Hi everyone,
I'm looking for a book recommendation to gift to a friend who struggles with emotional dependency in relationships. He often exhibits intense neediness for validation and has a hard time recognizing unhealthy dynamics, such as (his own) emotional manipulation (forcing others to stay with him with the classical "but I love you soo much and need you") combined with (his own) fear of abandonment.
For context, my friend might read a book like It Ends with Us and not (immediately) understand that the relationship depicted is abusive and that the characters should not be together. I’m looking for a novel that (clearly) shows how problematic these behaviors are, without being too extreme (as he might dismiss it as unrealistic), too subtle (as he might miss the point) or too romanticized.
An ideal book would be similar to Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, focusing on a character like Giovanni—someone who becomes heavily emotionally dependent and makes questionable decisions based on their need for validation. The book should ideally be around 200-250 pages max, making it a relatively quick read.
Any suggestions for books that clearly illustrate the problems of emotional dependency and manipulation, in a way that’s engaging and easy to understand, would be greatly appreciated! Also, no self-help books, more like fiction, coming of age ones, or any other novels you could recommend
Thanks in advance!
by SupermarketGlum6