Tropes Survival

Survival

Characters pushed to the edge of what humans can endure. And the question of what they become when stripped of everything.

Refreshed just now · 238 books

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  1. 1
    Project Hail Mary cover

    Project Hail Mary

    Andy Weir · Sci-Fi

    Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

    quest · space opera · survival · high stakes survival

  2. 2
    Dungeon Crawler Carl cover

    Dungeon Crawler Carl

    Matt Dinniman · Fantasy

    **The apocalypse will be televised!** A man.

    quest · found family · survival · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  3. 3
    Wolf Worm cover

    Wolf Worm

    T. Kingfisher · Horror

    Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T.

    gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  4. 4
    1984 cover

    1984

    George Orwell · Literary Fiction

    "Big Brother is Watching You." In a world where truth is dictated by the Party, freedom is slavery, and war is peace, Winston Smith dares to think…

    dystopian society · psychological thriller · political intrigue · survival

  5. 5
    Dark Matter cover

    Dark Matter

    Michelle Paver · Horror

    A terrifying 1930s ghost story set in the haunting wilderness of the far north.

    gothic atmosphere · ghosts · survival · psychological thriller · historical fiction

  6. 6
    Nowhere Burning cover

    Nowhere Burning

    Catriona Ward · Literary Fiction

    Nowhere Burning is a harrowing tale of survival that places the dark fairy tale of Peter Pan and the ruthless dangers of Lord of the Flies into the…

    dark academia · coming of age · survival · morally grey character

  7. 7
    Sunrise on the Reaping cover

    Sunrise on the Reaping

    Suzanne Collins · Fantasy

    **When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?** As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games,…

    dystopian society · grimdark · survival · high stakes survival · coming of age

  8. 8
    The Nightingale cover

    The Nightingale

    Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

    Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close.

    historical fiction · coming of age · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  9. 9
    The Reformatory cover

    The Reformatory

    Tananarive Due · Literary Fiction

    "Gracetown, Florida. June 1950. Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for…

    coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery · survival

  10. 10
    When the Wolf Comes Home cover

    When the Wolf Comes Home

    Nat Cassidy · Horror

    One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment.

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival · revenge plot

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  11. 11
    The Women cover

    The Women

    Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

    Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the…

    historical fiction · coming of age · found family · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  12. 12
    The Martian cover

    The Martian

    Andy Weir · Sci-Fi

    Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

    survival · space opera

  13. 13
    How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates cover

    How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates

    Shailee Thompson · Horror

    **A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying slasher rom-com in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating…

    romantic comedy · dark romance · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  14. 14
    The Great Alone cover

    The Great Alone

    Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

    historical fiction · survival · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  15. 15
    Between Two Fires cover

    Between Two Fires

    Christopher Buehlman · Horror

    “Buehlman…slips effortlessly into a different kind of literary sensibility, one that doesn’t scrimp on earthy humor and lyrical writing in the face…

    historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · survival · grimdark

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  16. 16
    The Names cover

    The Names

    Florence Knapp · Literary Fiction

    **The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?** In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her…

    psychological thriller · trauma recovery · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  17. 17
    Not Quite Dead Yet cover

    Not Quite Dead Yet

    Holly Jackson · Mystery & Thriller

    In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · twist ending · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  18. 18
    Of Mice and Men cover

    Of Mice and Men

    John Steinbeck · Literary Fiction

    Two men, migrant farmworkers, dream of a home of their own.

    coming of age · found family · survival · historical fiction

  19. 19
    Never Lie cover

    Never Lie

    Freida McFadden · Mystery & Thriller

    Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.

    psychological thriller · closed circle · locked room · survival · twist ending

  20. 20
    Her Last Breath cover

    Her Last Breath

    Taylor Adams · Mystery & Thriller

    From the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and The Last Word comes a story of two friends who embark on an ill-fated caving expedition--and the…

    psychological thriller · survival · cat and mouse · twist ending

  21. 21
    On Sundays She Picked Flowers cover

    On Sundays She Picked Flowers

    Yah Yah Scholfield · Horror

    “A ferociously talented writer. Scholfield writes with insight, beauty, and the wildness of real art.” —Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women In this…

    gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · psychological thriller · survival

  22. 22
    It cover

    It

    Stephen King · Horror

    "*It*" is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King.

    cosmic horror · found family · coming of age · survival · closed circle · demons

  23. 23
    Station Eleven cover

    Station Eleven

    Emily St. John Mandel · Literary Fiction

    One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of "King Lear." Jeevan Chaudhary, a…

    post apocalyptic · found family · multiple timelines · survival

  24. 24
    Misery cover

    Misery

    Stephen King · Horror

    Novelist Paul Sheldon has plans to make the difficult transition from writing historical romances featuring heroine Misery Chastain to publishing…

    psychological thriller · survival · obsessive love · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  25. 25
    The Hive cover

    The Hive

    Melissa Scholes Young · Literary Fiction

    The Hive is a story of survival, sisters, and secrets.

    found family · coming of age · small town · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  26. 26
    You Weren't Meant to Be Human cover

    You Weren't Meant to Be Human

    Andrew Joseph White · Horror

    Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia.

    psychological thriller · trauma recovery · survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  27. 27
    We Burned So Bright cover

    We Burned So Bright

    T. J. Klune · Literary Fiction

    Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life.

    found family · coming of age · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  28. 28
    It Could Have Been Her cover

    It Could Have Been Her

    Lisa Jewell · Mystery & Thriller

    PREPARE TO BE HOOKED by the brand new thriller from Lisa Jewell, author of No.1 bestsellers None of This Is True, Don't Let Him In and Then She Was…

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  29. 29
    The Crash cover

    The Crash

    Freida McFadden · Mystery & Thriller

    **The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed…** Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to…

    psychological thriller · road trip · survival · trauma recovery

  30. 30
    The Starving Saints cover

    The Starving Saints

    Caitlin Starling · Horror

    ! “As brilliant as it is bizarre. From the very first page you know you are in the hands of an author at the height of their abilities. . . . This is…

    grimdark · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

  31. 31
    Children of Time cover

    Children of Time

    Adrian Tchaikovsky · Sci-Fi

    The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home.

    space opera · survival · post apocalyptic · first contact

  32. 32
    Monumental cover

    Monumental

    Adam Nevill · Horror

    A novel of pagan terror from the author of The Ritual and The Reddening.

    survival · closed circle · grimdark

  33. 33
    The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre cover

    The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre

    Philip Fracassi · Horror

    Brimming with dark humor, violence, and mystery, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre is a blood-soaked slasher sure to keep readers guessing…

    survival · high stakes survival · closed circle

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  34. 34
    The Stand cover

    The Stand

    Stephen King · Horror

    A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99…

    post apocalyptic · grimdark · dystopian society · survival · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  35. 35
    The Dorians cover

