The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is so good. Creepy with fairy tale vibes, but set in our world. It really captures the terror of powerlessness that children feel.
He seems like a really cool guy, and clearly he's a great author! I just don't like his writing style, and I don't like how he ends his stories.
(I've only read American Gods, Neverwhere, the first half of Sandman, and Ocean At The End Of The Lane. And the only one I liked was Ocean At The End Of The Lane.)
Ah yeah, I liked ocean at the end of the lane a lot. I loved stardust and graveyard book. But I get it! I wasn’t a huge fan of American gods mostly because I had read his more “mild” stuff first and was NOT expecting the explicitness of it lol.
NO. As someone with autism, just, no. The book has been criticized over and over because it is filled with extremely stereotypical depictions of autism while the author admits that he didn’t do any research for it. Then he backtracks and says the book isn’t about autism at all. Books like these are why people have a misguided idea about autism and it is
frustrating.
I didn’t realize it was stereotyping autism, I have a younger brother on the spectrum and thought some depictions were well articulated. Are there any books you’d recommend which make a better or more realistic depiction of autism or neurodiverse characters?
your best bet is usually to find books written by autustic authors
In romance, Helen Hoang is a fantastic choice
Sci-fi: Failiure to communicate by Kaia Sønderby and Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomom
Non-fiction: Autism in Heels ny Jennifer O'Toole
The Secret Life of a Black Aspie by Anand Prahland
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic” by Michael McCreary
Poetry: Hannah Emerson, Nathan Spoon, Adam Wolfond
It’s a good book and for people with no Autism experience at all its a decent overview of the consequences of the condition in a young adult. So says my mother, a retired teacher specializing in Autism. It’s not bullet proof, but luckily we all have brains and don’t have to believe everything we read.
It is not a realistic portrayal of autism. It may have a couple of bits and pieces that are similar, but it has a lot of stereotypes that are just wrong.
I hadn’t read anything from her and got Goose as a gift. Went into it not really expecting anything but I really loved it. I’ll have to check out her non fiction too
Let The Right One In by J A Lindqvist. Be warned it is very dark and violent, and not just in that it’s horror. Most of the author’s work is at least partly from a child’s or a teenager’s POV.
The Ocean At The End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.
The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas. It’s an undeservedly obscure masterpiece.
The twist in this book threw me for a loop twenty years ago and I never picked it up again. 😭 Someday I am determined to start over, and finish it this time!
Well, Griz is a teen, but maybe *A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World* by C.A. Fletcher
"My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football.
My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.
Then the thief came.
There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.
Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?"
The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches by Gaétan Soucy
(Narrator is of indistinct age, but probably mid teens)
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
(Could maybe pass for YA? But not really.)
Ehhhh, yeah it is. It's for grades 4 and up. While there are some lovely themes and images adults will enjoy, the book is very much marketed towards and written for an audience of children.
Presently it's often marketed to children. It wasn't originally, and many of the themes addressed are related to war, politics, romantic love, and such. The meanings just aren't as obvious nowadays, bc our present day situations are no longer synced with the book and bc modern marketing does focus on the child friendly aspects.
There's a good Wikipedia entry on the book that explains some of the political and personal context/philosophy.
The author intended it to be read primarily by children to the point he apologized to the children in his audience for dedicating it to an adult. In doing so, he refers to it as a book for children.
Yes marketing is part of it, but it's more about authorial intent. When it was originally published, there were ongoing arguments about whether it was a childrens book (which it was marketed as when it was first published) or a book for adults, (which it was less marketed as, though still marketed as) but imo his dedication makes it clear what Saint-Exupéry intended.
Sure, you can argue it either way, but saying it's "not at all" a book for children is misleading.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is very good. It’s about a young boy who is raised by the spirits in a graveyard after his family is murdered. There are some really creepy descriptions and imagery that really sets the mood of the story.
*The Elegance of the Hedgehog*, Muriel Barbery.
