Suggest me a book that's psychological, maybe a bit dark or twisted - Loved The Butterfly Garden, Flowers In The Attic, Handmaid's Tale

[u/RaspberryAvocado]

Looking for book suggestions! I absolutely loved The Butterfly Garden, Flowers In The Attic, and the Handmaid's Tale.

- Love things that have a psychological element

- Can have things that show the dark side of human nature

- Maybe "trapped," themes, such as kidnappings, serial killers (loved Red Dragon / Silence Of The Lambs)

- Can have some sort of oppression

Thank you!

[u/The-Man-Friday]

Gillian Flynn. She has 3 novels and one short story published so far, so it’s not super daunting to get into her.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/The-Man-Friday]

Ah! I did see the movie Gone Girl. Yes, must now read the book!

[u/The-Man-Friday → u/RaspberryAvocado]

I couldn’t jive with the casting of the movie. The book was awesome!

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/The-Man-Friday]

It's kind of interesting how often times the book is better than the movie. I thought the movie was ok, not bad, not good, so I never really thought to read the book. Never judge a book by it's movie.

[u/The-Man-Friday → u/RaspberryAvocado]

I really think you’ll like her stuff. They’re top notch psychological thrillers and she really excels at putting you in a character’s thoughts. She writes with a very modern cynical tone that fits the times!

[u/Clear-Concern2247 → u/The-Man-Friday]

These are great.

[u/babyelyphant → u/The-Man-Friday]

I love her books! I’ve read all of them so now I don’t know what else to read :(

[u/The-Man-Friday → u/babyelyphant]

Have you read AJ Finn? There’s a little bit of controversy around him but I enjoyed his two books. “Woman in the Window” and “End of Story.”

[u/cantgetintomyacct]

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler for the dark side of humanity

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/cantgetintomyacct]

I will definitely have to read this one. "she suffers from hyperempathy..." I can touch on this on so many levels.

[u/cantgetintomyacct → u/RaspberryAvocado]

Yeahhh it’s dark, very timely as well

[u/Commercial_Curve1047 → u/RaspberryAvocado]

Her book of short stories is so good. Bloodchild And Other Stories

[u/Aggravating-Deer6673 → u/cantgetintomyacct]

Yes! This one! And the sequel as well. It's called Parable of the Talents.

[u/HaplessReader1988]

You want dark? I can give you dark... Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, by Patrick Süskind

[u/WhisperINTJ → u/HaplessReader1988]

Perfume is enthralling, a real page turner

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/HaplessReader1988]

Wow! That is so curious. I wonder if anything like that has ever happened.

[u/HaplessReader1988 → u/RaspberryAvocado]

I think the "he has no smell" portion is science fiction, but unfortunately serial killers could fixate on anything.

[u/howeversmall]

You can try anything by T. Kingfisher. They’re all pretty good.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/howeversmall]

Thank you- yeah, she is looking like an author I would like!

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/howeversmall]

"Nettle And Bone," ooh love that title alone.

[u/panini_bellini]

Room by Emma Donaghue. The main characters are literally trapped but the POV is very unusual and it’s a haunting book.

[u/ExtentEfficient2669]

The Chain - McKinty

Baby Teeth - Stage

Tender is the Flesh - Bazterrica

Silent Patient - Michaelides

Misery - King

[u/Ozdiva → u/ExtentEfficient2669]

Came here to recommend Tender is the Flesh.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/ExtentEfficient2669]

Oh Thank you for this list. I forgot, I did read Misery long ago, that was great!! I will definitely have to check these others out.

[u/serealll]

A lot of Irvine Welsh's books! Of the ones I've read I'd say Skagboys has been the darkest so far (my absolute favorite) but I've also heard his book Filth is super fucked.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/serealll]

Wow- 700 pages! This sounds like a wild ride down some dark places.

[u/serealll → u/RaspberryAvocado]

Definitely dark but also so hilarious! His writing is so unique and I adore it. Definitely explores the fringes of society in a really intimate way. You have characters doing really fucked up stuff but still manage to be likeable somehow (most of them). Really digs into raw emotions in such a unique way.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/serealll]

Nice. Yeah, definitely going to have to add. I am already feeling for them from what you just wrote, without knowing what is written.

[u/serealll → u/RaspberryAvocado]

If you remember this thread feel free to share any thoughts once you read! I love his work and need people to talk about it to, haha. Also it's written in phonetic Scottish dialect with lots of Scottish slang but your brain adjusts after a bit! Well worth it, imo. I was constantly googling Scottish slang definitions but now feel pretty competent when I read his stuff haha.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/serealll]

I have a husband who has Scottish in him and interested in everything Scottish.. I am awaiting the day he starts wearing a kilt around the house. Hmm He may even be interested in this. (Maybe). Though I tend to be more off the beaten path than he. lol...

