Hi there! I’m counting on this godsent subreddit to help me scratch this book itch, show me what you’ve got!
So I’m after a book (preferably fantasy, but any kind of fiction is good) where the MC is a male character who either has a generally terrible life, or has gone through/is going through something traumatic. I want him to actually acknowledge that he is struggling and I want alot of the book to centire around him struggling to cope.
I feel like there are so little books where the mc is a male who goes through something traumatic, let alone actually deals with it instead of entirely forgetting about it. And the pool for books like this is even smaller if we are talking about fantasy.
It can include any kind of triggers, I don’t mind. HEA is not necessary but would be preferred.
bonus points if:
The recovery is not smooth sailing.
He finds friends who can help him, he doesn’t magically get healed though.
He encounters situations throughout the book where is is forced to face his trauma.
He is trying to portray himself as strong/a bad person to avoid getting hurt again.
I love you guys! Stay safe our there, try to look up from your books when crossing the street, okay?
by Lanky_Sheepherder_37
3 Comments
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. The first book is The Way of Kings and a theme for several of the MC is the trauma they’ve experienced and how they deal with it.
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. The book opens by talking about the idea of pain, mental pain specifically. The main character is telling this story as an adult but the book is looking back to when he was 12. The main character witnesses horrible things done to a girl right next door, but he doesn’t tell his parents or other adults. At one point the main character tries to help this girl on his own, but is unsuccessful. If this premise sounds familiar, it’s because this book is a fictional retelling of the Sylvia Likens story. This book is so emotional, yet amazing.
I really liked Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It’s a short sci-fi novella with a twist, where it alternates between two characters perspectives- one that sees events through a more fantasy/medieval lens and the other through a sci-fi lens. The MC of the sci-fi side deals with a lot of depression and trauma from events that have occurred, and even go into his reliance on self-medicating in a neat sci-fi way that I appreciated. I thought it was really well done, especially considering the length of the book.