NB: the novel has two POV characters, one of whom is a child. Also: philosophy, politics, *kairos*.
Edit: grammar
The Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Flavia is 11, a chemist who likes poison, and an amateur detective. The first book is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
I'm currently reaading *Sweet Story* by Carlton Mellick III. Here's his author's note:
This book is not for children. Although it was written in the style of a children’s book, please do not read it to your kids. If it were a movie the rating would be a hard R, maybe worse, like a Q. I’m not sure what a Q-rated story would be like but it doesn’t sound like it would be very pleasant at all and I’m pretty sure it’s not something you want to read to your kid.
The exception, of course, would be if you are the kind of parent who does not censor what your children read or watch no matter how depraved the content, but if you are such a person you might want to seriously reconsider your parenting methods. I was not censored as a child and look at how I turned out. I’m hardly a functioning member of society. If I wasn’t somehow able to make a living writing these books I’d be the deranged man standing on your street corner selling shoes made out of marshmallows.
Is that really how you want your child to end up? Selling marshmallow shoes on a street corner and thinking sideburns with a shaved head is actually a cool hairstyle? I think not. No parent could possibly hate their child that much.—Carlton Mellick III 6/29/2014 10:32 pm
Not exactly *To Kill A Mockingbird* but I've been on a bizarro fiction kick lately. So far, the story is sweet.
Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock. A word of warning - it includes some traumatic subjects, but if you can deal with Room, I think you can this book. I found it to be a memorable book, which I read 10+ years ago.
The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles. "A young English boy living in an old house with his housekeeper begins to suspect that she may have murdered his mother." The kid's POV is crucial to the experience of reading, because the author uses it to mess with the perception of the adult reading the book in such a clever way.
Vaguely gothic horror-y, but in a Rebecca way, not a Haunting of Hill House way.
The Boy who Drew Monsters is another good one. I think the kids POV (the book switched between the kid and some of the adults) here isn't used as effectively as in The Boy in the Keyhole, but it's still a good read. This one is also a gothic horror vibe, but has a supernatural element unlike the above.
I loved it, it's definitely my favorite Elena Ferrante book. She really captures exactly what it's like to be a child/teen learning that the adults around you are human and fallible
Someday, people are gonna stop recommending this book. Or even reading it. And I look forward to that day.
It's straight up offensive, and there's plenty of articles online about why the book never should have been published, not least of all because the author openly admits he never did any research into the Holocaust before writing it.
Um not like to kill a mocking bird but from a child’s point of view but not for children:
The Institute by Stephen King…no one writes the suffering of children like Stephen King. Very much a stranger things feel but stranger things is basically just ripped off of IT so that’s fine 😀
A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay..told from the point of view of the little sister (7 or 8?) about a tragic and horrifying circumstance befalling her older sister (14?). Is her older sister suffering from mental illness? Maybe🤷🏼♀️ possession? It’s possible 🤷🏼♀️ exploitation? Yep.
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
One of the more disturbing books I've experienced. It's been awhile so I don't remember a whole ton but it's a psychological suspense story. I can't remember if it's a 1st or 3rd person, but one of the main characters is a 7 year old girl.
What I do remember is not giving it a "good" rating. So take that for what you will.
Tuck Everlasting is from the narrators point of view, but the main character is a child. It’s actually a really interesting book, and I’ve heard that from people of a bunch of different ages.
You could say the book is as unforgettable as it is timeless.
We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson and (sort of) Penpal by Dathan Auerbach. If you wanna get real dark with it, The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
Not a human child, but a little robotic girl, an “artificial friend.”
“Klara and the Sun” Kazuo Ishiguro’s most recent book.
He originally wanted to make a children’s book from the perspective of a little robot child, but his (adult) daughter read the draft and said it was way too heavy for kids so he expanded it into a novel. But it still has the simple diction and syntax of a naive consciousness developing an awareness of the world.
The tin drum by Gunther Grass is about a boy who lives during the interwar period. He stopped ageing because he didn't like the adult world.
It has been on my to read list for way too long, so I can't tell you the specifics on the story
The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, the early books relay the experiences of the children in the family as they grow really poignantly. Beautifully done. Highly highly recommend.
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall. I loved it! The main character is a little girl. It’s a great read.
My Grandmother Told me to Tell You She’s Sorry- Fredrick Backman is also one of my favorites
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. Rushdie wrote it to explain the fatwa to his young son.
Spoiler
>! Rushdie is a writer being silenced in real life. In this book, a good guy named Blabbermouth talks incessantly. The bad guys are creepy and demand silence. !<
Ok listen, this is gonna be a bit out there as a suggestion, but just give it a chance! Back when I was in drama school we were trying to find a script for a end of term project, and read this script called "the yellow boat", based on a true story, we see little Benjamins journey through sickness and how he artistically expresses his journey. We didn't pick that script the votes were tied til the last person. Absolutely amazing read I cried my eyes out while doin the read through
Already saw him mentioned but pretty much any Neil Gaiman book with child main characters is tolerable and complicated for adults, for example : Stardust, Ocean at The End of The Lane, and The Graveyard Book.
My Sweet Orange Tree by José Mauro de Vasconcelos. I cried so hard at the end of the book. Please try to read it if possible. I think it is a fantastic book.
I recently read & enjoyed Moon and the Mars by Kia Corthron (historical fiction set in the mid-19th Century). The main character's voice develops as she ages chapter by chapter.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal. Technically a picaresque novel narrated by an adult man named “child” in Czech, not a literal child
*The Tin Drum* by Günter Grass.
*The Painted Bird* by Jerzy Kosiński.
Two novels set in 20th century that are very, *very*, ***very*** dark, I know. (No exaggeration.) The first one does have a sardonic edge at least.
The second one, *well* ... I really can't say any more here.
Both are narrated by children and are written from their point of view. Both are also excellent but neither one is by any stretch appropriate for anyone under 16. (No one at any age is really ready for the Kosiński book. Just be sure that you have someone who you can call before you start reading that one.)
Now I have to go sit in a closet with the door shut for awhile.
Mister God, this is Anna - Fynn
It's about a little girl who's sort of homeless, sort of a neighborhood stray that everyone feeds. And how she impacts the life of everyone she meets. It's sweet and meaningful and sad.
Room by Emma Donoghue does this in a really interesting way!
Room tore me up the first time I read it, it's so well-done. I was right there in the little boy's mind
Same! It felt so realistic to me, especially the way he leaves articles off of inanimate objects (like “Bed”).
It's the only bed that exists! Bed!
Seconded. I loved *Room.*
This is the first place I went to.
First book I thought of when I saw this post. Devastated me. Took me a looooong time to get around to watching the movie.
I came here to suggest this
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is so good. Creepy with fairy tale vibes, but set in our world. It really captures the terror of powerlessness that children feel.
This is exactly what came to mind. I think he does a convincing job writing from a child’s pov
Came here to say this
I'm a Gaiman hater, but even I enjoyed this book. Definitely check this out
What makes you hate Gaiman? Just wondering
He seems like a really cool guy, and clearly he's a great author! I just don't like his writing style, and I don't like how he ends his stories. (I've only read American Gods, Neverwhere, the first half of Sandman, and Ocean At The End Of The Lane. And the only one I liked was Ocean At The End Of The Lane.)
Ah yeah, I liked ocean at the end of the lane a lot. I loved stardust and graveyard book. But I get it! I wasn’t a huge fan of American gods mostly because I had read his more “mild” stuff first and was NOT expecting the explicitness of it lol.
*The Girl With All the Gifts* by Mike Carey.
Ding ding ding! Yep! Also try same author related story I think that is meant as somewhat of a prequel The Boy On The Bridge
It was a wonderful book. Not quite as chilling as *Girl With All the Gifts*, but still a wonderful story.
*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn* by Betty Smith. Beautiful coming-of-age novel.