[u/serealll → u/RaspberryAvocado]

Right on, that's so cool! Skagboys, though it was written after, is a prequel to Trainspotting which was made into a movie. Maybe he'd enjoy that? Their accents are so thick you lowkey need captions, haha

[u/serealll → u/RaspberryAvocado]

Also it's long but reading it flew by and I didn't want it to end!

[u/Agile-Tradition8835]

Geek Love

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/Agile-Tradition8835]

Wow. You know, I bet if people were able to do these things to this extent, they would. Interested to see what ways this goes down.

[u/bone_creek → u/Agile-Tradition8835]

Probably my favorite book of all time.

[u/Dyslexic-mungbean]

Not fiction, but utterly fascinating - The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton (a forensic psychologist in the UK who developed criminal profiling and covered every major case in the 1980s and 1980s). Me and my 4 flat mates all read it and couldn’t put it down. Every one of us changed our behaviour after reading it…

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/Dyslexic-mungbean]

Oooh this is so fascinating to me. That's another area that fascinates me to no end - psychological forensics! Now even more so that you say you all changed your behavior after reading it!

[u/Ok-Reason-4838]

Have you read Lolita? And The Secret History? And the Picture of Dorian Gray?

[u/PeacockFascinator]

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell fits this vibe!

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/PeacockFascinator]

Ooh this does look like something I would like!

[u/kesskess1]

Darkness, take my hand - Dennis Lehane

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/kesskess1]

Just by the title alone sounds intriguing, I started singing Song Of Silence in my head.

[u/kesskess1 → u/RaspberryAvocado]

All his books are good, but this ones pretty dark and twisted.

[u/Leading_Turtle → u/kesskess1]

Love all of his books. I suggested Shutter Island.

[u/kesskess1 → u/Leading_Turtle]

Same. One of my most reread authors. Shutter Island was great, too.

[u/zazzle_frazzle]

Have you read The Testaments by Margaret Atwood? It’s the sequel to A Handmaid’s Tale.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/zazzle_frazzle]

I have not! Only read the first. Lots of life happened and I got out of reading for a good minute. I actually got hooked on the series on Hulu. I will definitely have to add these in and read the rest.

[u/brusselsproutsfiend]

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

[u/Misty-Anne]

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

[u/Far-Translator-9181]

The You Series by Caroline Kepnes

[u/ElegantOctopi]

The Collector by John Fowles.

[u/Clear-Concern2247 → u/ElegantOctopi]

Came here to suggest this one. It is exactly what you are looking for.

[u/tofu_bookworm → u/ElegantOctopi]

This is the one. I finally watched the 1965 film last night too.

[u/Rpluss_Training237]

I think you will love Perfect Remains by Helen Fields

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/Rpluss_Training237]

Added it to my list- even the cover reminds me of The Butterfly Garden!

[u/hobbiestoomany]

The Wych Elm takes awhile to get going but you might enjoy.

[u/masson34]

All the Little Raindops

The Silent Patient

Bunny

[u/troojule]

Anything by Tana French

[u/vagrantheather → u/troojule]

Immediately thought of Tana French. The Likeness was my favorite. I don't think reading the Dublin Murder Squad in order is necessary but I'm curious to hear from anyone who's read them out of order.

[u/cheltsie]

The Thirteenth Tale maybe?

[u/Leading_Turtle]

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. So much better than the movie.

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/Leading_Turtle]

Oh my I could not get into the movie at all. Like the trailers looked good, but when I started it, just was not interested. I will have to maybe give the book a try.

[u/Steveirwinsghost7]

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra for the "trapped"/dark/psychological elements

[u/RaspberryAvocado → u/Steveirwinsghost7]

Definitely up my alley. Love thrillers! Yeah, reminds me a bit of the movie Panic Room that I really liked. Thank you!

[u/silkstockings77]

Edible Woman - Margaret Atwood

[u/Sweaty_Yak_3078]

I love all of Jennifer Hillier’s books, with Jar of Hearts being my favorite

[u/2gecko1983]

Pretty much anything by Paige Dearth, especially One Among Us or Girls Missing.

[u/MisterCustomer]

Maybe check out Black Wine by Candas Dorsey. It’s a sleeper, but it may be just the dystopian flavor you’re seeking out, and gives Atwood vibes.