    The Dorians

    Nick Cutter · Horror

    The all-new novel of terror from “one of the hottest horror authors on the planet” (Paste) and writer of the #HorrorBookTok sensation The Troop!

    cosmic horror · survival · high stakes survival · closed circle

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  36. 36
    The Road cover

    The Road

    Cormac McCarthy · Literary Fiction

    The searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.

    post apocalyptic · coming of age · survival · found family

  37. 37
    He Who Fights with Monsters cover

    He Who Fights with Monsters

    Shirtaloon · Fantasy

    Jason wakes up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters.

    urban fantasy · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  38. 38
    The Complete Wheel of Time cover

    The Complete Wheel of Time

    Robert Jordan · Fantasy

    This complete ebook collection contains all fifteen books in the Wheel of Time series: one the most influential and popular fantasy epics ever…

    chosen one · quest · found family · survival · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  39. 39
    Operation Bounce House cover

    Operation Bounce House

    Matt Dinniman · Sci-Fi

    All New Sonoran colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do is run the family ranch and keep their aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking.

    survival · space opera · high stakes survival

  40. 40
    Breathe In, Bleed Out cover

    Breathe In, Bleed Out

    Brian McAuley · Horror

    "Brian McAuley keeps you guessing the whole gory, satisfying way through this one.

    closed circle · survival · high stakes survival · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  41. 41
    The Ritual cover

    The Ritual

    Adam Nevill · Horror

    "When four old University friends set off into the Scandinavian wilderness of the Arctic Circle, they aim to briefly escape the problems of their…

    survival · high stakes survival · psychological thriller

  42. 42
    Jurassic Park cover

    Jurassic Park

    Michael Crichton · Mystery & Thriller

    Jurassic Park is a 1990 science fiction novel written by Michael Crichton.

    high stakes survival · psychological thriller · closed circle · survival

  43. 43
    Guillotine cover

    Guillotine

    Delilah S. Dawson · Horror

    The Menu meets Ready or Not in this dark tale of opulent luxury and shocking violence from the New York Times bestselling author of Bloom.

    closed circle · high stakes survival · survival · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  44. 44
    The Weight of Blood cover

    The Weight of Blood

    Tiffany D. Jackson · Horror

    * AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * INDIE BESTSELLER * JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION * KIDS' INDIE NEXT LIST PICK * NPR BEST PICK * KIRKUS BEST…

    psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

  45. 45
    Spread Me cover

    Spread Me

    Sarah Gailey · Horror

    Spread Me is a darkly seductive tale of survival from Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Just Like Home.

    cosmic horror · survival · high stakes survival · psychological thriller

    🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Spicy — explicit sexual content, multiple open-door scenes
  46. 46
    A Short Stay in Hell cover

    A Short Stay in Hell

    Steven L. Peck · Literary Fiction

    An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he’ll be reunited with his loved ones in an eternal hereafter.

    magical realism · survival

  47. 47
    The Grapes of Wrath cover

    The Grapes of Wrath

    John Steinbeck · Literary Fiction

    Steinbeck’s classic novel of the Great Depression is as vivid now as ever.

    historical fiction · survival · coming of age · political intrigue

  48. 48
    Parable of the Sower cover

    Parable of the Sower

    Octavia E. Butler · Sci-Fi

    In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future.

    dystopian society · coming of age · survival · road trip · trauma recovery

  49. 49
    Palaces of the Crow cover

    Palaces of the Crow

    Ray Nayler · Literary Fiction

    In Ray Nayler’s speculative novel of the recent past, four young teens caught between Nazis and the Red Army survive winter in the woods with the…

    historical fiction · magical realism · survival · found family · coming of age

  50. 50
    Of Blood And Fire cover

    Of Blood And Fire

    Ryan Cahill · Fantasy

    Of Blood and Fire is a return to the classic epic fantasy of old, but told with a modern narrative.

    grimdark · quest · dragons · survival

  51. 51
    Royal Assassin cover

    Royal Assassin

    Robin Hobb · Fantasy

    Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him…

    political intrigue · revenge plot · quest · trauma recovery · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  52. 52
    Assassin's Quest cover

    Assassin's Quest

    Robin Hobb · Fantasy

    From an extraordinary new voice in fantasy comes the stunning conclusion to the Farseer trilogy, as FitzChivalry confronts his destiny as the…

    quest · revenge plot · found family · survival · redemption arc

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  53. 53
    Morsel cover

    Morsel

    Carter Keane · Horror

    Carter Keane's Morsel is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive.

    coming of age · trauma recovery · grimdark · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  54. 54
    The Handmaid's Tale cover

    The Handmaid's Tale

    Margaret Atwood · Sci-Fi

    The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985.

    dystopian society · survival · political intrigue · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  55. 55
    Kindred cover

    Kindred

    Octavia Butler · Sci-Fi

    Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California…

    time travel · historical fiction · trauma recovery · survival · forced proximity

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  56. 56
    Dead in the Water cover

    Dead in the Water

    John Marrs · Mystery & Thriller

    From the multi-million copy bestselling author comes a chilling tale about life flashing before your eyes--including terrifying scenes you don't…

    psychological thriller · amnesia · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  57. 57
    The Summer Fun Massacre cover

    The Summer Fun Massacre

    Craig DiLouie · Horror

    It’s 1992, and in the heat of Texas, camp Summer Fun rests by a crystalline lake surrounded by a shady forest.

    survival · trauma recovery · twist ending · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  58. 58
    The Haar cover

    The Haar

    David Sodergren · Horror

    “I don’t fear death... but they do.” Muriel McAuley has lived in the Scottish fishing village of Witchaven all her life. She was born there, and…

    gothic atmosphere · closed circle · survival

  59. 59
    Lord of the Flies cover

    Lord of the Flies

    William Golding · Literary Fiction

    Introduction by E.M. Forster.

    coming of age · survival · closed circle · grimdark

  60. 60
    Moby Dick cover

    Moby Dick

    Herman Melville · Literary Fiction

    A literary classic that wasn't recognized for its merits until decades after its publication, Herman Melville's Moby-Dick tells the tale of a whaling…

    revenge plot · obsessive love · survival · historical fiction

  61. 61
    Burn Down Master's House cover

    Burn Down Master's House

    Clay Cane · Literary Fiction

    Inspired by true, long-buried stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, a searing portrayal of resistance for readers of Colson Whitehead,…

    historical fiction · revenge plot · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  62. 62
    We Who Will Die cover

    We Who Will Die

    Stacia Stark · Fantasy

    Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series…

    slow burn · dark romance · forbidden romance · vampires · survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  63. 63
    This House Will Feed cover

    This House Will Feed

    Maria Tureaud · Horror

    Amidst the devastation of Ireland’s Great Famine, a young woman is salvaged from certain death when offered a mysterious position at a remote manor…

    gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · haunted setting · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  64. 64
    Annihilation cover

