Books With Shock Value #2
12 books that aren't Gone Girl or Girl On the Train!
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After going through my entire backlist2 I started keeping a list in my notes app of the books I that shocked me in some way. The shocking elements are not necessarily “twists,” although in some cases they are, but some simply shocked me because I was unprepared (i.e. for a death) or simply didn’t see something coming. The fact that I read so many of these YEARS ago and still remember the “shocking” element speaks to just how good (for lack of a better word) the shocks or surprises were.
My criteria for a book’s inclusion on this list was as follows: at some point in the story I thought I didn’t see that coming, or I literally gasped out loud at something, or there was an actual plot twist that shocked me. What excites me about these book choices is that some of the shock value in certain books is plot driven and some is character driven, meaning there are some developments that are shocking because of what happens, but sometimes the shocks come from surprising behaviors of the characters themselves. The very best shock value books have a combination of both.
These are all books I’ve loved and given at least a 4 star rating3. As always I’ll include links so you can check out the synopsis. I’m not going to include other details because as is the case with books that have shock value, often the less you know going in the better and of course, I won’t tell you what type of shock to expect:) Rest assured, if you love a good surprise, these books deliver.
Last Week’s Books With Shock Value #1
12 (More) Books With Shock Value
🎧 denotes good on audio
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta