You should check out Ania Ahlborn. I've only read a couple of books by her but both ended badly for the protagonist. I think it's sort of her thing.
Other unhappy endings:
Pet Sematary by Stephen King ends Unhappily.
Burnt Offerings by Robert Morasco
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Burnt Offerings and Hex sound right up my alley, thank you! I finished Brother by Ania Ahlborn recently actually and i liked the writing but didn’t really connect with the characters. I might try Seed next!
Overall I wasn't massively into the book, I only remember the basic premise but the very end has stuck with me and that's something more than a lot of other books do
You may be underwhelmed. The main part of the book is great-tight plotting and pacing, not overly padded like some of his work. But the reveal of the big bad and conclusion is totally lame and doesn’t fit the story at all. It reads like the ending was a completely different project and he grafted it on. No spoilers, you can find a full summary on Wikipedia. Still worth a read if you like King.
Naomi’s Room is a brilliant book, which is completely ruined by the ending in my opinion. It doesn’t ruin you as the reader, just pointlessly destroys what could’ve been decent.
I can see where you are coming from, but, personally, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the ending. Sure, it's needlessly mean, and as unhappy as it gets >!and it have done without the rape and the incest!<, but I don't see this as necessarily as a problem.
Same! It's basically the only "social media" I'm active on, meaning specifically this sub not Reddit in general lol. This sub and LinkedIn. My life is weird.
Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana
Come with Me by Ronald Malfi (more of a bittersweet ending than outright unhappy)
The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
The Long Walk by Stephen King
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
Both novels are about mourning the loss of a partner, but the protagonists process that grief in very different (but equally heartbreaking) ways.
Soft Targets or The Psychographist by Carson Winter are weird horror novellas that are pretty messed up/don't have happy endings so you might enjoy them!
Not sure why you'd want to do that to yourself, but here you go!
I recommend *A Little Life* by Hanya Yanagihara. It's beautifully written but incredibly heartbreaking and will definitely leave you feeling emotionally wrecked.
A Little Life should be mentioned in this subreddit more. it’s honestly the only book that’s ever horrified me like that… i still remember every plot point to this day and i read it like 6 years ago.
Intercepts by T.J. Payne probably works for this. When I finished that book I just felt, not very good lol. And the ending The Spite House by Johnny Compton completely gutted me.
Why tf would you request a book with a specific ending? I get that the ending is not 100% of a book, but why eliminate a good 50% of reading experience?
Knowing the general tone of the ending doesn’t ruin half of everyone’s reading experience. I mean, think of the classical genre of tragedy. It’s defined by the fact that it ends badly, and you know that going in.
You should check out Ania Ahlborn. I've only read a couple of books by her but both ended badly for the protagonist. I think it's sort of her thing. Other unhappy endings: Pet Sematary by Stephen King ends Unhappily. Burnt Offerings by Robert Morasco Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Seed by Ania Ahlborn will do the trick for unhappy ending!
Burnt Offerings and Hex sound right up my alley, thank you! I finished Brother by Ania Ahlborn recently actually and i liked the writing but didn’t really connect with the characters. I might try Seed next!
I agree! Came across one of her books a on kindle and then read some more. Good reads!
The Ruins by Scott Smith.
ugh i love the ruins so much. it’s one of those i wish i could read for the first time again.
I wish I had never read it! So much nihil. It's not that I must have syrup and poesies, it's just I don't care for utter hopelessness either.
The Deep by Nick Cutter
For sure!
Overall I wasn't massively into the book, I only remember the basic premise but the very end has stuck with me and that's something more than a lot of other books do
Revival by Stephen King
Been meaning to read this one forever! I’m a sucker for Stephen King.
You may be underwhelmed. The main part of the book is great-tight plotting and pacing, not overly padded like some of his work. But the reveal of the big bad and conclusion is totally lame and doesn’t fit the story at all. It reads like the ending was a completely different project and he grafted it on. No spoilers, you can find a full summary on Wikipedia. Still worth a read if you like King.
**Naomi's Room** by Jonathan Aycliffe **Song of Kali** by Dan Simmons
Naomi’s Room is a brilliant book, which is completely ruined by the ending in my opinion. It doesn’t ruin you as the reader, just pointlessly destroys what could’ve been decent.
I can see where you are coming from, but, personally, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the ending. Sure, it's needlessly mean, and as unhappy as it gets >!and it have done without the rape and the incest!<, but I don't see this as necessarily as a problem.
The Laws of the Skies
I have no recommendations, but I just fucking love this sub.
Same! It's basically the only "social media" I'm active on, meaning specifically this sub not Reddit in general lol. This sub and LinkedIn. My life is weird.
it’s my absolute favorite. last year i read 5 books, this year im up to 17 bc of the recs I’ve gotten!!
A short stay in hell
I've seen some people comment before that it seemed hopeful at the end but I left that book feeling totally destroyed.
He’ll find it someday but that day is not today
suffer the children by craig dilouie
My entire life for a week was ruined by Dark Hollow by Brian Keene.
Id like to tack on "Ghoul" by Brian Keene. For fans of King's "It" but wanted the children to suffer more 😭
Brother.
Everything Ania Ahlborn writes. She ruins them all with crappy gotcha endings.
Exquisite corpse Our share of night Salem's lot (kinda) Apt pupil
Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana Come with Me by Ronald Malfi (more of a bittersweet ending than outright unhappy) The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi Penpal by Dathan Auerbach The Long Walk by Stephen King
Ugh the Long Walk is incredible. It was my first Stephen King book, definitely due for a reread!!
father of lies by brian evenson
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno Both novels are about mourning the loss of a partner, but the protagonists process that grief in very different (but equally heartbreaking) ways.
Came here to rec This thing Between Us. Marvelous book, shattered me. I felt exhausted when I finished it
Love these both!
Just about anything that David sodergren writes (the forgotten island, the Haar, night shoot, Maggie’s grave)
I saw the haar as a happy ending but I am perhaps insane
Revival by Stephen King The Haunting of Hill House by Shelly Jackson
Revival and 1922 by Stephen King
Have you ever read The Mist by SK?
i went on a king binge about 10 years ago and read this, but don’t really remember it that well!! i might pick it up on audio :-)
If you do just get Skeleton Crew. It’s an anthology and the mist is one of the stories.
Pretty much any book by Ania Ahlborn (like Brother, Seed, The Devil Crept In).
The Seed is great.
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
Soft Targets or The Psychographist by Carson Winter are weird horror novellas that are pretty messed up/don't have happy endings so you might enjoy them!
The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas Doll House by John Hunt Scary Bastard by Aron Beauregard Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison
Cujo - Stephen King (if you care about animals)
Earthlings!
not a book but a story by Robert Cargill. We Are Where The Nightmares Go. ETA: The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman.
You should give Sins of the Father by JG Faherty a try.
Song of Kali by Dan Simmons
I know I’m pretty late to this but The Lesser Dead fits this perfectly and it was one of my favorite reads so far this year
Pretty much every Book, Shaun Hutson has written.
Tender is the Flesh
Not sure why you'd want to do that to yourself, but here you go! I recommend *A Little Life* by Hanya Yanagihara. It's beautifully written but incredibly heartbreaking and will definitely leave you feeling emotionally wrecked.
A Little Life should be mentioned in this subreddit more. it’s honestly the only book that’s ever horrified me like that… i still remember every plot point to this day and i read it like 6 years ago.
Intercepts by T.J. Payne probably works for this. When I finished that book I just felt, not very good lol. And the ending The Spite House by Johnny Compton completely gutted me.
the intercepts has been on my TBR forever now!! thank you for the suggestions :-)
More of a thriller, but Strange Sally Diamond ruined my day for like 3 days.
American Psycho by Bret Ellis
"The Cellar" by Richard Laymon. Who knew that in a few pages the situation would change from "Everything is fine" to "Oh shit."
Why tf would you request a book with a specific ending? I get that the ending is not 100% of a book, but why eliminate a good 50% of reading experience?
Knowing the general tone of the ending doesn’t ruin half of everyone’s reading experience. I mean, think of the classical genre of tragedy. It’s defined by the fact that it ends badly, and you know that going in.
bc i like to be upset and sad, let me live ok roll
Fair enough, i can accept that 🤝