Top 5 Wednesday: Books With Hard Topics

Hello readers! For this week’s #T5W we will be discussing books with hard topics (i.e. sexual assault, mental illness, abuse). If you would like to find out more about Top 5 Wednesday or join us please check out our Goodreads group! I hope everyone is having a lovely week so far. 🙂

1. Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James

Probably one of the most talked about books in my opinion. Fifty Shades of Grey is the first book in EL James trilogy and starts off by introducing a young Anastasia Grey to the one and only billionaire Christian Grey. This book has hardcore BDSM and is not suitable for younger readers. Hard topics and explicit sexual scenes are written in detail.

2. Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

This book was fantastic. The story follows a young girl named Gemma as she recounts her tale of being stolen at an airport while with her parents. She is taken to the Australian outback with her captor who is named Ty. The book is a letter that Gemma writes to Ty recounting those months she was with him and how every feeling she’s ever known blurs together.

3. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Crank is the first novel I read that dealt with a hard topic, in this case it is drug addiction. The story follows straight A student Kristina as she is introduced to crystal meth or “crank” while visiting her out of the picture father. While taking this drug Kristina discovers she has an alter ego named “Bree” that will do everything in her power to break innocent Kristina.

4. Flawed by Kate Avelynn

This story is one that will break your heart. Sarah and James O’Brien are closer than most siblings. 12 years ago James promised to always protect Sarah from their abusive father. Soon the bond between them shifts and suddenly nothing is as it once seemed to be. Through in James best friend Sam, a boy who swears to save Sarah from both her brother and father, and the whole situation crumbles to the ground.

5. Reason to Breath by Rebecca Donovan

Heartbreaking sums up this story. Readers follow Emma, a girl who has lost her parents and is sent to live with her aunt and two cousins. We soon discover that Emma’s aunt is abusive towards her and more coldhearted. This aunt is truly one of the most cruel and evil characters I have read about. Emma has learned to keep her head down and stay invisible… until one day someone notices her. From that point on it is a challenge to save and protect Emma.