Beautiful, Doomed, and Deeply Unwell: The Ultimate Hot-Sad Girl Reading List
For those who romanticize a woman “unraveling” and revel in the art of self-destruction.
By: Jenni Waddell
Shop this article (*affiliate links): https://bookshop.org/lists/fiction-readin-magazineThere’s something endlessly compelling when it comes to reading about a woman on the verge of self-destruction. Maybe she’s spiraling, indulging in self-sabotage with reckless abandon, or simply vibing in a state of complete existential dread. Whatever the case, these deeply unhinged protagonists should absolutely be in therapy—but instead, they opt for self-destruction, obsession, or avoidance. And honestly? We love them for it.
If you’re in the mood for a reading list that is equal parts devastating and intoxicating, look no further. These books feature “hot”, yet sad women teetering on the edge, making terrible decisions, and dragging you into their deliciously messy worlds.
1. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
A masterclass in apathy and pharmaceutical experimentation, My Year of Rest and Relaxation follows a “privileged”, yet emotionally detached narrator who decides to sleep away an entire year in an attempt to reset her life. Fueled by a cocktail of prescription drugs and an unhealthy dose of privilege, her journey into oblivion is both darkly funny and deeply unsettling.
2. A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins
Helen, a socially anxious attorney with a tendency for self-destruction, finds herself in an emotionally volatile relationship with a married lesbian couple. As they inadvertently push her to confront the ghosts of her past, Helen must navigate the murky waters of desire, trauma, and codependency. If you love messy queer stories with an undercurrent of existential dread, this one’s for you.
3. Animals Eat Each Other by Elle Nash
When an unnamed narrator enters a sadomasochistic relationship with a couple, she quickly finds herself unraveling in the throes of obsession and power dynamics. With themes of identity, control, and self-destruction, this book is an unflinching look at the ways we lose ourselves in the pursuit of belonging.
4. Hysteria by Jessica Gross
What happens when a woman drowns herself in meaningless sex to avoid dealing with the truth? Hysteria answers that question in excruciating detail. This novel follows a woman on a relentless pursuit of pleasure and self-annihilation, confronting her own buried traumas along the way. It’s raw, uncomfortable, and utterly hypnotic. Oh, and she also believes the man she met at a bar is Sigmund Freud.
5. Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier
An eighteen-year-old pizza delivery girl, pregnant and aimless, becomes fixated on one of her customers: an eccentric stay-at-home mother. As the protagonist’s obsession deepens, so does her descent into self-destruction, leading to a climax that is as heartbreaking as it is inevitable.
6. We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin
Emily Austin has a gift for writing characters who are equal parts charming and emotionally wrecked. We Could Be Rats is no exception. The protagonist grapples with loneliness, girlhood, mental health struggles, and an endless cycle of self-sabotage, all while attempting to make sense of the absurdity of modern life.
7. Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn
Set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles lesbian writer scene, this novel follows a woman navigating chaotic addiction, artistic ambition, and self-destruction in a world where authenticity is as elusive as sobriety. It’s a hazy, intoxicating journey through personal ruin and reinvention after getting cancelled.
Why We Love These Unwell Women
These novels offer a glimpse into the minds of women who refuse to play by the rules—whether that means rejecting societal expectations, embracing chaos, or simply leaning into their own worst impulses. They are messy, they are magnetic, and they are impossible to look away from.
So, if you’ve ever found yourself drawn to the beautiful, doomed, and deeply unwell – consider this your ultimate reading list.