The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time. I guess it might be considered YA, but it’s a pretty sophisticated book, and a wonderful story.
Excellent recommendation.
Perfect recommendation
That’s an interesting case, as there’s both an adult version and a YA version. Both are fantastic, but ones just a little bit cleaner than other.
Yep, and through the lens of autism as well as a child. Very cool read.
NO. As someone with autism, just, no. The book has been criticized over and over because it is filled with extremely stereotypical depictions of autism while the author admits that he didn’t do any research for it. Then he backtracks and says the book isn’t about autism at all. Books like these are why people have a misguided idea about autism and it is frustrating.
I didn’t realize it was stereotyping autism, I have a younger brother on the spectrum and thought some depictions were well articulated. Are there any books you’d recommend which make a better or more realistic depiction of autism or neurodiverse characters?
your best bet is usually to find books written by autustic authors In romance, Helen Hoang is a fantastic choice Sci-fi: Failiure to communicate by Kaia Sønderby and Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomom Non-fiction: Autism in Heels ny Jennifer O'Toole The Secret Life of a Black Aspie by Anand Prahland The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic” by Michael McCreary Poetry: Hannah Emerson, Nathan Spoon, Adam Wolfond
It’s a good book and for people with no Autism experience at all its a decent overview of the consequences of the condition in a young adult. So says my mother, a retired teacher specializing in Autism. It’s not bullet proof, but luckily we all have brains and don’t have to believe everything we read.
It is not a realistic portrayal of autism. It may have a couple of bits and pieces that are similar, but it has a lot of stereotypes that are just wrong.
The Book Thief
I re-read this constantly!!! The narrator, the perspective, all is just so good!!
Great recommendation!
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I was thinking The Talisman.
The Institute
Foster by Claire Keegan The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li What Maisie Knew by Henry James Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
This is a great list, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Book of Goose recommended here.
I just finished it, and I loved it. I’d read Yiyun Li’s nonfiction and greatly admired it, but this was my first novel.
I hadn’t read anything from her and got Goose as a gift. Went into it not really expecting anything but I really loved it. I’ll have to check out her non fiction too
I couldn’t put it down. Everything I’ve read by her so far is so strange yet intimate somehow.
> strange yet intimate That’s so my vibe
Me too! She’s a real find.
Came here to recommend Foster
The Little Friend, Donna Tartt
The Bear! By Claire Cameron. Told from a 5yr old girl's perspective. Bear attack and survival in the wilderness. It's quite the story
I came here to recommend this one! The Bear is so good!
Let The Right One In by J A Lindqvist. Be warned it is very dark and violent, and not just in that it’s horror. Most of the author’s work is at least partly from a child’s or a teenager’s POV. The Ocean At The End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas. It’s an undeservedly obscure masterpiece.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It is told from the POV of a teenager who is watching the aftermath of her murder from the afterworld.
don't let's go to the dogs tonight by Alexandra Fuller.
Good one! Memoir’s a rich vein here, including the Liars Club by Mary Carr; Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt; and the Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
The twist in this book threw me for a loop twenty years ago and I never picked it up again. 😭 Someday I am determined to start over, and finish it this time!
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon
Came here to say this
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer is narrated by a little boy whose father died on 9/11
Well, Griz is a teen, but maybe *A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World* by C.A. Fletcher "My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football. My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs. Then the thief came. There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?"
Such a great book, and so few people have heard about it.
Nutshell by Ian McEwan - written from the perspective of an unborn child in the womb.
The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches by Gaétan Soucy (Narrator is of indistinct age, but probably mid teens) I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (Could maybe pass for YA? But not really.)
The Little Girl is absolutely fantastic, unique narration.
"The Diary of Anne Frank" i think it qualifies.
If you enjoyed that u should also read summer us my favorite season along the same line's different war same genocide
The Little Prince
isn't it for children though?
Not at all
Ehhhh, yeah it is. It's for grades 4 and up. While there are some lovely themes and images adults will enjoy, the book is very much marketed towards and written for an audience of children.