    Annihilation

    Jeff VanderMeer · Sci-Fi

    Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades.

    cosmic horror · psychological thriller · survival · twist ending

  65. 65
    The Road of Bones cover

    The Road of Bones

    Demi Winters · Romance

    A woman on the run. A crew of Viking mercenaries. A forbidden romance. And the secret which threatens them all. Silla Nordvig is running for her…

    forbidden romance · slow burn · historical fiction · survival · revenge plot

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  66. 66
    Stolen Tongues cover

    Stolen Tongues

    Felix Blackwell · Horror

    A romantic cabin getaway doesn’t go exactly as planned.

    forced proximity · ghosts · gothic atmosphere · paranormal romance · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  67. 67
    Seed cover

    Seed

    Ania Ahlborn · Horror

    With nothing but the clothes on his back--and something horrific snapping at his heels--Jack Winter fled his rural Georgia home when he was still…

    survival · trauma recovery · revenge plot · demons

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  68. 68
    The Four Winds cover

    The Four Winds

    Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

    Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic…

    historical fiction · survival · coming of age

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  69. 69
    She Made Herself A Monster cover

    She Made Herself A Monster

    Anna Kovatcheva · Horror

    Yana hunts monsters. Anka might be one. They'll need each other to survive. 'This exciting, gorgeous novel reminded me why I love vampire stories...…

    dark romance · enemies to lovers · vampires · survival · paranormal romance

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  70. 70
    Backstabbers cover

    Backstabbers

    Eliza Jabore · Horror

    When three friends lose their way in a serial killer's old hunting ground, they must fight to survive the threat in the woods—and each other—in this…

    survival · psychological thriller · high stakes survival · cat and mouse · closed circle

  71. 71
    The Midnight Muse cover

    The Midnight Muse

    Jo Kaplan · Horror

    When a metal band's lead singer vanishes in the woods, the mushrooms in the forest might know more than they're letting on in this mycelium-metal…

    survival · missing person · cosmic horror

  72. 72
    Daughters of the Sun and Moon cover

    Daughters of the Sun and Moon

    Lisa See · Literary Fiction

    Beloved New York Times bestselling author Lisa See draws on the vibrancy and turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles to tell the story of three Chinese…

    historical fiction · coming of age · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  73. 73
    All the Light We Cannot See cover

    All the Light We Cannot See

    Anthony Doerr · Literary Fiction

    From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German…

    historical fiction · multiple timelines · survival · psychological thriller

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  74. 74
    The Gate of the Feral Gods cover

    The Gate of the Feral Gods

    Matt Dinniman · Sci-Fi

    New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure. You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that’s talent. A floating fortress…

    survival · high stakes survival · found family · quest

  75. 75
    This Inevitable Ruin cover

    This Inevitable Ruin

    Matt Dinniman · Sci-Fi

    They call it Faction Wars. The ninth floor. Nine armies, each led by rich and powerful aliens from across the galaxy. Each team has one…

    survival · space opera

  76. 76
    The Infinite State cover

    The Infinite State

    Richard Swan · Sci-Fi

    In this blistering science fiction epic, international bestselling author Richard Swan presents a thrilling tale of survival and an eviscerating…

    dystopian society · political intrigue · survival · psychological thriller

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  77. 77
    There Is No Antimemetics Division cover

    There Is No Antimemetics Division

    qntm · Sci-Fi

    (from back cover) An antimeme is *an idea with self-censoring properties*; an idea which, by its intrinsic nature, discourages or prevents people…

    cosmic horror · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · twist ending · survival

  78. 78
    We Are Legion (We Are Bob) cover

    We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

    Dennis E. Taylor · Sci-Fi

    “Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure.

    space opera · quest · survival · found family

  79. 79
    The Faith of Beasts cover

    The Faith of Beasts

    James S. A. Corey · Sci-Fi

    James S. A. Corey's Expanse series has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 23 languages, establishing…

    space opera · political intrigue · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  80. 80
    Slasher Summer cover

    Slasher Summer

    E. L. Chen · Horror

    PRE-ORDER THE SLASHER OF SUMMER '26.

    survival · closed circle · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  81. 81
    The Forever War cover

    The Forever War

    Joe Haldeman · Sci-Fi

    "The legendary novel of extraterrestrial war in an uncaring universe comes to comics, in a stunningly realized vision of Joe Haldeman's Vietnam War…

    space opera · survival · trauma recovery · first contact · time travel

  82. 82
    The Deep cover

    The Deep

    Peter Benchley · Mystery & Thriller

    While scuba diving off the Bermuda coast, David and Gail Sanders locate a Spanish treasure ship, which unfortunately lies beneath the remains of…

    psychological thriller · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  83. 83
    Crafting for Sinners cover

    Crafting for Sinners

    Jenny Kiefer · Horror

    “You will compulsively turn these pages well into the dead of night.”—Paul Tremblay, New York Times best-selling author of Horror Movie and The Cabin…

    survival · high stakes survival · grimdark · closed circle

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  84. 84
    Nightwatching cover

    Nightwatching

    Tracy Sierra · Horror

    A footstep on the stairs. A second to react. What happens next will determine everything. Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a…

    psychological thriller · locked room · haunted setting · survival

  85. 85
    We Call Them Witches cover

    We Call Them Witches

    India-Rose Bower · Horror

    For fans of The Watchers and T. Kingfisher comes a queer, post-apocalyptic horror following one woman's journey across a merciless wasteland to save…

    dark romance · forbidden romance · post apocalyptic · dystopian society · found family · survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  86. 86
    Lone Women cover

    Lone Women

    Victor LaValle · Literary Fiction

    Blue skies, empty land—and enough wide-open space to hide a horrifying secret.

    historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · grimdark

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  87. 87
    Isola cover

    Isola

    Allegra Goodman · Literary Fiction

    A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this epic saga of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

    historical fiction · forbidden romance · survival · coming of age

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  88. 88
    Butcher's Crossing cover

    Butcher's Crossing

    John Williams · Literary Fiction

    In the 1870s, Will Andrews, fired up by Emerson to seek "an original relation to nature," drops out of Harvard and heads west.

    historical fiction · survival

  89. 89
    Moon of the Crusted Snow cover

    Moon of the Crusted Snow

    Waubgeshig Rice · Literary Fiction

    "A daring post-apocalyptic novel from a powerful rising literary voice.

    dystopian society · coming of age · survival · post apocalyptic

  90. 90
    Shōgun cover

    Shōgun

    James Clavell · Literary Fiction

    After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen--Nippon.

    historical fiction · fish out of water · political intrigue · survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  91. 91
    Migrations cover

    Migrations

    Charlotte McConaghy · Literary Fiction

    "Franny Stone has always been a wanderer.

