Oh, being a woman in your twenties. A time filled with turmoil, uncertainty, maybe being a little messy sometimes. It’s easy to feel lost, like you have no direction in life. Maybe you don’t know what you wanna do after college. Or maybe you thought you did but after slaving away for hours doing unpaid labor for your internship, you realize that you hate the thing you dreamed about for years.
If there’s one thing to be agreed upon, it’s that it’s a confusing time. As actress, singer, and model extraordinaire Suki Waterhouse once said, “I think when you’re a young woman in your twenties… it’s the trenches.” Between personal problems and the general state of the world, it’s no wonder that we are turning to media to reflect our experiences. Luckily, authors are listening, paving the path for a new genre: Sad-Girl Literature.
Warning: Many of these books contain dark subject matter that may be triggering to certain people. Always check trigger warnings before picking up a book! I promise, it will not spoil it.
The classics
These books are the ones that started it all. The books that will come up in a quick google search of “Sad-Girl Lit.” If you don’t know where to start, these novels are the perfect foray into messy protagonists and heartbreak.
- The bell jar by sylvia plath
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The quintessential Sad-girl book.
- normal people by sally rooney
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Yes, it’s worth the hype.
- my dark vanessa by kate elizabeth russel
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A book that I put off for way too long. One of my top 2023 reads.
- Black swans by eve babitz
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I have read every book by Eve Babitz and nothing will ever top Black Swans.
contemporary fiction
Looking for something more contemporary? These recent novels all follow women dealing with their own issues. From anxiety to depression to just that general lost feeling, these are the perfect books to pick up if you’re craving some sad-girl inner monologues.
- berlin by bea setton
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A book that’s kind of about nothing, but isn’t that what we love?
- post traumatic by chantal v. johnson
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Johnson’s prose in this book will have you sobbing.
- writers and lovers by lily king
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Using buzzing bee’s as a metaphor for anxiety? Genius.
- milkfed by melissa broader
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DEFINITELY check trigger warnings for this one.
thrillers
If you like something fast-paced that will keep you on the edge of your seat through the debilitating sadness on the page, these thrillers are perfect for you.
- they never learn by layne fargo
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A fast-paced thriller with a plot-twist that will leave you shocked.
- you are not alone by greer hendriks and sarah pekkanen
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Female friendship is sooo much fun!
- we can only save ourselves by alison wisdom
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Who doesn’t love a good cult story? If you enjoyed The Girls by Emma Cline, check this one out.
- Bunny by mona awad
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Um… I don’t even know how to warn you about this one. But it’s worth it.
sad but romantic?
My personal favorite. Books that warm your heart while also ripping it apart. These romances (if you can even really call them that) will leave the pages stained with your mascara.
- cleopatra and frankenstein by coco mellors
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If you love Normal People, Cleopatra and Frankenstein is a book that you have to add to your TBR.
- ghosts by dolly alderton
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I will read anything that Dolly Alderton writes and this book broke my heart into pieces.
- magnolia parks by jessa hastings
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Imagine if Gossip Girl took place in London but also ripped your heart out and stomped it into the ground.
- adelaide by genevieve wheeler
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A book that has made it’s way into my top 5 favorite novels of all time.
- alone with you in the ether by olivie blake
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One of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read.
non-fiction
If fiction isn’t your thing but you’re tired of self-help books that give out the same generic advice, try these. Each of these books will engage you from the start and are perfect if you’re craving the validation of hearing real-life experiences of the emotions you feel.
- the year of magical thinking by joan didion
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My personal favorite by Didion. Be warned, you will cry.
- group by christie tate
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This book made me want to try group therapy.
- the defining decade by meg jay
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Is there a better book to read when you feel lost in your twenties than one that is pretty much a guidebook to get you through?
- 101 essays that will change the way you think by brianna wiest
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A great introduction into Wiest’s writing, containing essays spanning over virtually every subject you could desire.