7 Disturbing Books That’ll Leave You Feeling Filthy Once You’re Finished

If you’re sick of reading about love triangles and sentimental vampires, then you should check out the dark side of the library. Not every story has a happy ending, you know. If you think you can stomach some disturbing shit, here are a few books that will make you feel absolutely filthy.

1. I’m Not Sam by Jack Ketchum

This book is about a man who has to deal with the fact that his wife suddenly believes she is a child again. Although she acts like she’s a toddler, she still has the same beautiful tits and ass, which causes the narrator to totter on the edge of pedophilia. If you’re looking to read about one man’s fucked up marriage and confusing sexual desires, this is the book for you.

2. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

This book starts off with a young girl miscarrying the baby that her father put into her and then shamed her for–and it doesn’t get any better from there. In addition to incest, this novel contains a shit ton of gang rape scenes and mentions of suicide. There’s even a bear-human hybrid that tries to have sex with a teenage girl. If you’re interested in reading something completely off the wall, this weird ass book will give you all you need and more.

3. The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen

This book is about an online suicide club that consists of impressionable teenage who are all leading miserable lives. Sound sad? Well, it gets worse. There’s an anonymous user who actually singles out certain girls and convinces them to go through with their suicide plans, because he likes to watch them bleed (hence the title of the novel).

4. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

If you’re a fan of gore, then don’t you dare skip over this Clive Barker novel. It’s about a man who becomes obsessed with figuring out the secret of Lemarchand’s box. A man who gains pleasure from pain. A man who isn’t really a man at all. Sound familiar? That’s because the novel was the inspiration for Hellraiser. If you liked the movie, you’ll love the book that started it all.

5. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

This is a fucked up story meant for some pretty fucked up readers. So don’t pick up a copy of this book, unless you’re ready to read about drug addiction, pedophilia, orgies, and the murder of a child. Every page will reveal a new level of disturbing, so make sure you’re prepared for anything.

6. The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

Here’s another one by Jack Ketchum, the king of making you feel uncomfortable. This story is about a teenager who is mentally and physically tortured by everyone in the neighborhood. The worst part? It’s based on a true story. Unless you have a sick, twisted mind of your own, you’re not going to be able to handle the devastating details in this book without having to take time to pause and regroup in between pages.

7. Psycho by Robert Bloch

This eerie story takes “mama’s boy” to a whole new level. You probably already know the whole deal with Norman Bates, but you should still check out the first novel that he appeared in. And once you’re finished, you should start reading Psycho Sanitarium, which is just as fucked up as the original novel. Both will make you weep for humanity.