    slow burn · magical realism · survival · trauma recovery

  92. 92
    Ender's Game cover

    Ender's Game

    Orson Scott Card · Sci-Fi

    Young Ender Wiggin thinks he is playing war games at the Battle School, high in orbit, but he is engaged in something far more desperate.

    space opera · coming of age · chosen one · survival · first contact

  93. 93
    Green City Wars cover

    Green City Wars

    Adrian Tchaikovsky · Sci-Fi

    In a city of sunshine and secrets, the shadows belong to the animals.

    dystopian society · survival · political intrigue

  94. 94
    Heartwood cover

    Heartwood

    Amity Gaige · Mystery & Thriller

    Deep in the Maine woods, an experienced hiker goes missing.

    psychological thriller · survival · missing person · trauma recovery

  95. 95
    Horrorstor cover

    Horrorstor

    Grady Hendrix · Horror

    Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio.

    haunted setting · gothic atmosphere · closed circle · survival

  96. 96
    Blood Trail cover

    Blood Trail

    Matt Query · Horror

    "In this chillingly original horror novel, a poacher turned game warden is on an all-new hunt when he's selected to track down a cult with blood…

    survival · psychological thriller · grimdark · cosmic horror

  97. 97
    The Watchers cover

    The Watchers

    A.M. Shine · Horror

    An Irish horror adventure set in the unknown forests of Galway, where humans are kept under observation by screaming creatures, from debut author A.

    survival · psychological thriller · closed circle

  98. 98
    Humboldt Cut cover

    Humboldt Cut

    Allison Mick · Horror

    Jordan Peele and Jeff Vandermeer meet The Overstory in comedy writer Allison Mick’s darkly humorous debut eco-horror novel, as a Black woman returns…

    survival · psychological thriller · revenge plot

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  99. 99
    The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook cover

    The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook

    Matt Dinniman · Sci-Fi

    Welcome to the Iron Tangle! Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, have to team up with other contestants not just to survive, but to…

    survival · high stakes survival · found family · quest

  100. 100
    The Dream Hotel cover

    The Dream Hotel

    Laila Lalami · Sci-Fi

    "From Laila Lalami-the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist and a "maestra of literary fiction" (NPR)-comes a riveting and utterly…

    dystopian society · psychological thriller · survival · post apocalyptic

  101. 101
    Primal Hunter cover

    Primal Hunter

    Zogarth · Fantasy

    quest · survival

  102. 102
    Ask for Andrea cover

    Ask for Andrea

    Noelle West Ihli · Mystery & Thriller

    "Hands down, one of my favorite reads of the year!" -Freida McFadden, author of The Housemaid Meghan, Brecia, and Skye have just one thing in…

    survival · cat and mouse · high stakes survival

  103. 103
    Warning Signs cover

    Warning Signs

    Tracy Sierra · Mystery & Thriller

    “The tension, the atmosphere, the dread .

    psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival · trauma recovery

  104. 104
    Sundown Girls cover

    Sundown Girls

    L.S. Stratton · Mystery & Thriller

    In the tradition of Jordan Peele and Tiffany Jackson’s The Weight of Blood, a YA thriller about a Black teen whose fight for survival forces a small…

    psychological thriller · survival · small town · coming of age

  105. 105
    What We Did to Survive cover

    What We Did to Survive

    Megan Lally · Mystery & Thriller

    A vacation in paradise turns deadly when four teens' sailing charter hits stormy seas in this propulsive new thriller from New York Times and USA…

    psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival · closed circle

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  106. 106
    The Maze Runner cover

    The Maze Runner

    James Dashner · Sci-Fi

    When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name.

    chosen one · survival · dystopian society · post apocalyptic · amnesia · high stakes survival

  107. 107
    Fahrenheit 451 cover

    Fahrenheit 451

    Ray Bradbury · Sci-Fi

    Celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this timeless classic with a special edition featuring a new introduction by the author and a message that is…

    dystopian society · survival

  108. 108
    A Fire Upon The Deep cover

    A Fire Upon The Deep

    Vernor Vinge · Sci-Fi

    Thousands of years in the future, humanity is no longer alone in a universe where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, from…

    space opera · first contact · quest · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  109. 109
    The Butcher's Masquerade cover

    The Butcher's Masquerade

    Matt Dinniman · Sci-Fi

    **Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose. Run, Run, Run.** A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking…

    survival · high stakes survival

  110. 110
    After The Fall cover

    After The Fall

    Edward Ashton · Sci-Fi

    Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall by Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (inspiration for the film…

    space opera · first contact · survival · found family

  111. 111
    The Bone Ships cover

    The Bone Ships

    RJ Barker · Fantasy

    "Excellent. One of the most interesting and original fantasy worlds I've seen in years." —Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author A…

    grimdark · survival · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  112. 112
    Angel Down cover

    Angel Down

    Daniel Kraus · Literary Fiction

    A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR NATIONAL BESTSELLER “A thunderous gallop of a war novel, a new classic, a best-in-class example of…

    historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  113. 113
    Train Dreams cover

    Train Dreams

    Denis Johnson · Literary Fiction

    Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams is an epic in miniature, one of his most evocative and poignant fictions.

    historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · survival

  114. 114
    Oliver Twist cover

    Oliver Twist

    Charles Dickens · Literary Fiction

    Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress, is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens.

    coming of age · historical fiction · survival · found family

  115. 115
    📖

    Us Dark Few

    Alexis Patton · Sci-Fi

    Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth.

    coming of age · dystopian society · survival · fish out of water

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  116. 116
    The Scammer cover

    The Scammer

    Tiffany D. Jackson · Mystery & Thriller

    Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another stunning, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, following a freshman girl whose college life is turned upside down…

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival

  117. 117
    Blacktop Wasteland cover

    Blacktop Wasteland

    S. A. Cosby · Mystery & Thriller

    A husband, a father, a son, a business owner...

    psychological thriller · revenge plot · survival · morally grey character

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  118. 118
    The Black Dahlia cover

    The Black Dahlia

    James Ellroy · Mystery & Thriller

    The Black Dahlia is a roman noir on an epic scale: a classic period piece that provides a startling conclusion to America's most infamous unsolved…

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival · morally grey character

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  119. 119
    I Am Legend cover

    I Am Legend

    Richard Matheson · Horror

    Robert Neville may well be the last living man on Earth .

    survival · post apocalyptic · vampires

  120. 120
    The Ballad of Black Tom cover

    The Ballad of Black Tom

    Victor LaValle · Horror

    One of NPR's Best Books of 2016, winner of the Shirley Jackson Award, the British Fantasy Award, the This is Horror Award for Novella of the Year,…

    cosmic horror · psychological thriller · survival · urban fantasy

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  121. 121
    The Mist cover

    The Mist

    Stephen King · Horror

    David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbor Brent Norton head to the local grocery store to replenish supplies following a freak storm.

