Novels in verse have the narrative structure of prose but lyrical cadence of poetry – they combine the best of both worlds. And when you add a dark, atmospheric setting along with soul-destroying emotional depth – it’s the best thing in the world. So here’s a list of the best dark novels in the form of poetry.
Dark Novels In The Form Of Poetry:
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
At the heart of this novel are three patients in a psychiatric ward, Vanessa, Tony and Connor. As they try to recover and rehabilitate themselves, the graphs of their life rise and fall in crests and troughs. In the midst of this psychologically dark atmosphere, their lives divorce and intersect in complex, tangled ways. The poetry just steals the show.
Northwood by Maryse Meijer
This novella in verse, whose dazzling writing takes the form of short, succinct, apparently disconnected poetry passages, Meijer tells a horror story. The narrator is a young woman in the forest, focusing on creating art. Here she has a passionate, violent and abusive affair with a married man. As she treads the blurry territory between love and obsession, toxicity and violence, this fairytale-esque story becomes a beautiful meditation on abuse.
Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
In this shapeshifter fantasy, an ancient race of lycanthropes that has survived to the day threatens to overtake humanity. We view this war between the factions through the eyes of a kind dogcatcher besotted with a female shapeshifting werewolf who has abandoned her pack. It is the supernatural elements, elevated by the poetry, that make it so dark.
The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill
From the famous poet Gill comes her first novel in verse, which draws on fantasy and mythology to craft Stories of feminism and queerness. We follow essentially the coming of age story of a girl, Paro, who is reeling from the trauma of Partition. As we follow the crests and troughs of her life, a poignant story emerges.
Chlorine Sky by Mahogany Browne
This book proves that young adult books can be dark and disturbing too, because the fundamental tone of this story is noir. At the centre of the novel is a girl who navigates toxic friendships. As she grows up, she also grows apart from her friend, and the false promises and rumours threaten to destroy her life.
Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
A psychological horror story, this novel in verse follows a young girl whose father abuses her. Anke somehow survives, but her past still haunts her. But soon she finds escape in the form of her school volleyball team. The poetry of this book is hard hitting, and will make you squirm.
The Long Take by Robin Robertson
This war-narrative follows a Canadian man deranged and destabilized due to his posting in Normandy for a war. Suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, her finds himself unable to go back to his family. So instead, he goes in search of freedom and anonymity.
Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario
From the perspectives of two young sisters, this book explores the ramifications of grief. As the sister duo comes to terms with the death of their mother and navigate the grey cracks and crevices of life, a beautiful story emerges.
Your Heart, My Sky by Margarita Engle
This is a sensitive portrayal of Cuban life through the eyes of Liana. Liana is living through a period of economic depression as well as starvation, when she meets a boy who refuses to comply to the political regime. They fall in love, and what emerges is a poignant romance.
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