More like Aftermath
anchored on:north americacontemporary
but
- Bag of Bones
Stephen Kingstandalone novel1998
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporaryghost stories
Bag of Bones is a 1998 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife. It won the 1999 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, the 1999 British Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1999 Locus Award for Best Dark Fantasy/Horror Novel.
- Flowers for Algernon
Daniel Keyesstandalone novel1966
similar byemotionalnorth americacontemporary+1 more
A man with a low IQ becomes the subject of an experimental medical procedure which raises his IQ well over genius level.
- Lisey's Story
Stephen Kingstandalone novel2006
similar bygrief and lossemotionalcontemporarynorth america+1 more
When the widow of a successful author is targeted by a psychopath, she must make use of the ability to shift to a parallel world, which she learned from her husband.
- Snowblind
Christopher Goldenstandalone novel2014
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporaryghost stories
"SNOWBLIND is a thrilling contemporary ghost story with both horror and heart. The small New England town of Coventry is haunted by its memories of a deadly winter... in which loved ones were lost, families torn apart, and a town buried in a terrible blizzard. Now, twelve years later, the people plagued by their memories of that storm are haunted once again as a new storm approaches, promising to wreak new havoc. Old ghosts trickle back, and this storm will prove even more terrifying and deadly than the last. With richly textured characters, scarred and haunted by the ghosts of those they loved most, Snowblind reinvents the ghost story for today's world. Spellbinding in scope and rooted deeply in classic storytelling, Christopher Golden has written a chilling masterpiece that is the best work of his career and a standout supernatural thriller"--
- Midnight Bayou
Nora Robertsstandalone novel2001
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporaryghost stories
A novel set deep in the bayou of Louisiana--where the only witness to a long-ago tragedy is a once-grand house... Declan Fitzgerald had always been the family maverick, but even he couldn't understand his impulse to buy a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. All he knew was that ever since he first saw Manet Hall, he'd been enchanted-and obsessed-with it. So when the opportunity to buy the house comes up, Declan jumps at the chance to live out a dream. Determined to restore Manet Hall to its former splendor, Declan begins the daunting renovation room by room, relying on his own labor and skills. But the days spent in total isolation in the empty house take a toll. He is seeing visions of days from a century past, and experiencing sensations of terror and nearly unbearable grief-sensations not his own, but those of a stranger. Local legend has it that the house is haunted, and with every passing day Declan's belief in the ghostly presence grows. Only the companionship of alluring Angelina Simone can distract him from the mysterious happenings in the house, but Angelina too has her own surprising connection to Manet Hall-a connection that will help Declan uncover a secret that's been buried for a hundred years.
- The Sentence
Louise Erdrichstandalone novel2021
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary+1 more
The Sentence is a 2021 novel by American author Louise Erdrich. The novel was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
- The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffeneggerstandalone novel2003
similar bygrief and lossemotionalcontemporarynorth america
The Time Traveler's Wife is the debut novel by American author Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003. It is a love story about Henry, a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about Clare, his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences. Niffenegger, who was frustrated with love when she began the novel, wrote the story as a metaphor for her failed relationships. The tale's central relationship came to Niffenegger suddenly and subsequently supplied the novel's title. The novel has been classified as both science fiction and romance.
- The Hollow Universe (Jessica Verday)
series4 books2009
similar byemotionalcontemporaryparanormal+3 more
- Anna Korlov
series2 books2011
similar bycontemporaryghost stories+3 more
Kendare Blake's YA horror duology follows Cas Lowood, who has spent three years continuing his late father's work of hunting and dispatching violent ghosts, until he meets Anna, a ghost far more dangerous, and more sympathetic, than any he's faced. Anna Dressed in Blood and its sequel Girl of Nightmares follow Cas as his professional detachment gives way to a bond that complicates everything he thought he knew about his calling.