    cosmic horror · survival · closed circle · high stakes survival

  122. 122
    Patricia Wants to Cuddle cover

    Patricia Wants to Cuddle

    Samantha Allen · Horror

    When the final four women in competition for an aloof, if somewhat sleazy, bachelor's heart arrive on a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest,…

    dark academia · psychological thriller · survival · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  123. 123
    Abyss cover

    Abyss

    Nicholas Binge · Horror

    This job will eat you alive. From the bestselling author of Ascension, Nicholas Binge, Abyss is a creeping, Lovecraftian horror about work,…

    cosmic horror · psychological thriller · survival · grimdark

  124. 124
    Fever House cover

    Fever House

    Keith Rosson · Horror

    When leg-breaker Hutch Holtz rolls up to a rundown apartment complex in Portland, Oregon, to collect overdue drug money, a severed hand is the last…

    psychological thriller · survival · cat and mouse · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  125. 125
    Sweetside Motel cover

    Sweetside Motel

    E. L. Chen · Horror

    With the pandemic sweeping the globe, Sarah Ng makes a desperate escape from Toronto to start a new life.

    psychological thriller · forced proximity · cat and mouse · closed circle · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  126. 126
    📖

    Junie

    Erin Crosby Eckstine · Literary Fiction

    "A strong-willed enslaved girl is haunted by her sister's ghost as she grapples with circumstances beyond her control, risking her life as the Civil…

    survival · trauma recovery · historical fiction · ghosts

  127. 127
    Defiance of the Fall 7 cover

    Defiance of the Fall 7

    JF Brink · Sci-Fi

    The Dimensional Seed is about to mature.

    dystopian society · quest · survival

  128. 128
    What Stalks the Deep cover

    What Stalks the Deep

    T. Kingfisher · Mystery & Thriller

    The next installment in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a…

    psychological thriller · survival · gothic atmosphere

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  129. 129
    The Wild Card cover

    The Wild Card

    Mark Joseph · Mystery & Thriller

    For the past thirty years, "four grown men, friends since childhood--a man of thought, a man of leisure, an outlaw, and a cop--reunited in San…

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival · revenge plot

  130. 130
    How Bad Things Can Get cover

    How Bad Things Can Get

    Darcy Coates · Horror

    It was supposed to be the party of the century: miles of idyllic white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage...and a dark legend nobody dreamed might be…

    survival · high stakes survival · closed circle · locked room

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  131. 131
    Yellow Wife cover

    Yellow Wife

    Sadeqa Johnson · Literary Fiction

    Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life.

    historical fiction · survival · revenge plot

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  132. 132
    The Things We Cannot Say cover

    The Things We Cannot Say

    Kelly Rimmer · Literary Fiction

    In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war.

    historical fiction · trauma recovery · missing person · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  133. 133
    Whalefall cover

    Whalefall

    Daniel Kraus · Mystery & Thriller

    Whalefall is a fun/intense book about a man who has to escape a whale and his father.

    survival · psychological thriller · high stakes survival

  134. 134
    Carl's Doomsday Scenario cover

    Carl's Doomsday Scenario

    Matt Dinniman · Sci-Fi

    "The training levels have concluded.

    survival · high stakes survival · found family

  135. 135
    The Book of Lost Hours cover

    The Book of Lost Hours

    Hayley Gelfuso · Fantasy

    "A spectacular historical and speculative novel about a WWII-era girl who grows up trapped in the "time space," a cavernous library featuring books…

    historical fiction · magical realism · forbidden romance · multiple timelines · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  136. 136
    Catching Fire cover

    Catching Fire

    Suzanne Collins · Sci-Fi

    Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games.

    dystopian society · survival · revenge plot · high stakes survival

  137. 137
    The Time Machine cover

    The Time Machine

    H. G. Wells · Sci-Fi

    H. G. Wells' The Time Machine, from 1895, popularized the idea of a vehicle that allows its user to travel intentionally and selectively across time,…

    time travel · survival

  138. 138
    Wool cover

    Wool

    Hugh Howey · Sci-Fi

    In a ruined and toxic landscape, a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep.

    dystopian society · survival · closed circle · post apocalyptic

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  139. 139
    Ensnared cover

    Ensnared

    Rebecca Quinn · Romance

    Even if the world did end, five is far too many men to handle.

    dark romance · post apocalyptic · survival · love triangle

    🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Spicy — explicit sexual content, multiple open-door scenes
  140. 140
    Gerald's Game cover

    Gerald's Game

    Stephen King · Horror

    Gerald and Jessie Burlingame have gone to their summer home on a warm weekday in October for a romantic interlude.

    psychological thriller · trauma recovery · survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Spicy — explicit sexual content, multiple open-door scenes
  141. 141
    The Tommyknockers cover

    The Tommyknockers

    Stephen King · Horror

    The Tommyknockers is a 1987 science fiction novel by Stephen King.

    cosmic horror · survival · paranormal romance

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  142. 142
    The Island of Dr. Moreau cover

    The Island of Dr. Moreau

    H. G. Wells · Horror

    Ranked among the classic novels of the English language and the inspiration for several unforgettable movies, this early work of H.

    cosmic horror · gothic atmosphere · survival · closed circle

  143. 143
    One Yellow Eye cover

    One Yellow Eye

    Leigh Radford · Horror

    ‘Snort-inducingly funny . . . One for those with strong stomachs and big hearts’ – The Times Full of heartbreak, revulsion and black humour, a…

    dark romance · survival · found family

  144. 144
    Thrall cover

    Thrall

    Rebecca Mahoney · Horror

    In Thrall, a young woman looking for a transformative college experience is bitten by a vampire and must team up with his other living victims to…

    paranormal romance · vampires · found family · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  145. 145
    The Long Walk cover

    The Long Walk

    Richard Bachman · Horror

    The Long Walk is a dystopian horror novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 1979, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

    dystopian society · psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival

  146. 146
    Boys in the Valley cover

    Boys in the Valley

    Philip Fracassi · Horror

    The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies, by way of Midnight Mass, in Boys in the Valley, a brilliant coming-of-age tale from award-winning author Philip…

    coming of age · gothic atmosphere · survival · closed circle

  147. 147
    Thinner cover

    Thinner

    Stephen King · Horror

    Thinner is a horror novel by American author Stephen King, published in 1984 by NAL under King's pseudonym Richard Bachman.

    survival · revenge plot · psychological thriller

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  148. 148
    Firestarter cover

    Firestarter

    Stephen King · Horror

    Firestarter is a science fiction-horror thriller novel by Stephen King, first published in September 1980.

    survival · coming of age · trauma recovery · psychological thriller · high stakes survival

  149. 149
    The Passage cover

    The Passage

    Justin Cronin · Horror

    The Passage is a novel by Justin Cronin, published in 2010 by Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

    survival · grimdark · chosen one · post apocalyptic · cosmic horror

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  150. 150
    Devolution cover

