I am a book crier. If read a book that I like – even if it’s a happy book! – I cry. I can’t help it.
That said, there are a number of books through the years that have especially made me cry. We’re not talking about misty eyes or a single tear running down the cheek here (if so, I’d have to include probably about 75% of the books I’ve read on this list). We’re talking full on, can’t-see-through-the-tears, snotty-nosed, ugly crying. And it’s still a very long list.
So today I’m going to be telling you about 12 books that have made me cry and the stories behind them! As the title says, this is not a comprehensive list, but it’s the 12 books that I can think of that have made me cry the most. This isn’t going to be embarrassing at all. Let’s get into it…
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
When I read this book last year, I read the entire second half in one sitting and cried pretty much steadily for the last quarter or so. That was when I was in college and sharing a room, so I had to hide my sobs from my roommate (which is something you get very good at in college). Then I took a shower immediately after and cried in the shower. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book for weeks months – let’s be real, I still haven’t stopped thinking about it obsessively.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I have read this book more times than I can count and it still makes me cry even just thinking about it! I read it for the first time when I was about 13 or 14, and I remember getting to the end and just crying my eyes out until my eyes were too puffed up to read, putting the book down to calm myself, picking it up to continue and immediately dissolving into tears again. That ending guts me to my core every time. I am haunted by humans…
Harry Potter 5, 6, and 7 by J.K. Rowling
There are three chapters at the ends of these three books that never fail to make me cry, not matter how many times I read them: “The Lost Prophecy,” “The White Tomb,” and “The Forest Again.” If you know what I’m talking about, you know. I will never recover from any of these books.
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
I didn’t go into this book expecting it to make me cry much, so when I cried within the first 50-ish pages, it came as a surprise! Flash forward to the next day when I found myself crying into my pillow late at night while nearing the end. This book, which follows a couple of teenagers in New York during the AIDS crisis of the late 80s/early 90s, managed to do something to my heart that I can’t entirely explain. I think it’s the book that’s made me cry the most so far in 2019!
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking #3)
If the last book in a series is good, it’s pretty much guaranteed to make me cry, but few have made me full out sob like this one did. If you’ve read this series, you know what I’m talking about. I have a distinct memory of finishing this book in tears and throwing it across my bed, then immediately picking it up and clutching it to my chest while I cried. Kind of rude for a series about aliens and mind reading and talking dogs to be able to do that to me.
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #4)
This will be utterly predictable to anyone who knows me. Every single book in the Raven Cycle has made me at least tear up at some point, but none of them have made me cry like The Raven King, which gets me even though I’ve read it so many times. The build-up to the ending, the sacrifice, and then Noah’s “Don’t throw it away” leave me a blubbering mess if I even spend too much time thinking about it.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I’ve read this book twice and it’s made me cry twice, predictably. The first time was when I was in high school, and I remember staying up late to finish it, curled up on the couch. I didn’t really know the story at that point, having never read the Iliad, so the ending hit me like a train. I cried a lot and wondered how I could be expected to go on with my life after that. And then, of course, I decided to read it again years later and went through the whole thing once more.
