Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where book bloggers come up with their Top Ten list for a particular book topic. Here at Looking at the Panacea, Chantelle and Nara each pick their top five to give a combined list of ten. This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects 

NARA
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This book definitely deals with some serious issues- cancer, death, the oblivion....but it does it in a way that isn't at all intimidating, with plenty of humour and general awesomesauceness! Also: John Green. JOHN GREEN.

2. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Dealing with revenge and trauma and the "miracle of second chances", this book had one the most realistic romances I have ever read. It is amazing. If you haven't read this book, seriously, go get yourself a copy.

3. Easy by Tammara Webber
The tough subject in this book is the issue of sexual assault. It's encouraging to see how main character Jacqueline deals with it in the novel- with the help of a certain character named Lucas, of course ;)

4. Speechless by Hannah Harrington
A beautifully written novel with the important message that redemption is always possible, Speechless deals with bullying, discrimination and homosexuality.

5. If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
This book was released quite recently- and I was completely wowed by how poignant it was. From the blurb, it is quite obvious that the tough issue we are dealing with in this one is that of death. I felt that reading this book was a bit like watching a horror scene in a movie- you don't want to watch, but you don't want to look away either.

CHANTELLE

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
What's a tougher subject than the much ignored WWII concentration camps in Siberia where Stalin sent millions of people to die cultivating land that was inhabitable... basically not much! Ruta Sepetys does an absolutely courageous job in writing a story about survivors, which isn't sugar coated, and I applaud her.

2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Another WWII addition, but Elizabeth Wein wrote a mindblowing literary monster. It's a book that could not ever be made into a movie, it's a book about a Scottish spy and her best friend Maddy. It's a book about being captured by Nazi Germans, being tortured, being starved, and needing to spill everything and betray everyone in order to survive.

3. Twisted by Marjorie Brody
Rape... yeah, this book goes there. It also touches on many many other tough subjects but for want of not spoiling the plot, I won't say them here. But Marjorie Brody handles it extremely tactfully, respectfully, and purposefully. Definitely worth a read. I also reviewed it!

4. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
In a less than ideal world, seventeen year old Lennie Walker's sister dies. This novel is a poetic tale of grief, love and courage. Heart-achingly awe-inspiring.

5. Butter by Erin Jade Lange
Okay, I admit, I seem to be adding this book on to every possible list, and that's because I have been, but it's seriously that good! It tackles obesity, bullying, and teenage suicide in a captivating thriller that is honest and confronting. Also, US RESIDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A SIGNED COPY!!!!! (Check our giveaways in the left side bar, and my review!)