    Devolution

    Max Brooks · Horror

    As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined .

    found family · survival · high stakes survival · psychological thriller · grimdark

  151. 151
    The Last Witch cover

    The Last Witch

    C. J. Cooke · Horror

    A deeply compelling historical horror novel following a woman accused of being a witch who must use her voice to fight for her life—and the…

    gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · survival · witches · dark academia

  152. 152
    Old Man And The Sea cover

    Old Man And The Sea

    Ernest Hemingway · Literary Fiction

    A Scribner Classics Edition Told in his famed powerful and minimalist prose, this story of courage and personal triumph remains one of Ernest…

    survival · coming of age

  153. 153
    The Lies They Told cover

    The Lies They Told

    Ellen Marie Wiseman · Literary Fiction

    In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America’s rising eugenics movement – when…

    historical fiction · coming of age · survival · political intrigue · trauma recovery

  154. 154
    Underground Railroad cover

    Underground Railroad

    Colson Whitehead · Literary Fiction

    Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia.

    historical fiction · survival · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  155. 155
    Last Light cover

    Last Light

    Claire Kent · Literary Fiction

    It only took four years for the world to fall apart.Now the last member of my family has died, and I'm forced to travel across what's left of three…

    post apocalyptic · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  156. 156
    The Jungle cover

    The Jungle

    Upton Sinclair · Literary Fiction

    Upton Sinclair's dramatic and deeply moving story exposed the brutal conditions in the Chicago stockyards at the turn of the nineteenth century and…

    historical fiction · survival

  157. 157
    📖

    Buffalo Hunter

    Zane Grey · Literary Fiction

    Epic Western adventure from a master American storyteller.

    historical fiction · survival

  158. 158
    📖

    Room

    Emma Donaghue · Literary Fiction

    psychological thriller · trauma recovery · coming of age · survival

  159. 159
    To Be Taught, If Fortunate cover

    To Be Taught, If Fortunate

    Becky Chambers · Sci-Fi

    At the turn of the twenty-second century, scientists make a breakthrough in human spaceflight.

    space opera · survival · found family

  160. 160
    The War of the Worlds cover

    The War of the Worlds

    Hg Wells · Sci-Fi

    The seminal masterpiece of alien invasion, The War of the Worlds (1898) conjures a terrifying, tentacled race of Martians who devastate the Earth and…

    first contact · high stakes survival · survival · cosmic horror

  161. 161
    Where the Axe Is Buried cover

    Where the Axe Is Buried

    Ray Nayler · Sci-Fi

    All systems fail. All societies crumble. All worlds end. In the authoritarian Federation, there is a plot to assassinate and replace the President, a…

    dystopian society · psychological thriller · political intrigue · survival

  162. 162
    Starship Troopers cover

    Starship Troopers

    Robert A. Heinlein · Sci-Fi

    With Earth embroiled in a vast interplanetary war with the "Bugs," a young recruit in the Federal Reserves relates his experiences training in boot…

    survival · dystopian society · coming of age

  163. 163
    Obstetrix cover

    Obstetrix

    Naomi Kritzer · Sci-Fi

    From the Hugo award-winning author Naomi Kritzer comes a tense portrait of a future we desperately hope to escape.

    dystopian society · psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival · trauma recovery

  164. 164
    Ship of Destiny cover

    Ship of Destiny

    Robin Hobb · Fantasy

    Robin Hobb has established herself as one of the masters of fantasy fiction And nowhere is that more apparent than in this powerful, poignant,…

    quest · survival · found family · political intrigue

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  165. 165
    This Safe Darkness cover

    This Safe Darkness

    Alexis Maragold · Fantasy

    The Hunt was intended to make us an example, not a threat.

    dystopian society · grimdark · revenge plot · survival · morally grey character

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  166. 166
    Gray After Dark cover

    Gray After Dark

    Noelle West Ihli · Mystery & Thriller

    A merciless wilderness. A harrowing attack. A desperate escape. When a tragic accident sidelines Miley's dreams of Olympic gold, she takes a summer…

    psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival · closed circle · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  167. 167
    Paper Cut cover

    Paper Cut

    Rachel Taff · Mystery & Thriller

    “Darkly addictive with a blistering pace and puzzle-box structure” —Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters A page-turning…

    psychological thriller · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator · cat and mouse · survival

  168. 168
    Run on Red cover

    Run on Red

    Noelle West Ihli · Mystery & Thriller

    A rural country road. No cell signal for miles. A terrifying game of cat-and-mouse. By the time Laura and Olivia notice the headlights tailing them…

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · high stakes survival · survival

  169. 169
    Nobody Knows You're Here cover

    Nobody Knows You're Here

    Bryn Greenwood · Mystery & Thriller

    A desperate woman fights to escape captivity in this gripping thriller from the New York Times-bestselling author of All the Ugly and Wonderful…

    psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

  170. 170
    Those Girls cover

    Those Girls

    Chevy Stevens · Mystery & Thriller

    "Life has never been easy for the three Campbell sisters.

    psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery · revenge plot

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  171. 171
    Forget You Saw Her cover

    Forget You Saw Her

    Noelle W. Ihli · Mystery & Thriller

    Inspired by true events, Forget You Saw Her is the pulse-pounding standalone prequel to the international bestselling, BookTok sensation Ask for…

    missing person · revenge plot · trauma recovery · psychological thriller · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  172. 172
    Red Dragon cover

    Red Dragon

    Thomas Harris · Mystery & Thriller

    THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Feed your fears with the terrifying classic that introduced cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

    psychological thriller · cat and mouse · survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  173. 173
    No Place Left to Hide cover

    No Place Left to Hide

    Megan Lally · Mystery & Thriller

    Some secrets just won't stay hidden in this twisty new thriller from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Lally!

    psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · survival · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  174. 174
    Candy Cain Kills cover

    Candy Cain Kills

    Brian McAuley (Screenwriter) · Horror

    "The modern day Goosebumps for adults."--Horror Obsessive When Austin's parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for…

    coming of age · survival · revenge plot

  175. 175
    House of Monstrous Women cover

    House of Monstrous Women

    Daphne Fama · Horror

    A young woman is drawn into a dangerous game after being invited to the mazelike home of her childhood friend, a rumored witch, in this gothic horror…

    gothic atmosphere · witches · closed circle · survival · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  176. 176
    The Bloody Brick Road cover

    The Bloody Brick Road

    Maude Royer · Horror

    In this wildly creative, horror-soaked reimagining of L.

    grimdark · survival · psychological thriller

  177. 177
    The Natural Way of Things cover

    The Natural Way of Things

    Charlotte Wood · Horror

    "Two women awaken from a drugged sleep to find themselves imprisoned in a broken-down property in the middle of a desert.