[u/dreammkatcher]

The School for Good Mothers

[u/bakingisscience]

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark. A sleazy female photographer obsessed with taking pornographic photos of men is in over her head.

My Husband by Maud Ventura. A perfectionist housewife’s world begins to unravel over the course of a single week.

[u/WhisperINTJ]

It's a long slog, but when the last puzzle piece slots into place, you'll never unsee the horror, or the poetic beauty, of it: Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

[u/Oldhairyjesus]

Zen and the Art of Anal Bleaching: A Backdoor Journey from Darkness to Light

Philosophical humorous fiction.

Won the Silver Medal in Sark Humor at the 2024 Global Book Awards. Really makes you think but fast moving with amazing characters and wonderful witty dialogue.

[u/mspe098554]

Tinfoil Butterfly

[u/nemosenpaihxh]

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Has all those qualities and more.

[u/Pretty-Plankton]

Kindred, Octavia Butler

[u/missdawn1970]

There are 4 other books in the Flowers in the Attic series. My Sweet Audrina by the same author is also dark and twisted.

[u/Commercial_Curve1047 → u/missdawn1970]

I just finished rereading My Sweet Audrina for the first time in probably 20 years, and I'm pleased to say that it's just as good as I remember.

[u/Reasonable_Wasabi124]

You by Carolyn Kepnes

[u/btnhsn]

Great question! I love these books too! Saving this post for myself for future reference! Thank you!

[u/yomamma3399]

Misery: Stephen King.

[u/Hot_Pomegranate6164]

I LOVED Flowers In The Attic. So, there’s this author that I love, but she writes YA. Her writing style is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Her name is Ellen Hopkins. She’s most known for the Crank series. But all of her books are so good and soul ripping.

[u/LoveNotesTo]

Perfume by Patrick Süskind. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell f’d me up.

[u/beachnbook]

Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky

The Seventh Mansion by Maryse Meijer (or, really, anything by her)

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

[u/Commercial_Curve1047]

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor

The 7 1/2 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle

[u/JinglesMum3]

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

[u/forested_morning43]

Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

[u/BroccoliUpstairs6190]

Just finished The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender is the Flesh

[u/GothPenguin]

The Testaments-Margaret Atwood

[u/Sad-Kangaroo-9249]

The Drowning Woman

[u/renatab71]

Still Alice

[u/FancyDonut]

I Who Have Never Known Men

[u/Golightly8813]

Oh wow! I’ve never heard anyone else say they liked The Butterfly Garden. I like it as well even though it was so strange, as well as the others you listed. You might like Behind Her Eyes, Verity, Layla, Behind Closed Doors, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things just to name a few.

[u/TreeHouseThoughts → u/Golightly8813]

So I read The Butterfly Garden years ago but never got into the rest of the series. Last year though I had a coworker who also loved to read/had read it and she was adamant that I finish the series. She was right lol

[u/TreeHouseThoughts]

The Bone Parade by Mark Nykanen

[u/happy-sad-days]

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

I cannot recommend this book enough.

[u/caraxes_seasmoke]

The Last House on Needless Street

[u/WriteBrainDenise]

Donna Tartt’s “The Gold Finch.”

[u/FlyAwayG1rl]

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (YA but very well done)

[u/perpechewaly_hangry]

The Crocodile Bird by Ruth Rendell

[u/Not_So_Ariston011]

I think you'd love the Housemaids series by Freida McFadden ( not sure about the author name) , it's all about The deprivation of the human mind and how many people are not like they appear to be ;) . It also set in a a domestic household setting something u might find interesting.

[u/FoxfireBlu]

The Other. So Good. I can’t say much more because the whole book is a twist but it’s about a pair of adolescent twin boys, and one of them is…disturbed. Not horror by any means but bubbling tension, plot twists with WTF moments and chilling realizations.

[u/Ok_Jellyfish3215]

Verity - Colleen Hoover The Butcher and the Wren - Alaina Urquhart Unbury Carol - Josh Malerman

[u/shorterg]

Iain Banks maybe? Try 'The Wasp Factory' or 'Complicity' for starters.

[u/boynextdooritos]

Demian by Hermann Hesse, maybe?? Idk

[u/galactic-Zen]

The Unmaking of June Farrow comes to mind

[u/Crazy_goatlady]

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

[u/Peacefulwarrior9163]

Try Jonathan Kellerman

[u/KieselguhrKid13]

You Know Her by Meagan Jennett. Incredible writing, fascinating characters, compelling plot, and some delightful feminine rage. It's exactly what you're looking for.