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden
This is the most recently read book on this list and also the first graphic novel that’s made me cry to this extent, so that’s fun. I didn’t know I was capable of these many tears because of a graphic novel. This book, which is about two women going on a road trip and working through grief and trauma, made me cry so hard that I had to lie down on the couch and remind myself how to breathe. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but absolutely worth it for anyone who wants a good cry.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Has anyone in history ever read this book without crying?? Okay, obviously people have, though I don’t understand how. To be honest, I haven’t read this book in years, but back in high school I read it over and over and cried every time. The first time I read it was on Christmas day when I was fifteen, in the car to my grandparents’ house, and I had to hide under a blanket to cry while reading because my family was laughing at me. Such sweet memories.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This is another book that I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to read without crying. And it snuck up on me, too! I went into this fully expecting not to like it, but before I knew what was happening, I was choking back sobs as I read the ending! How dare Elizabeth Wein tell me that everything was going to be okay and then rip the floor out from underneath me?? Ugh. I want to cry just thinking about it.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness has the dubious honor of appearing twice on this list, because he’s just that good at breaking my heart. I read this book in a single sitting, since it’s pretty short and has illustrations, and I absolutely cried my eyes out through pretty much the entire thing. It was devastating and beautiful at the same time. Almost immediately after reading this, I watched the movie and cried all over again because apparently I love to torture myself.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Is this any surprise whatsoever given this book’s title and what it’s about?? Yeah, no. I knew that I was going to cry going into this book and I thought I had mentally and emotionally prepared myself for the devastation it did to my heart…but I was not prepared in the slightest. There were definitely some snotty tears and shouts of “NO” and “WHY” while finishing this. Honestly, every Adam Silvera book has done this to me to a certain extent, but this was the worst.
Do you cry easily in books? What books have made you cry the most? Have you read any of these from my list?
x Margaret
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Weird Zeal 
A Monster Calls zinged me good too. Especially when Connor reveals his truth. I wasn’t expecting it at all and I was like “Oh!” I literally said, “Oh!” out loud. So, I simply had to buy the movie, which was awesome. So awesome.
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I know, A Monster Calls was like a gut punch 😭 And the movie was fantastic as well!
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Absolutely! 😀
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I’m such a fan of books that make me cry and many of these also brought me to tears!
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Glad to hear you feel the same way haha! They’re some pretty heartbreaking books…
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Honestly, this is a really good way to recommend a book, I immediately want to read several of these. Why do we love to torture ourselves like this?
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Haha I’m so glad to hear it! My interest in a book definitely goes up whenever someone tells me it made them cry 😉 I have no idea why we torture ourselves!!
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Deathly Hallows… *SOBS*
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I KNOW! Heartbreaking…. 😢
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A Monster Calls had me SOBBING at two in the morning…good times XD. And the last three HP books really do hurt.
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Oh yeah, A Monster Calls does that…. same with Deathly Hallows. Good times indeed!
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*high five* I am also a book crier. I have also been known to cry as I write the reviews for books that just hit me in the feels. Yes. Tears were shed for Uncle Stephen in Like a Love Story, and I was a hot mess for the last 30% of TFioS. Have you read Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson? I cried so much, my eye got crusty. The Nightingale had me in a puddle as well.
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Fellow book crier, hooray! Oh man, crying while writing reviews is RELATABLE. Yeah, Like a Love Story and TFIOS both broke me for sure. I haven’t read Second Chance Summer or The Nightingale, but hearing that they made you cry definitely makes me interested! 😉
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Finally, someone who cries at books as much as me!! I’ve only read the first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy so I can’t even imagine what the ending must be like. Oh no… 😅 They Both Die at the End had me howling, even though it literally tells you on the cover what happens! I was not prepared for THAT though. I’m pretty sure I screamed at Mateo and I refused to believe anything had happened because NO, Adam Silvera, you don’t get to do that to me!! Speaking of the bookish devil himself, History Is All You Left Me gets the honour of ‘book that made me cry the most’. Picture big, chest heaving sobs hiding under the bedsheets for pretty much the entire 300+ pages. It’s one of my all-time favourites but so painful I’m scared to reread it! And Illuminae is another one that stabbed me right in the heart.
I absolutely loved this post!! ❤ So great to know I’m the only overly-emotional bookworm out there! 😂
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Oh boy, I can’t wait for you to finish Chaos Walking so you can understand my pain. And yes, who knew that TBDatE could make me cry so much despite the title telling me the ending!! History Is All You Left Me made me cry so much too – I LOVED it but I’m also scared to reread it. Ooh Illuminae is on my TBR…can’t wait to cry over that one too!
Haha I’m glad I could provide representation for us overly emotional readers 😉 Thank you!
