Whether you fancy yourself a tortured poet, or you just appreciate the words of the tortured poets of both the past and the present, these are the books for you! Moody, moving, and of course powerful, these books are exactly what your heart, and yes, tortured soul, desires.
If we’re talking about tortured poets, we must mention one of the originals, the absolutely iconic Sylvia Plath. While we know her for her exceptional work, Love, Sivvy takes a closer look at her young adult years. Throughout high school and college Sylvia experienced extreme highs and lows as she wrestled with her mental health. She also struggled to find her place in a world where she knew what she wanted—to be a poet but also have a marriage and a family—but where society told her she couldn’t have it all. And of course, what better way to read about this fierce poet than through verse?
To be a tortured poet, it’s crucial to read the works of the tortured poets that came before you. And this collection is a wonderful assortment of poems from Edna St. Vincent Millay, Emily Dickinson, William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lewis Carroll and more. This is the work that has inspired millions! And perhaps a song (or an album) or two from some very famous musicians. It’s moody and melancholy and absolutely perfect for the tortured soul in us all.
You might know world-renowned poet, playwright, illustrator, and author Nikita Gill from her gorgeous poetry collections, or perhaps her absolutely addicting social media posts with some of her most powerful poems. Hekate is the first book in her chthonic gods trilogy and it’s an absolutely stunning reimagining of the Greek myth of Hekate, goddess of the underworld, told as a novel-in-verse. It’s propulsive, it’s moody, it’s full of rage—it inspires you to step into your own power!
Get your tissues ready for this story about high school junior Samantha McAllister who might appear like she has a picture-perfect carefree life, but is hiding her Purely-Obsessional OCD from her so-called closest friends, popular girls who can turn toxic at any moment. Sam then meets Caroline, who introduces her to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and group of misfits who the school largely ignores. Sam believes keeping her new friendships, and her weekly psychiatrist visits, a secret will help her reputation, but Poet’s Corner has made her discover a whole new side of herself, and a feeling of normalcy that she’s never experienced. No spoilers here but Sam is faced with a sudden revelation that makes her question her sanity but it’s a powerful story and to be fair, I did warn you about the tissues!
This suspenseful novel about teenage girls living in a cult is made all the more haunting by being told in beautiful verse. It’s a shocking story full of paranoia and suspicion as one of the girls goes missing.
Nine girls bound together
in beautiful, virtuous Havenwood,
a refuge from an unsafe world.
Then there are eight
one of them gone —
departed with no warning.
Did this member of their pack
stray willingly,
or did something more sinister occur?
The girls seek answers
not knowing if they should be angry
or frightened
or perhaps,
they should be both.
