TOP 12 MOST DISTURBING BOOKS I'VE EVER READ | horror and thriller book recommendations 2022

hey, i'm hailey!

today i'm recommending the most disturbing books i've ever read!

VIDEO MENTIONED:

SUPPORT ME:

WATCH THIS NEXT:

SOCIALS:

[jamessmithfitness]

You should read Secret Slave by Anna Ruston. This book is written under a pseudonym and Anna is telling an alleged story that happened to her while changing the names and the locations. Anna gets into a taxi after she has run away from home at 15, and the taxi driver ends up not taking her to where she is supposed to go and takes her to his house where she is kept for 13 years alongside a polygamous family who is living in the house. The author has babies against her will, and she is abused for all those years. A very heartbreaking and disturbing read.

[dee_elizabeth]

girl next door made me cry so hard and broke my heart into a million pieces. like that's all i can ever say about that book

[HappyBirddi]

I immediately knew the exact true crime case The Girl Next Door was referencing, it's definitely one of those stories that can make you lose faith in humanity.

For those who know, you know. For those who don’t, it's the Sylvia Likens case. It's often dubbed the American Junko Furuta case. Please proceed with caution if you decide to do research into both

[DaniellesBooks]

loving the top 12 series! I've got a few disturbing books to add to my own tbr now!

[whitewing]

Cows was my introduction to extreme horror 😂 I didn't know how bad it could get until I read it but in some ways, I enjoyed it

[zevrxn]

The Slob disturbed me but not because the contents disturbed me. what disturbed me was how poorly executed everything was, to a point where it completely broke my suspension of disbelief. there were so many parts where i was just like "that's just not how the human body works. this isn't a sci-fi book, you can't change basic biology and physics like that". i've seen people who do more research about how human bodies work for a role-playing session than this book.

[B.S]

I absolutely loved pretty girls.The girl next door made me feel sick but definitely worth a read.

[majesdane]

I’m interested in reading all of these (except Girl Next Door, since I’ve already read everything about the true crime it’s based on). They sound genuinely twisted and disturbing.

[Backgroundcow]

I just read penpal a few days ago and I was really impressed by Dathan’s ability to capture the feeling of trying to confront childhood trauma through repressed memories.

[susangale]

I watched this video last week to help me update my TBR. I was working at the time and noted 'penpal' without viewing the cover. I accidentally ordered Pen Pal by J.T.Geissinger (which I have just finished) and omg it is a blast! Please read it Hayley, if you haven't already. I'd love to hear your thoughts and review on it.

[apos]

Survivor is the next book on my tbr! I’m a little nervous, the premise is my literal worst nightmare

[doridoo]

Jack Ketchum is a very messed up writer. I read Off Season 30+ years ago and I can't shake

[camfanlisa]

Read Pretty Girls in March. Still spinning from all the twists. So good!

[ReadingWithMeg]

This is basically a video of all my favorite books I’ve ever read hahah love this 🫶🏻

[tyrasharron]

HAILEY I am obsessed with these recs. Alotttt of these are also on my most disturbing

[markalexander]

Penpal has been on my TBR for a while thanks to The Disturbing Books Iceberg (which I am trying to complete). I bought my copy of it last week and I've just moved it to the top of my TBR 'cause your review of it has me so stoked to read it!
Have you read Samantha Kolesnik's other novella, Waif? I'd be interested in hearing what you thought of it if so.
Gone to See the River Man was fantastic! I'd also recommend his novel Full Brutal (you don't seem like you need a trigger warning, but it is considerably more..well, brutal...than Gone to See the River Man)
The Girl Next Door had me hooked and I just couldn't put it down. Almost more disturbing than the actual book is how Ketchum said he deliberately left out the worst things that had happened to Sylvia IRL out of respect to her and her family...I've read the "sylvia likens crime" wikipedia pages and...yeah, it was REALLY bad
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jon Athan! I've read almost everything he's written now, I think I have maybe 5 of his left. I think The Groomer is maybe the worst in terms of disturbing (at least, to me) because while the things that happen are no worse than his other books - and TAMER than many of them - they're happening to children. And the fact that "hurt-core" is actually a thing in real life, too.
So many great authors here! I also love Aaron Beauregarde, J.F. Gonzalez and Judith Sonnet.

[cameojennifer]

The way you talked about these books... you have to be a little bit sick minded and disturbed yourself. Lol. I love it. I think it is wonderful that we all can enjoy all different genres of books and still love our books and love talking about them.

[theanthemftheangels]

So glad to see gone to see the River man!! Gosh I have that 5 stars so quick and I had to think about what kind of person I was lol it truly is so beautifully written!! I was surprised not to see Woom on this list tho! I had to DNF early on 😬 couldn’t deal with that one

[TheAbigailDee]

Penpal is the gateway book that sent me any my girlfriend into extereme horror and splatter-punk... We never looked back!!

[dr.suezettealoysiaandcarla]

“My dementia hasn’t just affected me - it’s affected my friends and family, too.”
~Gerry Anderson
“Walking distance to the Riverwalk “
🥰•Dr Suez•🤗Dr Carl