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Oh gosh, The Knife of Never Letting Go hurt me enough, I’m not sure I can handle more! My friend who read Illumimae didn’t cry, and I was just like, what?? This book ripped my heart out and stomped on it, where are your emotions??
Yes, it was some much needed representation!
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Good luck with the rest of Chaos Walking! 😅
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I have a list of books that make me cry sitting in my drafts and half of them are on here. Evelyn Hugo made me cry. The Song of Achilles made me cry. They Both Die at the End made me cry and hope they both lived even though the title literally says they both die. And The Book Thief makes me cry buckets every single time I read it too, without fail!!! For most of these I KNEW what was going to happen and … I still cried.
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Great minds think alike!! Isn’t it weird how a book can make you cry so much even when you know what’s coming, like in TBDATE or The Book Thief??
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Oh yeah, it’s nuts!! I like to think I won’t cry if I know what happens but obviously. I do.
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The last two HP books had me bawling like crazyy as well! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 MY HEARTTTT!! ❤️❤️😭😭
A Monster Calls! AHHHHHH!!!! I havent read it yet but DAMN YOU MAKE ME WANNA READ IT ASAPP! I LOVE A GOOD CRY! 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️
I am going to add these to my tbr!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR THIS LOVELY POST, Margaret!! 😍😍❤️❤️❤️ I LOVED IT SOO MUCH! 💕💕☔️☔️
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I KNOW, those Harry Potter books get me every time! And you should totally read A Monster Calls!! It’s heartbreaking but absolutely beautiful. I hope you love all of the ones that you end up reading! 😀 Thank you!!
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❤️❤️❤️😘😘
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Ahhhh even reading this list has me tearing up again 😭
– Emma 🙂
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Ahaha sorry to make you tear up, but thanks! 😉
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I sobbed ugly tears while reading The Book Thief 😅
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Oh mood. That one never fails to make me cry!
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Yes!! We love books that make us cry and hit us with those feels. 😭❤️ I’m so glad to see so many of my personal favorites on this list too. I have to agree 100% with Evelyn Hugo! I didn’t expect to love this story since I normally don’t read historical fiction, but it was SOOOO GOOD!!
The Harry Potter books always know how to hit me in my feels too because they’re so nostalgic! I haven’t read The Song of Achilles before, but I’ve heard nothing but great things. I’m happy to hear that it made you ugly cry because that just means it’s written super well and is worth the read!!
Great list!! 💘
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Yesss, I felt exactly the same way about Evelyn Hugo – it’s not the type of book that I would usually pick up, but then it managed to do THAT! I hope you love The Song of Achilles if you end up reading it, since it absolutely is worth the read, despite the many tears. Thank you!! ❤
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I always say I don’t cry in books but I totally do…all the time 😂
I just love all my smol babies too much! 😭
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Yep haha I cry SO often in books 😅 It’s a struggle!
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I don’t actually cry that much at books but there are a few which have broke through that barrier!
Evelyn Hugo being one of them, it just reached into my heart and stabbed it!!
AND THE BOOK THIEF!! All the emotions– and that last line is one of my all time favourites!!
I’m scared to read Song of Achilles and any Adam Silvera books to be honest but I’m also so excited to have my hear broken (if that makes sense, haha)
Great post and you have certainly resurfaced some emotions!!
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Oh absolutely, Evelyn Hugo and The Book Thief tend to do that 😅 I completely understand being scared to read Achilles and Adam Silvera’s books – but I hope you enjoy them if you do 😉 Thanks so much!!
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Oooh what a cool idea for a post. I am a huge crier too. I bawled in HP! Tho weirdly my last true major cry was in a movie not a book. Somehow I was completely blind-sighted by the ending of rouge one. I was crying so hard when it ended and the guy next to me kept giving me weird looks.
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Thanks! Haha yeah, movies make me cry too….and Rogue One is especially rough! 😭 Can’t blame you for that
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