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Welcome back to Worth the Read! If you see a book described as “twisty,” “jaw-dropping,” and “gasp-inducing,” do you assume it’s a thriller? Of course you do. I do, too! Big, unexpected turns are the bread and butter of the thriller genre, after all, and those twists are part of what keeps readers coming back.
But what about all the other books with huge, earth-shattering twists? The ones that have to keep their biggest surprises hidden because even hinting at them could ruin the reading experience? When the twist is the surprise, publishers and authors shy away from advertising it. Sure, this makes sense, but I think that does these books a disservice, because plenty of thriller fans, and anyone who loves a good twist, would love them.
So today, I’m calling out six non-thrillers with some of the best twists I’ve encountered. We’ve got historical and literary fiction, contemporary reads, and even some sci-fi. And that’s all I’m telling you, because this is a spoiler-free zone.
Let’s get into it.
6 Non-Thrillers With Jaw-Dropping Twists
My Sister’s Keeper
by Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult is the queen of writing addictive novels that tackle sticky moral quandaries. And in this 2004 novel—the one that skyrocketed her career—she took on “savior siblings,” aka children who are conceived to provide transplant material for a sick sibling. When their daughter Kate is diagnosed with leukemia, the Fitzgeralds conceive a second daughter, Anna, to be her genetic match and donor. Years later, Anna refuses to keep donating and sues her parents for control over her own body. My Sister’s Keeper is a medical drama, a family saga, and a coming-of-age novel all wrapped into one, and it’s one of those books that, once you’ve read it, you can never forget.
Up until I was writing this email, I thought most people knew this book’s twist, especially since it was adapted into a blockbuster film starring Abigail Breslin, Cameron Diaz, and Alec Baldwin. But then I was reminded by my colleague Meredith that the movie changed the flippin’ ending!!!! So if you’ve only seen the movie, you don’t fully understand why this novel belongs in the “OMG” Hall of Fame. And if you don’t know the book or the movie? Even better. Just make sure you have tons of tissues before diving in.
Five more jaw-dropping reads are behind this wall.
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