    dystopian society · survival · grimdark · trauma recovery

  178. 178
    Doctor Sleep cover

    Doctor Sleep

    Stephen King · Horror

    The now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) must save a very special twelve-year-old girl from a tribe of murderous…

    survival · grimdark · haunted setting · high stakes survival · trauma recovery

  179. 179
    No One Gets Out Alive cover

    No One Gets Out Alive

    Adam Nevill · Horror

    Darkness lives within . . . Cash-strapped, working for agencies and living in shared accommodation, Stephanie Booth feels she can fall no further. So…

    haunted setting · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

  180. 180
    Salt to the Sea cover

    Salt to the Sea

    Ruta Sepetys · Literary Fiction

    Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As…

    historical fiction · coming of age · survival · found family

  181. 181
    For Whom the Bell Tolls cover

    For Whom the Bell Tolls

    Ernest Hemingway · Literary Fiction

    High in the pine forests of the Spanish Sierra, a guerrilla band prepares to blow up a vital bridge.

    forbidden romance · historical fiction · redemption arc · political intrigue · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  182. 182
    Let Us Descend cover

    Let Us Descend

    Jesmyn Ward · Literary Fiction

    In this reimagining of American slavery, Jesmyn Ward describes a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans…

    historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · dark academia

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  183. 183
    Old Man's War cover

    Old Man's War

    John Scalzi · Sci-Fi

    John Scalzi channels Robert Heinlein (including a wry sense of humor) in a novel about a future Earth engaged in an interstellar war against more…

    space opera · survival · high stakes survival

  184. 184
    Gateway cover

    Gateway

    Frederik Pohl · Sci-Fi

    Gateway opened on all the wealth of the Universe...and on reaches of unimaginable horror.

    space opera · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

  185. 185
    The Primal Hunter 3 cover

    The Primal Hunter 3

    Zogarth · Sci-Fi

    With a huge open planet before him, Jake has literally grown wings as he begins his conquest of the local wildlife.

    space opera · quest · coming of age · survival

  186. 186
    Discount Dan cover

    Discount Dan

    James Hunter · Fantasy

    Noclip In, No Way Out... All Dan wants is to find a way home. He'd settle for a beer, a bite to eat, and a place to sleep off his hangover. But, in…

    grimdark · survival · quest

  187. 187
    Dread Nation cover

    Dread Nation

    Justina Ireland · Fantasy

    Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Civil War era America derailing the War Between the States and…

    grimdark · coming of age · chosen one · survival · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  188. 188
    Breathless cover

    Breathless

    Amy McCulloch · Mystery & Thriller

    A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB PICK • A high-altitude thriller that will take your breath away—Cecily Wong is on her most dangerous climb yet, miles above…

    psychological thriller · high stakes survival · cat and mouse · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  189. 189
    Final Girls cover

    Final Girls

    Riley Sager · Mystery & Thriller

    Ten years ago, six friends went on vacation.

    psychological thriller · trauma recovery · unreliable narrator · twist ending · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  190. 190
    Survive the Night cover

    Survive the Night

    Riley Sager · Horror

    It’s November 1991. Nirvana's in the tape deck, George H. W. Bush is in the White House, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a…

    psychological thriller · closed circle · twist ending · survival

  191. 191
    The Twisted Ones cover

    The Twisted Ones

    T. Kingfisher · Horror

    When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother's house, she says yes.

    haunted setting · gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · survival · closed circle

  192. 192
    The Curse of Hester Gardens cover

    The Curse of Hester Gardens

    Tamika Thompson · Horror

    We Need to Talk about Kevin as if written by Jason Reynolds and Tananarive Due meets Model Home by Rivers Solomon in an innovative twist on the…

    haunted setting · coming of age · trauma recovery · gothic atmosphere · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  193. 193
    The Girl Next Door cover

    The Girl Next Door

    Jack Ketchum · Horror

    Special Leisure movie tie-in edition.

    psychological thriller · survival · high stakes survival

  194. 194
    The Shawshank Redemption cover

    The Shawshank Redemption

    Stephen King · Literary Fiction

    Originally published in 1982 in Different Seasons by Viking.

    redemption arc · survival · coming of age

  195. 195
    Upgrade cover

    Upgrade

    Blake Crouch · Sci-Fi

    Logan Ramsay is about to get the brain he always dreamed of.

    survival · high stakes survival · twist ending · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  196. 196
    Spin cover

    Spin

    Robert Charles Wilson · Sci-Fi

    One night in October when he was ten years old, Tyler Dupree stood in his back yard and watched the stars go out.

    space opera · survival · time travel

  197. 197
    Ode to the Half-Broken cover

    Ode to the Half-Broken

    Suzanne Palmer · Sci-Fi

    In the abandoned New York Botanical Gardens, forty years after the world nearly ended, a worn-out robot is attacked, and realizes old evils are…

    found family · post apocalyptic · survival

  198. 198
    The Space Between Worlds cover

    The Space Between Worlds

    Micaiah Johnson · Sci-Fi

    NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens the very fabric of the…

    space opera · first contact · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  199. 199
    The Day of the Triffids cover

    The Day of the Triffids

    John Wyndham · Sci-Fi

    John Wyndham's 1951 classic post-apocalypse novel introduced the world to triffids, walking man-eating plants, preying on humanity in a world struck…

    post apocalyptic · survival · high stakes survival · dystopian society

  200. 200
    An Unkindness of Ghosts cover

    An Unkindness of Ghosts

    Rivers Solomon · Sci-Fi

    "Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak.

    space opera · morally grey character · survival · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  201. 201
    Into the Drowning Deep cover

    Into the Drowning Deep

    Mira Grant · Sci-Fi

    Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend.

    space opera · survival · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  202. 202
    Doomsday Book cover

    Doomsday Book

    Connie Willis · Sci-Fi

    Somewhere in the future, ordinary history students must travel back in time as part of their university degree.

    time travel · historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery

  203. 203
    These Shattered Spires cover

    These Shattered Spires

    Cassidy Ellis Salter · Fantasy

    Gideon the Ninth meets Leigh Bardugo in this YA high fantasy about four magical rivals who are forced to work together to stay alive during a deadly…

    dark academia · found family · survival · magic academy · enemies to lovers

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  204. 204
    Severance cover

    Severance

    Ling Ma · Sci-Fi

    Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine.

    dystopian society · psychological thriller · survival · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  205. 205
    Voidverse cover

    Voidverse

    Damien Ober · Sci-Fi

    AN ENDLESS VOID. A POWERFUL ANOMALY. A QUEST FOR REVENGE. When The Sinker was a child, her home was destroyed by The Construct, a floating machine…

    revenge plot · dystopian society · survival · quest

  206. 206
    The Mountain in the Sea cover

    The Mountain in the Sea

    Ray Nayler · Sci-Fi

    When pioneering marine biologist Dr.

