unhinged books you've never heard of

for when you need a good "wtf did I just read"

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Unhinged is a sweeping descriptor that could mean anything from characters behaving badly to nonsensical worlds and creatures. Most of the novels I have seen categorized as unhinged are those “good for her” books that pepper my Pinterest home page (and no shade, I have read and enjoyed many of them). Most of the books I read are what I would classify as unhinged — they twist and turn in plot, have unreliable narrators, or simply make me ask “wtf did I just read.” I love having to sit and digest a book; to be forced to focus in a world that constantly demands my attention. Here are 7 books I haven’t seen mentioned almost anywhere else to make you feel like your brain is melting:

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The Hike by Drew Magary

When Ben, a suburban family man, takes a business trip to rural Pennsylvania, he decides to spend the afternoon before his dinner meeting on a short hike. Once he sets out into the woods behind his hotel, he quickly comes to realize that the path he has chosen cannot be given up easily. With no choice but to move forward, Ben finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a world of man-eating giants, bizarre demons, and colossal insects.

Oh, poor Ben! This book is weird, but in such a fun way. Magary takes the reader through a fantasy land like no other, dog-faced killers included. The Hike is not only a fun little adventure though, instead challenging Ben and the reader to question how they make purpose in their lives, the impact of trauma, and staying present. I found the beginning to drag a little in terms of the heavier themes which permeate the latter half of the novel. I also have to mention that Magary gives an amazing little plot twist at the end that had me go “oh shit.” I gave it a 4/5.

Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass

From the day they met, Dearie and Cole have been two against the world. But whenever something bad happens at Stone Grove High School, they get blamed. Why? They’re beautiful, flirtatious, dangerously clever queen bees, and they’re always ready to call out their fellow students. But they’ve never faced a bigger threat than surviving senior year, when Mr. Sandman, a famous, never-caught serial killer emerges from a long retirement—and his hunting ground is their school Queer Club.

Another super fun read!! Sass gives us a whole club of diverse queer high schools as they track down the copycat killer that is after them. The novel is part thriller, part coming of age. The novel has multiple plot twists (my favorite is the drive-in scene) that keeps you guessing and questioning everyone. I gave it a very strong 4.5/5 stars.

The Very Nice Box by Laura Blackett & Eve Gleichman

The Very Nice Box is a wryly funny, suspenseful debut—with a shocking twist. It’s at once a send-up of male entitlement and a big-hearted account of grief, friendship, and trust.

I feel like Stefan when I say this, but this book has everything: millennial workplace culture, a rom-com, cult adjacent AI wellness apps, queerness, and a “wtf did I just read” ending. I don’t want to say much more — not just because the novel is so packed I find it hard to do it justice in a summary, but because I truly think you just have to go in blind to get the full brain-twisting narrative that was so captivating. 4/5 stars!

Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale

The Slenderman stabbing of May 31, 2014, in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, shocked the local community and the world. The violence of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, two twelve-year-old girls who attempted to stab their classmate to death, was extreme, but what seemed even more frightening was that they had done so under the influence of a figure born by the internet: the so-called “Slenderman.” Yet the even more urgent aspect of the story, that the children involved were suffering from undiagnosed mental illness, was often overlooked in coverage of the case.

Hale not only creates a clear timeline of the events of the attempted murder but goes much further into the mental states of Morgan and Anissa than I have found in other recounts of the case. I classify this as unhinged not due to the girl’s mental illnesses, but due to the insane rise of Slenderman online, online culture generally, and the immense failings of the justice, school, and mental health systems that lead to Morgan and Anissa stabbing their friend over ten times and running away to find Slenderman’s mansion. 5/5 stars.

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill

Marie Antoine is the charismatic, spoiled daughter of a sugar baron. At 12 years old, with her blond curls and her unparalleled sense of whimsey, she's the leader of all the children in the Golden Mile, an affluent strip of 19th century Montreal. Until one day in 1873, when Sadie Arnett, dark-haired, sly, and brilliant, moves to the neighborhood.

O’Neill has been my favorite author since 2015 with her ability to create stories that shock and awe. She is a master at weaving prose to create atmosphere, which she morphs and explores from chapter to chapter. The novel explores girlhood, income inequality, toxic friendships, and sex. Most of O’Neill’s stories have me scratching my head at how she comes up with such dynamic and off-putting plots and marries them with the most poetic of language. 4.5/5 stars.

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

Meet Chloe Sevre. She’s a freshman honor student, a leggings-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. Her hobbies include yogalates, frat parties, and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her.

Not just a normal psychopath/revenge novel! Kurian introduces us to an entire research study of psychopaths at a university. They do not know who else is in the study, just that there are more psychopaths on campus, and someone is hunting them. Shout out to my librarian sister for recommending this one to me since I have seen 0 people talking about it. And they should be. 5/5 stars!

Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

Mary is a quiet, middle-aged woman doing her best to blend into the background. Unremarkable. Invisible. Unknown even to herself. But lately, things have been changing inside Mary. Along with the hot flashes and body aches, she can’t look in a mirror without passing out, and the voices in her head have been urging her to do unspeakable things.

This book had me stopping between chapters to sit and try and make sense of what I was reading. Murder, mid-life crisis, reincarnation, hidden walls — it is a Frankenstein of a novel in the best way. Dark, gory, and funny could all be used to describe this novel but to me, it is simply, fucking unhinged. Another strong 5/5 stars.