- Lincoln's Dreams
Connie Willisstandalone novel1987
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary
Lincoln's Dreams is a 1987 novel by American author Connie Willis about a historical researcher studying the U.S. Civil War who meets a young woman who seems to be dreaming General Lee's dreams. The book is about parapsychology, metaphysical speculations, death, and love.
- Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Peltstandalone novel2022
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a novel by American author Shelby Van Pelt. It was published in May 2022 by Ecco Press. It has been on the New York Times hardcover fiction best-seller list multiple times.
- Aftertaste
Daria Lavellestandalone novel2025
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporaryparanormal
From publisher's website: "Konstantin Duhovny is a haunted man. His father died when he was ten, and ghosts have been hovering around him ever since. Kostya can't exactly see the ghosts, but he can taste their favorite foods. Flavors of meals he's never eaten will flood his mouth, a sign that a spirit is present. Kostya has kept these aftertastes a secret for most of his life, but one night, he decides to act on what he's tasting. And everything changes. Kostya discovers that he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones—at least for the length of time it takes them to eat a dish that he's prepared. He thinks his life's purpose might be to offer closure to grieving strangers, and sets out to learn all he can by entering a particularly fiery ring of Hell: the New York culinary scene. But as his kitchen skills catch up with his ambitions, Kostya is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife. And the one person who knows Kostya must be stopped also happens to be falling in love with him."
- Invisible Ghosts
Robyn Schneiderstandalone novel2018
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary+1 more
Rose Asher believes in ghosts. She should, since she has one for a best friend: Logan, her annoying, Netflix-addicted brother, who is forever stuck at fifteen. But Rose is growing up, and when an old friend moves back to Laguna Canyon and appears in her drama class, things get complicated. Jamie Aldridge is charming, confident, and a painful reminder of the life Rose has been missing out on since her brother's death. She watches as Jamie easily rejoins their former friends--a group of magnificently silly theater nerds--while she struggles to choose between the boy who makes her feel alive and the brother she isn't ready to lose.
- Jasmine Is Haunted
Mark Oshirostandalone novel2024
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporaryparanormalghost stories
Jasmine Garza has a a ghost has been following her for years, ever since her Papi died. Not that Mami will admit anything supernatural is going on. But even the ghost she won’t acknowledge makes real trouble, so Jasmine and her mami are moving (again) to a new apartment in East Hollywood. This time Jasmine is committed to living a normal life with normal friends. Enter: Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera. They’re the only two members of Jasmine's middle school's Gay Straight Alliance and they’re already obsessed with all things supernatural. Bea wants to prove herself to her paranormal investigator parents and Jorge is determined to overcome his fear of the beyond. And when Jasmine confesses she’s been tormented by a ghost for years, they not only believe her, they’re thrilled! Together they set out to prove that Jasmine’s not just acting out after her father’s death–ghosts are real and Jasmine is haunted. But not everyone agrees how to deal with the departed. As Jasmine’s hauntings increase in intensity, her resentment builds. Why is her Mami so secretive about her past? Why is she the center of such a terrible vortex of supernatural activity? And why hasn’t her Papi ever reached out to her since he passed? In order to face her ghosts—both internal and external—Jasmine must come to terms with her own history.
- When They Fade
Jeyn Robertsstandalone novel2016
similar byemotionalnorth americacontemporaryparanormalghost stories+1 more
Bullied by peers who think she is a traitor for exposing an affair between a student and teacher, Tatum sneaks out for a drive on a foggy night and picks up a hitchhiker, Molly, a ghost who has been trapped between worlds since her 1970s murder.
