you can handle the graphic nature of the violence!
I loved it! But dang it’s a messed up book. Not for the faint of heart.
Agreed! Brutal but well written and compelling.
Ditto for The Good Daughter, Last Breath and Kept Woman (now I’m working through the rest of the Will Trent series!)
@Cheryl good to know! Dark and twisted is my jam these days ??♀️
Way too dark for me! I wish I’d never read it, can’t erase it from my mind.
understandable… I’m pretty jaded and this book had me like “yiiiikes” many times
@Alex It was rough. I think I’m kind of a wimp. Life is hard enough, I need some feel good escapism when I read.
I just can’t read books like this anymore. Old age has turned me into a wimp. Or maybe it is just that I am so aware of the cruelty all around us and need to keep unnecessary darkness away. That said, I loved The Stand and Pet Sematary back in the day. 🙂
@Karen exactlly how I feel.
Agree. Some images won’t ever leave me.
@Callie some books need a warning label.
The Stand by Stephen King. The Children of Men by PD James. I am just now realizing I could list at least a dozen more. I think I may read too many of these.
Yep The Stand is an awesome post apocalyptic book
Blindness by Jose Saramago. Virginia Bergen’s H20 (if in the US – it’s titled The Rain in the UK).
Blindness was gut-wrenching.
Blindness on my TBR
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road
So depressing.
Incredible book – The Road stays with you
The Long Walk by Stephen King.
One of my favorite stories. Still read it.
I love that book. I read it about once a year!
Agree with The Road. But it has to be read not listened to. It’s McCarthy writing at its best!
The Stand is a must. I liked The Strain trilogy too.
Knockemstiff
Amazing books all of them by Mr Pollock
Jo Nesbo writes dark books. Finished the Leopard recently.
Wool by Hugh Howey knocked my socks off
Love Hugh Howey!
Love everything I’ve read by him, but Wool is by far the best!
Great trilogy!
@Julissa me too! although I Zombie was definitely ?
@Joanie I liked I Zombie, too!
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy is great too
It’s excellent
Try this search. Lists many of the suggested books and more.
The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R.Carey
The road
I can’t be the first to say The Road. Also Riddley Walker, though i barely remember it from college.
Following
There is a series called the survivalist that’s good. And one second after for sure.
The Maze Runner Series (original trilogy and 2 prequels)
The Road–amazing book
Shocking and kinda funny in a creepy way.
“You: A Novel” by Caroline Kepnes.
Loved !!!
The Road by Cormac McCarthy. No question about it.
Following
The Troop by Nick Cutter. One of the best, grossest old school type horror novels I’ve read
The Troop was really good. I LOVED Little Heaven, also by Nick Cutter.
I Am Legend
On my list to read … did you see the movie? Like the book or different ??
The book and the movie are completely different
The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinsky
Ashfall series by Mike Mullin
One of my favorites!
The Road
Blindness
OMG those are the ones I would have chosen. Both these books left me feeling queasy.
The Last One by Alexandra Oliva!
Lord of the Flies. Oryx and Crake.
The Passage by Justin Cronin
I also really liked Partials by Dan Wells (YA)
Year one Nora Roberts,
Book of the unnamed midwife by meg Ellison
Yes the Book of the Unnamed Midwife!
The Road
@Meagan I completely agree!
Following
Gold Fame Citrus
Brutal? The Summer I Died by Ryan C Thomas, Little Heaven or The Troop both by Nick Cutter, The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, The Jack Daniels series by J.A. Konrath (graphic but with hilarious dialogue.) People mention Karin (not Karen) Slaughter as being disturbing but if you read the above books you’ll know why (though I like her books) I find them more tame.
Nothing by Janne Teller.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Death is My Trade
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Cows by Matthew Stokoe will make you physically sick ?
Never read that. Must look it up.
Yes. Definitely disgusting bizarro.
Cows. Yeek.
People will always say The Road, but Cows definitely takes the cake
I read that a few days ago. Look up hogg
For brutal I would say Afraid by Jack Kilborn. Awesome, but brutal.
most shocking book i read was My Lobotomy by Duffy. a memoir about his life in the Bay Area, importantly what happened after an icepick lobotomy was performed on him.
books like this make it impossible to use ice picks to actually break up ice
The road by McCarthy
The Road – bleak but worth reading
The Road…Cormac McCarthy…
FIEND. The only thing that keeps a small group of survivors from turning into the zombies that are hunting them is their meth habit. It… it does not go well for them.
I forgot about Fiend. It was pretty good!
Just checked this one out from the library!
It’s freaking intense.
That sounds interesting.
McCarthy, in general, is always good for a dead baby barbecue. Nick Cutter also goes petty deep into the gross/brutal. The Troop” and “The Deep” were not bad.
? yeah don’t read McCarthy’s book if you want a pick me up! ?
Malazan Series
Wait, post-apocalypse. Don’t have any reads in that genre 🙁
Clickers by J. F. Gonzalez or Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon
Oooh, I forgot Survivor by JF Gonzalez! My dad said I left that book for him to read and I KNOW there’s no way. I would not even want my dad to know I read stuff like that! Not sure how he ended up with a copy but it was not my copy. LOL
Fantasticland
The Painted Bird
Sharp Objects-Gillian Flynn
Station 11
It’ll have you believing it could happen
The Justin Cronin series. The Road
Justin Cronin series left me irreversibly changed.
World War Z.
For shocking books – A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara is shocking because of the many trigger warnings for abuse and self-harming. The Unwind series by Neal Shusterman is shocking because of the kind of dystopian society it presents, so realistic that it frightens you, as well as some really graphic scenes and descriptions.
Yes on Unwind! There was one point where I had to stop reading forward and go back over the 3 pages I had just read because it was too shocking to absorb the first time.
@Carole Yeah.. Now, 4 years after I read all the books, I think I remember all the gory/brutal scenes better than any good ones, it was that impactful. I think that if we did a top 10 brutal/violent scenes for the series, we’d still have a top 10 honorable mentions to choose from, as well. However, I think that the violent aspect fits well in the story and it isn’t used just for the shocking effect. Also, some parts are so well done that it makes you visualize them so well that you feel nauseous…
Well and perfectly put.
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvis. I’ve read this a couple of times, and recommended it countless times.
In need to quit my job … so I can read all these books. So many great books not enough time.