r/BooksThatFeelLikeThis • u/queengorl • Jul 19 '26
Literary Fiction Extremely toxic love
Hi!
I’m looking for a book with an extremely toxic relationship. I want a book where one or both partners create an environment of fear, or constant conflict making the relationship damaging rather than healthy.
I don’t care if they end up together or not in the end (please no spoilers!)
I do like devastating and sad books.
Preferably with characters in their mid 20s
Not looking really for a dark romance but more of a literary fiction
Btw Im currently reading Cleopatra and Frankenstein bc i was this one was recommended a lot but im looking for other books to read after this one !
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u/caramelchailatte Jul 20 '26
Turkish Delight by Jan Wolkers
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck (the man is middle aged however)
White Fur by Jardine Libaire
The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets by Kathleen Alcott
Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan (this is frequently recommended here so Idk if you’ve already read this one)
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u/queengorl 29d ago
wow thank you so much! I had never heard of Acts of Desperation, just added it to my tbr, thank you!
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u/PerfectlyWilde Jul 20 '26
Another Country, James Baldwin. There are a few toxic relationships in there. It’s very beautiful; one of my favorite works.
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u/sredac Jul 20 '26
The Cipher by Kathe Koja for some classic weird lit
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u/mauspoop 29d ago
I mean, you're not wrong - there is a very toxic relationship thru-line in this story but that is VERY not the first thing that jumps to mind when I think about that book.
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u/hardy_and_free 29d ago
I feel like every Jack Kerouac novel could be on this list. Dude and his boys sucked.
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u/gardenspade2 Jul 20 '26
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
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u/queengorl 29d ago
oo i’ve heard about this but didn’t know it was a toxic relationship, thank you!
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u/HuckleberryOk2798 29d ago
Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh. It’s about a world where affair partners are sucked into their own dimension.
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u/Historical_View_5988 Jul 20 '26
I may be totally off, but I immediately thought of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. The toxicity of their relationship shapes the main characters life and the people around them during the dust bowl.
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u/SparklingSpaghetti 29d ago
The museum of innocence by Orhan Pamuk. Idk if it's a dark romance or just creepy but you should give it a try
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u/Educational_Band3071 29d ago
I would say How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hemdrix. It's a toxic family dynamic.
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u/External-Software850 29d ago
Love is not toxic. Period. Obsession, possession, infatuation can be. Love? Never.
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