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10 Books That People Claim Traumatized Them for Life

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I love a good creepy book – the scarier and more disturbing, the better. And I’m talking about true crime or fiction. Whatever makes me want to check under my bed at night is good in my book!

People shared the books that have totally traumatized them for life. Let’s see what they had to say!

1. A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor

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“This is a short story, but it messed me up so bad. It’s about a family on a road trip that goes downhill and…it just gets so bad. Like, so bad. You have no idea where the story is going because it’s just like, ‘Oh, a sweet family of a mom and dad, their two kids and a baby, and the grandma who’s going a little crazy with old age!’ And then the story takes a hard left turn into Nopeville, USA and never leaves.”

2. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

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“When I read it, it changed my life. It was so horrifying and uncomfortable, yet beautiful in a tragic way. The book is more effective than any ‘Just Say No to Drugs’ class ever.”

3. Clay’s Ark by Octavia E. Butler

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“I couldn’t sleep for days after I read it. It’s part of a series called The Patternist and it’s set in a dystopian future. A father and his twin daughters get kidnapped by a man who’s been infected with an alien organism that compels him to infect as many people as possible. Most die from the infection, but the people who survive turn into these creepy cat-like beings. I love cats, but damn…this book made me avoid mine for a while.”

4. The Collector by John Fowles

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“This deserves a spot on this list…that’s all I’m going to say.”

5. Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price

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“It’s about a girl who’s checked into a facility for a severe eating disorder and writing letters to her best friend back at home…or so she thinks. The subject matter, the unreliable narrator, and the twist at the end all make this book jarring and highly disturbing. A genuinely difficult read.”

6. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

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“This is the one book I’ve read that I can’t get out of my mind. While it’s not meant to be a horror or thriller novel, it’s haunted me more than any ‘scary’ book I’ve read.”

7. Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk

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“I’m a big Palahniuk fan and I gotta say this is one of my favorites. It’s about a song that kills people, and it gets really dark REALLY fast. His writing style leaves the reader feeling intrigued and it is truly amazing.”

8. A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L. Peck

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“It is, simply put, the most disturbing book that I have encountered.”

9. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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“I read this in a few hours because I couldn’t put it down. Once I finished, I couldn’t read anything for a week or so since the incredible twist shook me so bad. I would highly recommend for anyone who likes a good mind-fuck.”

10. If You Tell by Gregg Olsen

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“I just finished this one. It’s a true story about a woman who tortures her own family and friends. Somehow I missed the ‘true story’ part when I first started reading, and I couldn’t wrap my head around someone writing fiction that was so depraved…only to find out it was true.”

I need to add some of these to my reading list!

What books have creeped you out for life?

Please share with us in the comments!