You know those books that left you broken and crying on the floor? It may sound contradictory, but for some reason, bookstagram can’t stop recommending heart-wrenching, hit you in your feels, emotional reads.

So, for this month, I checked in with some of booksta’s best creators, to find out the last book that made them ugly cry. So grab your tissues, set your phone on do not disturb, and… I’m sorry.

Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

“My book is Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang where we follow Misaki and her son Mamoru as war comes to their island home. There is tons of elemental magic (think avatar) but mostly it is a story about family, love, and the societal expectations placed on women. I absolutely teared up at many points but especially when my faves were in danger !” @Ash_And_Her_Books

Feather by Olivia Wildenstein

“I do not cry at books often, let alone ugly cry, but one book that did have me sobbing Feather by Olivia Wildenstein. It’s a paranormal romance about an Angel who signs on to save one of the darkest souls among humanity and finds herself grappling with the angelic system that determines how souls are judged as she falls for him. It’s Romeo and Juliette inspired and the ending had me sobbing for how hard they fought to be together and how much they changed each other into better people. The couple does get a HEA in book 3 (book 2 is about another couple and essential to the story) but it’s unconventional.” @By_The_Bookcase

Seraphim Series by David Dalglish

“This book series drew me in with the cover. At the time,I wanted stories that were about good vs evil. I saw wings and thought” I wonder what kind of magic system Angels would have.” When I started reading, Wow! The story follows twins, Kael and Breanna who want to train with The Seraphim, who are elite shoulders. This is basically like a school or training program type of story. There’s a bit of romance, but the highlight for me was the sibling relationship. Such an amazing story! And that ending… OMG” @SuchABibliophile

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

“Chloe tells us right in the title that this book was going to have violent ends and I was too dumb to understand what was right in front me, so I had to deal with the consequences of her devastating me with the stunning conclusion to this duology.” @TomesAndTextiles

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

“The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is the perfect book for the fans of Greek mythology. It’s also the perfect book for those who want to have their soul crushed. I’ve never read a book that made me cry harder in my entire life. I don’t know how the myth of Achilles and Patroclus slipped from my mind, but the truth of the matter is, I was so immersed in the story that the very predictable ending took me by surprise. Somehow, I wanted a retelling with a different ending. But don’t worry. Even if you know exactly how it ends, it will still destroy you. For one, I was an absolute mess and I can’t recommend it enough. @Elizabeth_Sagan

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

“If you’ve read a Kristin Hannah book, you know she is the queen of devastation. Now, I am not one who gets overly emotional, but listening to the audiobook Firefly Lane with my book club (made up of childhood best friends) made this reading experience even more agonizing. This book made me realize that there will be heartbreaks in life that you just won’t be able to prepare for and that it’s okay to smile and laugh through the tears.” @DeepDiveThis

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

“A Little Life is 800 pages of raw emotion. There were times when I had to stop reading and just sit, processing not just the pain and heartbreak, but the overwhelming love and beauty nestled between the pages. I ugly cried so much during this novel, happy and sad tears.” @Jord_Reads_Books

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

“Once There Were Wolves is a visceral & thrilling story that swirled innumerable emotions around my mind while reading. It attacks human and environmental trauma from page one, weaving something so transfixing I could not help but root for every character (wolves included) in this whodunit story; even as the narrative erodes trust in all sentient life and its dependency on one another. As the pages near their climax, the tensive conflict McConaghy creates burst my tear ducts wide-open. This story is truly unforgettable, and a love story to that aforementioned dependency between humans and nature that we often overlook.” @TreatYoShelvess

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

“Nicola Yoon tells a story that reinforces the notion of love: it’s meant to be experienced without the relevance of time to define whether it’s real or not. The characters were undoubtedly lovable and the overall message will turn a cynic into a hopeless romantic🥰” @IntroToEclecticism

The People We Keep by Allison Larkey

“The People We Keep” by Allison Larkey made my heart sing and swell. It also made me cry so hard that my teeth hurt — happy tears and sad tears, tears because I could relate and tears because I could never. Whatever the genre of tears, I spent a good portion of this book with wet cheeks. The way Larkey describes the helpless desperation of knowing you’re all alone in the world (and the giddy, unsteady hope that you may not be) is something that will stick with me for a long time.” @LittleBookWormBigApple

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

“Reminders of Him is a story about motherhood and mistakes, starting over and staying strong, fighting for family and fighting against the past, and it WRECKED me in the end. Colleen Hoover writes books about the real stuff of life, and this is no exception, and it both broke my heart and put it all back together again. If you make it through with a dry eye, I’ll be shocked.” @AllTheRadReads

All therapy bills can be forwarded to the authors who wrote these books (only mostly kidding). Tap the social icons to share this article to your bookish socials, and let us know the last book that left YOU heartbroken.

I’ll see you next month, but for now, I’m off to run another bubble bath, pour a glass of wine, and listen to Taylor Swift alone.