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.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

by Lois Duncan

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Guilt, Family, Friendship, Fear

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Iraq War

Lois Duncan’s I Know What You Did Last Summer (1973) follows a group of teenagers in an American town as they deal with the ramifications of accidentally killing a young boy. The novel was adapted as a major motion picture in 1997. Its themes include guilt, selfishness, and revenge. The novel opens with protagonist Julie James nervously opening a letter. Subverting the reader’s expectations, Duncan makes the letter an acceptance letter from Smith College rather... Read I Know What You Did Last Summer Summary

I Know Who You Are

by Alice Feeney

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read I Know Who You Are Summary

I'll Give You the Sun

by Jandy Nelson

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Sexual Identity, The Past, Death, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Fate, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Coming of Age, Magical Realism, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

I’ll Give You the Sun (2015) is an award-winning novel penned by Jandy Nelson about relationships, art, and destiny. It follows the story of twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine who once shared a close relationship but find themselves barely speaking to each other two years after their mother’s death.Jandy Nelson is an American author who writes young adult fiction. I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, which won numerous awards and honors, including... Read I'll Give You the Sun Summary

Imagining Argentina

by Lawrence Thornton

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hope, Memory, Politics & Government, Art, Good & Evil, Justice

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Military & War, Education, Education, World History

Imagining Argentina (1987) is a fantasy novel by American author Lawrence Thornton. Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s Dirty War, Imagining Argentina centers Carlos Rueda, a Buenos Aires native whose supernatural abilities grant him insight into the fates of Argentina’s disappeared. The novel’s complicated consideration of power, memory, and authoritarianism has been critically acclaimed, earning a nomination for the PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction. Thornton would later expand the story into two succeeding novels, Naming the... Read Imagining Argentina Summary

Indecent

by Paula Vogel

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Love, Language, Race, Death, Teamwork, Immigration, War, Equality, Literature

Tags Drama, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Jewish Literature, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

... Read Indecent Summary

In Pieces

by Sally Field

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Mental Health, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Art, Beauty, Fame, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism

... Read In Pieces Summary

Insomnia

by Stephen King

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fate, Safety & Danger

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

... Read Insomnia Summary

Inventing Elliot

by Graham Gardner

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Fear, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

Inventing Elliot, by British author Graham Gardner, is set in England in a fictional high school, Holminster High. First published in 2003, Inventing Elliot is Gardner’s debut novel. He was inspired by The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, a realistic book about a boy going against the system in a private Catholic school, and George Orwell’s book 1984, a dystopian social science fiction novel that explores the horror of violence and totalitarianism. Garner was also... Read Inventing Elliot Summary

Invisible Girl

by Lisa Jewell

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Masculinity, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Justice, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

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

... Read Invisible Girl Summary

Ironwood

by Michael Connelly

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Future, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Horror & Suspense

... Read Ironwood Summary

Iveliz Explains It All

by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Race, Coming of Age, Death, Fathers, Grandparents, Mothers, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness

... Read Iveliz Explains It All Summary

I Will Save You

by Matt de la Peña

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Mental Health

Tags Depression & Suicide, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Trauma & Abuse

Matt de la Pena’s young adult novel I Will Save You (2010) follows the narrator, Kidd Ellison, after he runs away from a group home to live and work at a campground on the beach. Harboring memories of a traumatic past, he forges new relationships and fosters old ones that test his self-understanding. Through flashbacks, dreams, and journal entries mixed with the present day, the narrative explores themes such as The Impact of Trauma on... Read I Will Save You Summary

James And The Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Childhood & Youth, Family, Love, Fear, Loneliness, Grief, Death, Hope, Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Magical Realism, Animals, Action & Adventure

James and the Giant Peach by British author Roald Dahl was first published in 1961. This critically acclaimed children’s novel was made into an award-winning film in 1996. It tells the story of a giant peach that magically grows in a young boy, James’s, back garden—big enough for him to enter the center of the peach and have adventures with the insects who live in there. Dahl is known as one of the 20th century’s greatest... Read James And The Giant Peach Summary

Japanese Gothic

by Kylie Lee Baker

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Guilt, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Death, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Colonialism, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Magical Realism, Contemporary Literature

Kylie Lee Baker’s Japanese Gothic (2026) is a psychological horror novel that blends Western Gothic traditions with Japanese folklore. The story follows Lee Turner, a university student who flees to an old family home in Japan, believing he has murdered his roommate. Haunted by suppressed trauma, Lee discovers the house is a portal connecting his present to the year 1877. There, he meets Sen, a young female samurai whose family is hiding after a failed... Read Japanese Gothic Summary

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

by Wendy Mass

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Joy, Fathers, Self Discovery, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006) is a realistic middle grade novel that follows best friends Jeremy and Lizzy on their quest to find the meaning and purpose of their lives as they try to unlock a gift from Jeremy’s late father. The book was nominated for several major awards, including the Nutmeg Book Award in Connecticut (2010) and the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’... Read Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life Summary