I love to feel unsettled while I’m reading. My favorite books leave the reader teetering in the precipice of certainty, wondering what’s real. I think of them as “fever dream” novels—books that you read in a mad, sweaty dash and that make you feel dazed and disoriented when you turn the last page.
Thrillers and crime novels are especially well-suited to this style because they thrive on ambiguity. It’s one of the reasons I chose to leave the narrator of my debut, Fan Club, unnamed. Who, exactly, is she? The reader knows her intimately, yet not at all. And as she slips deeper into her obsession with international pop star Adriana Argento and a group of her enigmatic superfans, she begins to lose her grip on reality. I tried to capture the heady sense of madness that I love so much in other literature. The books on this list play with narrative to offer up several possibilities as to what is true and what is imagined.
Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
This novel made me suspicious of my own reflection. Appearance-obsessed Mrs. March is the prim and proper housewife to the famous author, George, whose latest novel is a huge hit. One morning, on her regular run to the local bakery for olive bread, an acquaintance asks if the protagonist in the book, Johanna, is based on Mrs. March. The seemingly innocent suggestion is laced with a sinister edge, and it sends Mrs. March reeling down a path of paranoia and suspicion. Is George not only an inattentive husband, but also a murderer? A perfect read for fans of Shirley Jackson’s short stories (there are even some references to them hidden throughout).
All’s Well by Mona Awad
Told with Awad’s unique trademark blend of horror, humor, and mystery, All’s Well follows Miranda Fitch, director of a middling college drama program who is kept at the mercy of her chronic pain and a spate of cruel doctors and physical therapists. She enters a standoff with her students, who want to put on Macbeth while Fitch insists on All’s Well That Ends Well. Nods to Shakespeare abound, including three strange men who, mirroring the witches from Macbeth, give Miranda a golden elixir that promises to bring her some relief. It’s a wild, disturbing, and heartbreaking ride.
The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark
What an odd little book this is! At just 103 pages, I recommend reading it in one sitting if possible. Don’t read too much about it before diving in, but for those who need a taste of the plot: A mysterious woman named Lise purchases a colorful outfit and embarks on a journey to a foreign country. In just 48 hours she turns up dead. Beguiling and at times confusing, The Driver’s Seat leaves you with more questions than it answers, which is exactly what makes it so special.
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
This is a great pick for fans of more straightforward thriller narratives who want to dip their toes into weirder waters. Braithwaite’s debut is a darkly humorous thriller about two sisters: Korede, a hard-working nurse, and Ayoola, a beautiful murderer who kills her boyfriends… then calls her sister to clean up the mess. At times hilarious (Ayoola will not stop posting cute selfies on social media even when supposedly mourning) but also full of tension, I couldn’t put it down.
Lanny by Max Porter
A little boy’s disappearance ripples through an entire community in this unconventional book with a heavy dose of folklore. It uses an experimental style and poetic language to weave a tale of small town gossip, blame, and grief, almost like a modern fairytale. This is a quick read that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
I read most of this book in one evening because I just had to know what happened next. It’s an extremely gripping narrative built on a simple premise: A couple is driving in a snowstorm. The woman is on her way to meet her boyfriend’s parents for the first time at their farm in the middle of nowhere. Tension builds as the weather worsens, and soon you’ll be questioning everything you thought you understood. Read the book before you watch the adaptation on Netflix!
Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin (translated by Megan McDowell)
Would a list about fever dream novels really be complete without Fever Dream? This falls more into the category of psychological horror, with a truly “feverish” narrative following a dying woman and a strange child at her bedside. If you want to dive headfirst into nightmarish, unconventional literature, pick this one up.
