Fear

Should we heed our fears, or work to overcome them? Suppress and ignore them, or face them head-on? Do we fight—or should we flight? These books unpack the universal human emotion of fear.

Grenade

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal, War, Siblings, Place, Race, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, World War II, Military & War, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Asian History, US History, Religion & Spirituality, Children`s Literature, World History

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Guts

by Raina Telgemeier

Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Fear, Friendship, Family, Perseverance, Art

Tags Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Guts is the third mid-grade graphic memoir in a trilogy by author/illustrator Raina Telgemeier through which she relates the true story of her childhood. Guts specifically records Raina’s fourth- and fifth-grade years, when she transitioned from nine to 10 years old. During this period, she first experiences gastrointestinal issues, eventually diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Panic attacks accompany the IBS, and the two conditions exacerbate each other, intensifying her distress. Her narrative chronicles how... Read Guts Summary

Hands

by Sherwood Anderson

Publication year 1919

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Fear, Masculinity, Appearance & Reality

Tags American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by J. K. Rowling

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Perseverance, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Politics & Government

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in J. K. Rowling’s enormously popular Harry Potter series. Accordingly, it chronicles Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his ongoing struggle against the evil wizard Voldemort. Other works by this author include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.Plot SummaryThe story opens over summer vacation. Harry... Read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Summary

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

by J. K. Rowling

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Coming of Age, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction

The Prisoner of Azkaban is the third installment of the best-selling Harry Potter series by the British author J.K. Rowling. The highly successful fantasy series was adapted into film beginning in 2001, and in 2004 the film adaptation of The Prisoner of Azkaban was released. The story takes place during Harry Potter’s third year as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is forced to uncover painful and complex secrets of the... Read Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban Summary

Heart-Shaped Box

by Joe Hill

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Love, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Fathers, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Heart-Shaped Box (2007) is the debut novel of horror writer Joe Hill, son of the famous Stephen King. The novel is a contemporary Gothic story about Judas “Jude” Coyne, a retired rock star hunted by a ghost. His confrontation with the ghost forces him and his girlfriend, Marybeth “Georgia” Kimball, to confront their respective pasts and current relationship. Hill went on to publish novels such as Horns (2010), NOS4A2 (2013), and The Fireman (2016), as... Read Heart-Shaped Box Summary

Hide

by Kiersten White

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Loneliness, Regret, Death, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Hinds’ Feet on High Places

by Hannah Hurnard

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Fear, Love

Tags Christian, Symbolic Narrative, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Self-Improvement, British Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Hannah Hurnard’s 1955 novel Hinds’ Feet on High Places is an allegorical portrayal of purgation, progress, and ascent within the spiritual life. Born to Quaker parents, Hurnard struggled with her faith in her youth but experienced a powerful conversion at the age of 19. Inspired, she gained theological training in England and went on to author almost two dozen books over the course of her life, including a sequel to Hinds’ Feet entitled Mountain of... Read Hinds’ Feet on High Places Summary

Home Before Dark

by Riley Sager

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Guilt, Memory, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Regret, Revenge, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Appearance & Reality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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Homeland Elegies

by Ayad Akhtar

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Race, Shame & Pride, Fear, Justice, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Politics & Government, Immigration & Refugeeism, Social Justice, 9/11, Life-Inspired Fiction, Race & Racism, US History, Social Class, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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Honor

by Thrity Umrigar

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hope, Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction

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House of Glass

by Sarah Pekkanen

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Memory, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality, Family, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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House of Stairs

by William Sleator

Publication year 1974

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Memory, Teamwork, Politics & Government, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

House of Stairs, written by William Sleator and published in 1974, is a young adult science fiction classic whose title is inspired by M. C. Escher’s famous lithograph print. The novel explores the social and emotional effects of authoritarianism by placing five teenage protagonists in an enclosed location filled only with endless staircases. Prompted by a strange machine, the main characters undergo a psychological experiment that tests the limits of their morality and sense of... Read House of Stairs Summary