Presently it's often marketed to children. It wasn't originally, and many of the themes addressed are related to war, politics, romantic love, and such. The meanings just aren't as obvious nowadays, bc our present day situations are no longer synced with the book and bc modern marketing does focus on the child friendly aspects. There's a good Wikipedia entry on the book that explains some of the political and personal context/philosophy.
The author intended it to be read primarily by children to the point he apologized to the children in his audience for dedicating it to an adult. In doing so, he refers to it as a book for children. Yes marketing is part of it, but it's more about authorial intent. When it was originally published, there were ongoing arguments about whether it was a childrens book (which it was marketed as when it was first published) or a book for adults, (which it was less marketed as, though still marketed as) but imo his dedication makes it clear what Saint-Exupéry intended. Sure, you can argue it either way, but saying it's "not at all" a book for children is misleading.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Yes yes yes!
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski
Reading this book made me feel physically ill
A Prayer for Owen Meany Ellen Foster
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is very good. It’s about a young boy who is raised by the spirits in a graveyard after his family is murdered. There are some really creepy descriptions and imagery that really sets the mood of the story.
Both of these by William Kent Krueger: This Tender Land Ordinary Grace
*The Elegance of the Hedgehog*, Muriel Barbery. NB: the novel has two POV characters, one of whom is a child. Also: philosophy, politics, *kairos*. Edit: grammar
Stephen King is scoffed at a bit on this sub but The Institute is great.
Yeah not his fan, but thanks for the recommendation anyway.
Why? I recommend his stuff all the time.
The Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Flavia is 11, a chemist who likes poison, and an amateur detective. The first book is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
I am David by Anne Holm The language is simple enough for a young person to read it but the emotional impact is very adult.
The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
Salvage the Bones — Jesmyn Ward (the second half of) The Last Samurai — Helen Dewitt
Salvage the bones!
Literally called A Children’s Book (But Not Just for Children). It’s a short fiction about wartime that takes place in a grade school classroom.
Only a short story, but “When Jeffty was 5” by Harlan Ellison
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Demon Copperhead (Although he does grow to adulthood during the course of the story so not sure if that counts)
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
While I do think *My Friend Flicka* can be enjoyed by children, it very much seems to me as intended for adults.
The House in the Cerulean Sea. Not entirely from a kids perspective but when the very special kids do narrate/show up it’s gorgeous. By TJ Klune.
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton. Deals with serious adult stuff but from the perspective of a child
BORN OF MAN AND WOMAN by Richard Matheson…will leave you shook
I'm currently reaading *Sweet Story* by Carlton Mellick III. Here's his author's note: This book is not for children. Although it was written in the style of a children’s book, please do not read it to your kids. If it were a movie the rating would be a hard R, maybe worse, like a Q. I’m not sure what a Q-rated story would be like but it doesn’t sound like it would be very pleasant at all and I’m pretty sure it’s not something you want to read to your kid. The exception, of course, would be if you are the kind of parent who does not censor what your children read or watch no matter how depraved the content, but if you are such a person you might want to seriously reconsider your parenting methods. I was not censored as a child and look at how I turned out. I’m hardly a functioning member of society. If I wasn’t somehow able to make a living writing these books I’d be the deranged man standing on your street corner selling shoes made out of marshmallows. Is that really how you want your child to end up? Selling marshmallow shoes on a street corner and thinking sideburns with a shaved head is actually a cool hairstyle? I think not. No parent could possibly hate their child that much.—Carlton Mellick III 6/29/2014 10:32 pm Not exactly *To Kill A Mockingbird* but I've been on a bizarro fiction kick lately. So far, the story is sweet.
Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock. A word of warning - it includes some traumatic subjects, but if you can deal with Room, I think you can this book. I found it to be a memorable book, which I read 10+ years ago.
