RIYL Tearjerkers

Sad Books - Teen Titles

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman

All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard

An egg on three sticks by Jackie Fischer

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Behind You by Jacqueline Wilson

Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

Black Box by Julie Schumacher

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Cheated by Patrick Jones.

Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

The Diary of Pelly D. by L.J. Adlington

Do Angels Sing the Blues by LeMieux

ELSEWHERE by Gabrielle Zevin

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

Feed by M. T. Anderson

Finder by Emma Bull

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Forever Changes by Brendan Halprin

Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray

Going for the Record by Julie Swanson

GUARDIAN by Julius Lester

Hanging On To Max by Margaret Bechard

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

Hard Love by Margaret Bechard

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

The How & the Why by Cynthia Hand

How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

How We Live Now by Meg Rosoff

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Imani all mine by Connie Ann Porter

In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

INSIDE OUT by Terry Trueman

Invincible Summer by Jean Ferris

Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley

Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern

Letters from Wolfie by Patti Sherlock

Life as we Knew it and The Dead & Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

Marley and Me: life and love with the world's worst dog

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffrey and Michael Whelan

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

NIGHT KITES by M.E. Kerr

Nothing but the truth by Avi

OF MICE AND MEN by Steinbeck

One True Thing, by Anna Quindlen

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

The Pigman by Paul Zindel

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle

Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Sex Education by Jenny Davis

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

Skin by Adrienne Vrettos

Sleeping Dogs by Sonya Hartnett

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

Socrates in Love by Kyoichi Katayama (in manga & novel form)

Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper

A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Thirsty by M.T. Anderson

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley

Time for Dancing by Davida Hurwin

Trouble by Gary Schmidt

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour


The Last Herald-Mage Series by Mercedes Lackey

  • Magic's Pawn

  • Magic's Promise

  • Magic's Price


See Also:

Link Back to RIYL Book Lists Table of Contents. Link back: "To Genrefy or not to Genrefy?" Workshop, CSLA 2020 In the City of Industry.Sources:Epic Reads Books that will make you ugly cry 01/10/2020ALA’s Popular Paperbacks List 2005 Read 'em and WeepLynn Carpenter, Ann-Marie Marchant, Gwen Lehman, Gillian Dawson, Trish Underwood, Emily Cassady, Katie Spofford, Kelly Burden, and Diana Sanabria YALSA BK 03/04/09Image Source: https://blackshoegirl.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/cry.jpg?w=474&h=419