- Unicorn Mountain
Michael Bishopstandalone novel1988
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary
From the flaps of the Arbor House first edition: "Unicorn Mountain is the story of four people whose lives are transformed by a band of unicorns. Each one of them is enmeshed in the grinding anxieties of daily life. Libby Quarrels is a divorced rancher in the Colorado mountains, just getting by, and unsure about how to react to the fact that she sometimes sees unicorns up in the high valley; Bo Gavin is an Atlanta adman who is gay and has AIDS, who has no one to turn to until Libby takes him in; Sam Coldpony, a Ute Indian and Libby's ranch hand, is estranged from his wife and daughter and has an uncomfortable feeling that he deserves supernatural punishment; Paisley Coldpony, Sam's daughter, is literally haunted by her mother, a recent suicide, and feels the call to become the true shaman of her tribe - a big burden for a teenager in a small-town high school. And then there are the unicorns. Sam and Libby have seen them, but sometimes they just aren't there. And while Libby is off fetching Bo in Atlanta, Sam sees one die - and vanish. But Bo begins to receive television channels from another world, and sees a show, hosted by Marlin Perkins, on a deadly equine disease among the unicorns. And it becomes evident that someone has to do something here, in this world, to save the unicorns, before everything becomes so direly messed up that the situation is totally out of control: because Bo is dying, a vengeful ghost is after Sam, Paisley is looking for the father who abandoned her, and Libby, holding everything together by hard work and will power, is definitely losing her grip. But this is a book in which magic works, in such a way as to change everything for the better. And in the end Unicorn Mountain is about salvation even when the odds are against you."
- The Returned
Jason Mottstandalone novel2013
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary
The Returned is the debut novel by American author Jason Mott, published in 2013. It is centered on the return of dead people to the living world and their impact on the daily lives of the people around them. The TV adaptation Resurrection was produced by ABC Studios and aired on March 9, 2014.
- The Leftovers
Tom Perrottastandalone novel2011
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary
The Leftovers is a 2011 satirical supernatural novel by American author Tom Perrotta. Set in the aftermath of a Rapture-like event in which 2% of Earth's human population vanished into thin air, it chronicles the lives of several individuals from a small New York town attempting to adjust to the significant cultural shift brought about by the event, while also navigating their personal trauma and losses.
- Ninth Ward
Jewell Parker Rhodesstandalone novel2010
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporary+1 more
"En Louisiane, tout le monde croit aux esprits. Lanesha, elle, a le don de les voir. "Tu es comme moi, ma chérie, tu as un don de double vue ", lui a expliqué Mama Ya-Ya, la sage-femme qui l'a recueillie à sa naissance. Mama Ya-Ya savait qu'un ouragan approchait, bien avant que la radio et la télévision n'en parlent. Les dégâts seront incommensurables, répète le présentateur. Tous les habitants de La Nouvelle-Orléans doivent quitter la ville. Mama Ya-Ya est très âgée, et ne possède pas de voiture, alors Lanesha a fait des provisions d'eau et de nourriture, et a cloué des planches sur les fenêtres. Elle ne sait pas ce qui l'attend, mais elle se prépare de toutes ses forces à survivre. Avec TaShon, le fils des voisins, avec le chien Spot, qu'ils viennent d'adopter ensemble. Avec le fantôme silencieux de sa mère, qui est venu pour l'aider. Avec l'amour de Mama Ya-Ya, qui est incommensurable."--
- Tigers, Not Daughters
Samantha Mabrystandalone novel2020
similar bygrief and lossemotionalnorth americacontemporaryghost stories
Tigers, Not Daughters is a 2020 novel by Samantha Mabry. It is about four sisters, one of whom dies by falling out of a window. The dead sister haunts the remaining sisters in the house they live in. Publishers Weekly wrote that the novel "read more like a series of vignettes." NPR reviewed it favorably.
- The Wolves of Mercy Falls
series4 books2009
similar byemotionalcontemporarynorth america+1 more
The Wolves of Mercy Falls is a series of four novels, located in the genres of romance, fantasy and young adult (YA) fiction, written by Maggie Stiefvater. Published by American multinational company Scholastic from between 2009 and 2014, the series consists of the titles Shiver, Linger, Forever and Sinner. Set in the fictional town of Mercy Falls, Stiefvater has stated that the real town of Ely in Minnesota would be its closest neighbouring destination, with the two towns sharing a similar climate.