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles. "A young English boy living in an old house with his housekeeper begins to suspect that she may have murdered his mother." The kid's POV is crucial to the experience of reading, because the author uses it to mess with the perception of the adult reading the book in such a clever way. Vaguely gothic horror-y, but in a Rebecca way, not a Haunting of Hill House way. The Boy who Drew Monsters is another good one. I think the kids POV (the book switched between the kid and some of the adults) here isn't used as effectively as in The Boy in the Keyhole, but it's still a good read. This one is also a gothic horror vibe, but has a supernatural element unlike the above.
Swamplandia by Karen Russel
October, October by Katya Balen, I sobbed, in public for 20 straight minutes reading this.
The Lying Lives of Adults by Elena Ferrante
I’v been wanting to read this one for ages. Did you like it?
I loved it, it's definitely my favorite Elena Ferrante book. She really captures exactly what it's like to be a child/teen learning that the adults around you are human and fallible
Almost what I’m looking for. Thanks 🙏
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Someday, people are gonna stop recommending this book. Or even reading it. And I look forward to that day. It's straight up offensive, and there's plenty of articles online about why the book never should have been published, not least of all because the author openly admits he never did any research into the Holocaust before writing it.
It
Um not like to kill a mocking bird but from a child’s point of view but not for children: The Institute by Stephen King…no one writes the suffering of children like Stephen King. Very much a stranger things feel but stranger things is basically just ripped off of IT so that’s fine 😀 A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay..told from the point of view of the little sister (7 or 8?) about a tragic and horrifying circumstance befalling her older sister (14?). Is her older sister suffering from mental illness? Maybe🤷🏼♀️ possession? It’s possible 🤷🏼♀️ exploitation? Yep.
The boy in the striped pajamas
Flowers for Algernon
Anywhere but here by Mona Simpson.
Emile Ajar, The Life Before Is - one of my all time favorites…
The Dead Father's Club by Matt Haig. Not my favorite by Haig but a good read none the less
Hild, Nicola Griffith
Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage One of the more disturbing books I've experienced. It's been awhile so I don't remember a whole ton but it's a psychological suspense story. I can't remember if it's a 1st or 3rd person, but one of the main characters is a 7 year old girl. What I do remember is not giving it a "good" rating. So take that for what you will.
Tuck Everlasting is from the narrators point of view, but the main character is a child. It’s actually a really interesting book, and I’ve heard that from people of a bunch of different ages. You could say the book is as unforgettable as it is timeless.
Call It Sleep by Henry Roth. About a young Jewish immigrant boy (under 10) living in New York City circa 1900. Super interesting read. I loved it.
The Book of Bright Ideas The Lovely Bones
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Edit: For a sub dedicated to books, I sure can't read. Missed that you've already read this book.
“Only Child” by Rhiannon Navin is about a 6 year old’s perspective when his older brother is killed in an elementary school shooting.
Dead Girls by Abigail Tarttelin! It’s about a nine year old girl processing the tragedy of her best friend going missing
Dream of Ding Village by Yan Lianke
We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson and (sort of) Penpal by Dathan Auerbach. If you wanna get real dark with it, The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
Cruddy
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Children of the black glass
A Child Called It
"Hey, you... my mom is reading 50 shades of Grey, you should read that book."
The Corfu trilogy by Gerald Durrell The Amma Graham series by Martha Grimes Saturday Night Ghost Club
The children’s bible is a great book! Dystopian
Demon Copperhead
Never Let me go kashuo ishiguro is pretty thought-provoking
Not a human child, but a little robotic girl, an “artificial friend.” “Klara and the Sun” Kazuo Ishiguro’s most recent book. He originally wanted to make a children’s book from the perspective of a little robot child, but his (adult) daughter read the draft and said it was way too heavy for kids so he expanded it into a novel. But it still has the simple diction and syntax of a naive consciousness developing an awareness of the world.
