Top Ten Tuesday: Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. 

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a great way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subject Matter:

1.  Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar - This book was probably my first foray into contemporary fiction that really actually worked for me. It's a beautiful, poetic and hypnotizing book that tackles some intense dark issues such as rape and loss of self-worth. However, it's also about healing, and it's fantastic. Read it. 

2. When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney - I haven't posted my review yet for this one (check back Thursday - shameless plug), but I was blown away by it. I cried a lot, but I also laughed and healed with the main character. Dealing with death, grief and moving on, it's stunning.

3. Dark Song by Gail Giles - This was a book that I didn't expect to be nearly as dark as it was, but it was immensely powerful. Tackling issues of abusive relationships, teenage rebellion, familial drama and more, it's a no-holds-barred story that will really make you think.

4. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - I don't think any list regarding tough subject matter would be complete without this book. Sparse, simple and painful, the book illustrates the spiral of an eating disorder in a powerful, but realistic way. (Beware - it can be triggering.)

5. Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers - I put off reading this one for a long time because I'm not so big on the contemps unless they're really true to life. Well, this lived up. Portraying some of the harshest bullying between teenage girls, it presents a challenge - liking an unlikable character as she tries to change.

6. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin - It still amazes me that this book is one of her most obscure titles in the YA market today. It's a powerful, thought-provoking and extremely emotional tale of parental abuse and learning to live, move on and forgive.

7. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler - Disregard the "loose" title. Trust me. I ignored this book because if it for a really long time. Accurately portraying two teen girls' navigation through the grief process mourning and moving on, it's sure to make you laugh, smile and cry along the way.

8. The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan - This book is severely underrated. It's often mistaken for MG because of its young main character, but the topics and subject matter of the novel are far beyond that age group. This gripping story of child abduction and abuse is sure to leave you breathless.

9. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - Honestly, I love this book, but some people might question my reasoning for listing it here. Think about it this way. Maggie was the victim of an accident. Caleb was the so-called perpetrator of the accident, and both of them must somehow start to move on.

10. Bitter End by Jennifer Brown - This is another one of those books I had on my TBR forever, but I just kept putting it off. However, once I finally read it, I was blown away. This deep novel bares its soul through the story of both an emotionally and physically abusive relationship in an amazingly poignant way.