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.

The Troop

by Nick Cutter

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Science & Technology, Teamwork, Safety & Danger, Fear

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction

The Troop (2014) is a horror novel by Nick Cutter. Troop 52, consisting of five teenage boy scouts and their Scoutmaster, Dr. Tim Riggs, goes on an annual camping trip to a remote, uninhabited island in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, a strange, sick man approaches their cabin and introduces them to a deadly, bioengineered virus. Just as dangerous as the virus itself are the crumbling group dynamics and morality once the... Read The Troop Summary

The Truth About Forever

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Regret, Nostalgia, Appearance & Reality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Death, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Fathers, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Grief & Death

The Truth About Forever (2004) is a young adult contemporary romance by Sarah Dessen. The novel follows Macy Queen, a teen girl struggling to heal from the tragic death of her father, only to find that the answers lie not in chasing perfection and control but embracing the unpredictable and chaotic joys of life. The Truth About Forever is Sarah Dessen’s sixth published novel and won the 2004 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Urban... Read The Truth About Forever Summary

The Unknown

by Riley Sager

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Regret, Revenge, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Teamwork, Art, Equality, Fame, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror & Suspense

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The Unworthy

by Agustina Bazterrica, Transl. Sarah Moses

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Death, Future, Self Discovery, Community, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, LGBTQ+

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The Voyage of the Frog

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Perseverance, Grief, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Death, Place, Self Discovery

Tags Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

Written by Gary Paulsen in 1989, The Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen depicts a young boy’s coming of age through an adventure in the wilderness. Fourteen-year-old David Alspeth sets sail out into the Pacific to fulfill his uncle’s last wishes and ends up lost and alone at sea. Paulsen was an avid outdoorsman who spent a great deal of time sailing the Pacific Ocean, and his nautical experience is evident in the details... Read The Voyage of the Frog Summary

The War I Finally Won

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Fear, Love, Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, Children`s Literature, World History

The War I Finally Won is a work of historical fiction written by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley. The novel is intended for middle grade readers. It was published in 2017, and has won numerous awards, including qualifying for the New York Times Best Seller list, winning the California Young Reader’s Medal, and being named one of the Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books of the Year. The War I Finally Won is a sequel to Bradley’s highly... Read The War I Finally Won Summary

The Watchers

by A. M. Shine

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Art, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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The Way Up To Heaven

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1954

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Fear, Revenge, Midlife, Self Discovery, Good & Evil

Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction

“The Way Up to Heaven” by Roald Dahl was initially published in 1954 in an issue of The New Yorker magazine and later included in his 1960 short story compilation book Kiss Kiss. The story was also adapted for TV in 1957 and 1979. Dahl is well known for his children’s novels, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, and The Big Friendly Giant, many of which appeal with elements that are unusually... Read The Way Up To Heaven Summary

The Whisper Man

by Alex North

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Memory, Fathers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Crime & Law, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Parenting, Modernism, Modern Classic Fiction

The Whisper Man, released in August 2019, is a crime thriller by British author Alex North about the potential resurgence of a serial child murderer known as the Whisper Man and how it entangles various characters in a small town. North claims he got the idea for the book after his son mentioned “the boy in the floor.” Through criminal investigation and the lives of a father and son, North explores the nature of intergenerational... Read The Whisper Man Summary

The White House

by Claude McKay

Publication year 1919

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Equality, Truth & Lies, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Fear, Perseverance, Conflict, Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Race & Racism, Social Justice

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The Wicked King

by Holly Black

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Hate & Anger, Daughters & Sons, Family, Revenge, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride, Conflict, Fathers, Perseverance, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

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The Wide Window

by Lemony Snicket

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Childhood & Youth, Death, Family, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Wide Window is a middle grade novel first published in 2000. It is published under the name Lemony Snicket, the pen name of novelist, playwright, musician, and screenwriter Daniel Handler. This mock-gothic adventure story blends elements of mystery, humor, and fantasy with a macabre setting in which a family of three orphans—Violet, Sunny, and Klaus Baudelaire—is sent to live with their fearful Aunt Josephine. Throughout the novel, the Baudelaire children must contend with their... Read The Wide Window Summary