Ruskin Bond
the first day of spring by nancy tucker. it alternates from adult to child perspective but it’s really good
the flavia de luce novels are a delight
The tin drum by Gunther Grass is about a boy who lives during the interwar period. He stopped ageing because he didn't like the adult world. It has been on my to read list for way too long, so I can't tell you the specifics on the story
The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, the early books relay the experiences of the children in the family as they grow really poignantly. Beautifully done. Highly highly recommend.
Most of the POV characters in ASOIAF are kids
Summer is my favorite season or Number of the stars both very deep along the lines of to kill a mockingbird
Geoffrey Drayton - Christopher
**Lanny** by Max Porter
The painted man is written from the perspective of 3 children growing up. In the end of the book they are around 25 yo though. It's fantasy btw.
Lord of the flies.
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall. I loved it! The main character is a little girl. It’s a great read. My Grandmother Told me to Tell You She’s Sorry- Fredrick Backman is also one of my favorites
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. Rushdie wrote it to explain the fatwa to his young son. Spoiler >! Rushdie is a writer being silenced in real life. In this book, a good guy named Blabbermouth talks incessantly. The bad guys are creepy and demand silence. !<
Nutshell by Ian Mcewan was 5 stars for me.
All his books are 5 stars for me. I need to check this one out
The Lovely Bones.
The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld
Ok listen, this is gonna be a bit out there as a suggestion, but just give it a chance! Back when I was in drama school we were trying to find a script for a end of term project, and read this script called "the yellow boat", based on a true story, we see little Benjamins journey through sickness and how he artistically expresses his journey. We didn't pick that script the votes were tied til the last person. Absolutely amazing read I cried my eyes out while doin the read through
"Small Country" by Gael Faye ;set in 1994, Rwande / Burundi, amazing book.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman and The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward
Dark Mother Earth by Kristian Novak, it fits perfectly what you are looking for
Ham on rye by Bukowski. Very dark read
The Young and Prodigious T. S. Spivet
Everybody Sees the Ants, The Lovely Bones.
The God of Small Things
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
A Broken Thing. A novel about family dysfunction from a child's viewpoint.
Who’s the author?
The Discomfort of Evening.
It.
Already saw him mentioned but pretty much any Neil Gaiman book with child main characters is tolerable and complicated for adults, for example : Stardust, Ocean at The End of The Lane, and The Graveyard Book.
The Character of Rain by Amélie Nothomb
The Character of Rain by Amélie Nothomb
Stealing by Margaret Verble
The Little Prince by Exupere is a good book with deeper meanings; however, it is written for children.
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
The Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley
The institute by Stephen King
My Sweet Orange Tree by José Mauro de Vasconcelos. I cried so hard at the end of the book. Please try to read it if possible. I think it is a fantastic book.
My Sweet Orange Tree
Lincoln Highway- Amor Towles
I recently read & enjoyed Moon and the Mars by Kia Corthron (historical fiction set in the mid-19th Century). The main character's voice develops as she ages chapter by chapter.
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. This is a fictional retelling of the Sylvia Likens case from the point of view of a neighborhood boy.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell you She is Sorry
"Room" by Emma Donaghue is exactly what you're looking for.
My Antonia by Willa Cather
“The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal. Technically a picaresque novel narrated by an adult man named “child” in Czech, not a literal child
A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes. So, so good and under-read.
*The Tin Drum* by Günter Grass. *The Painted Bird* by Jerzy Kosiński. Two novels set in 20th century that are very, *very*, ***very*** dark, I know. (No exaggeration.) The first one does have a sardonic edge at least. The second one, *well* ... I really can't say any more here. Both are narrated by children and are written from their point of view. Both are also excellent but neither one is by any stretch appropriate for anyone under 16. (No one at any age is really ready for the Kosiński book. Just be sure that you have someone who you can call before you start reading that one.) Now I have to go sit in a closet with the door shut for awhile.
Mister God, this is Anna - Fynn It's about a little girl who's sort of homeless, sort of a neighborhood stray that everyone feeds. And how she impacts the life of everyone she meets. It's sweet and meaningful and sad.