    first contact · quest · survival · space opera

  207. 207
    The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances cover

    The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances

    Glenn Dixon · Sci-Fi

    In a near future, where even the smallest of appliances are sentient, a young Roomba vacuum sets out to save the humans of her house from a rising…

    dystopian society · survival · post apocalyptic

  208. 208
    Shadows of Sparta cover

    Shadows of Sparta

    C. R. Jane · Fantasy

    In a drought-scorched world plagued by a mysterious force called 'the Dread', one woman submits herself to a set of deadly trials in order to save…

    chosen one · dark academia · political intrigue · survival · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  209. 209
    The Bone Door cover

    The Bone Door

    Frances White · Fantasy

    How far will you go to open The Bone Door?

    grimdark · amnesia · quest · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  210. 210
    The Heroes cover

    The Heroes

    Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

    They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls.

    grimdark · morally grey character · anti hero · survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  211. 211
    Crossed cover

    Crossed

    Ally Condie · Fantasy

    Seventeen-year-old Cassia sacrifices everything and heads to the Outer Provinces in search of Ky, where she is confronted with shocking revelations…

    dystopian society · coming of age · love triangle · quest · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  212. 212
    Before They Are Hanged cover

    Before They Are Hanged

    Joe Abercrombie · Fantasy

    Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted,…

    grimdark · morally grey character · political intrigue · survival · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  213. 213
    The Mad Ship cover

    The Mad Ship

    Robin Hobb · Fantasy

    In the second breathtaking volume of Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy, a new tide of glory and terror sweeps forward the story of the Vestrit…

    found family · quest · survival · grimdark

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  214. 214
    The Stone Sky cover

    The Stone Sky

    N. K. Jemisin · Fantasy

    Humanity will finally be saved or destroyed in the shattering conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed NYT bestselling trilogy that…

    grimdark · post apocalyptic · quest · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  215. 215
    The Dog Stars cover

    The Dog Stars

    Peter Heller · Sci-Fi

    His gripping story is "an ode to friendship between two men...the strong bond between a human and a dog, and a reminder of what is worth living for"…

    found family · post apocalyptic · survival

  216. 216
    Timelike Infinity cover

    Timelike Infinity

    Stephen Baxter · Sci-Fi

    Timelike Infinity: the strange region at the end of time where the Xeelee, owners of the universe, are waiting...

    space opera · survival · post apocalyptic · high stakes survival · quest

  217. 217
    Mickey 7 cover

    Mickey 7

    Edward Ashton · Sci-Fi

    Dying isn't any fun...but at least it's a living.

    space opera · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  218. 218
    The Chrysalids cover

    The Chrysalids

    John Wyndham · Sci-Fi

    This book is about a post apocalyptic world returned back to the times of the horse and carriage seen through the eyes of a young boy.

    post apocalyptic · dystopian society · coming of age · survival

  219. 219
    Seveneves cover

    Seveneves

    Neal Stephenson · Sci-Fi

    "What would happen if the world were ending?

    post apocalyptic · survival · high stakes survival · space opera

  220. 220
    Scion cover

    Scion

    James Islington · Sci-Fi

    IS BACK Scion introduces James Islington's first ever sci-fi novel in an unmissable new series following the story of Azure, the cybernetically…

    space opera · chosen one · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  221. 221
    Dead Silence cover

    Dead Silence

    S.A. Barnes · Sci-Fi

    Titanic meets The Shining in S.A.

    cosmic horror · locked room · survival · psychological thriller

  222. 222
    Tau Zero cover

    Tau Zero

    Poul Anderson · Sci-Fi

    Poul Anderson's Tau Zero is an outstanding work of science fiction, in part because it combines two qualities that are often at odds in this genre:…

    space opera · high stakes survival · survival

  223. 223
    The Running Man cover

    The Running Man

    Stephen King · Sci-Fi

    The Running Man is a dystopian thriller novel by American writer Stephen King, first published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982 as a…

    dystopian society · survival · high stakes survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  224. 224
    The 5th Wave cover

    The 5th Wave

    Rick Yancey · Sci-Fi

    After the 1st wave, only darkness remains.

    dystopian society · coming of age · survival · chosen one · high stakes survival

  225. 225
    Saltcrop cover

    Saltcrop

    Yume Kitasei · Sci-Fi

    From the acclaimed author of The Stardust Grail comes the epic tale of two sisters who sail across oceans to find their missing third sister—and…

    dystopian society · found family · quest · survival · post apocalyptic

  226. 226
    Toothsucker cover

    Toothsucker

    Kaden Love · Sci-Fi

    In a cyberpunk future, an alarming disease strikes, dissolving the bones of those with cybernetic enhancements.

    dystopian society · survival · paranormal romance

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  227. 227
    Silo 2 cover

    Silo 2

    Hugh Howey · Sci-Fi

    Dies ist Teil 2 von SILO: Hugh Howeys verstörende Zukunftsvision ist rasanter Thriller und Gesellschaftsroman in einem.

    dystopian society · closed circle · survival · political intrigue

  228. 228
    The Man in the High Castle cover

    The Man in the High Castle

    Philip K. Dick · Sci-Fi

    Slavery is back. America, 1962. Having lost a war, America finds itself under Nazi Germany and Japan occupation. A few Jews still live under assumed…

    dystopian society · political intrigue · survival

  229. 229
    Ender's Shadow cover

    Ender's Shadow

    Orson Scott Card · Sci-Fi

    This is Bean's installment of Orson Scott Card's Ender's saga.

    coming of age · survival · trauma recovery

  230. 230
    The Perfect Run cover

    The Perfect Run

    Maxime J. Durand · Sci-Fi

    Ryan "Quicksave" Romano is an eccentric adventurer with a strange power: he can create a save-point in time and redo his life whenever he dies.

    dystopian society · time travel · survival

  231. 231
    The Cure cover

    The Cure

    K a Riley · Sci-Fi

    Before the Blight, becoming an adult was something teenagers looked forward to.

    dystopian society · coming of age · high stakes survival · survival

  232. 232
    As You Wake, Break the Shell cover

    As You Wake, Break the Shell

    Becky Chambers · Sci-Fi

    Explore a universe of stubborn survival and found family, of persistent danger and quiet wonder in the first installment of a heartfelt new duology…

    found family · space opera · survival · cozy vibes

  233. 233
    Earth Abides cover

    Earth Abides

    George Rippey Stewart · Sci-Fi

    The story of rebuilding civilization after a plague nearly wipes out the human race.

    post apocalyptic · survival · found family

  234. 234
    The Word for World is Forest cover

    The Word for World is Forest

    Ursula K. Le Guin · Sci-Fi

    Centuries in the future, Terrans have established a logging colony & military base named “New Tahiti” on a tree-covered planet whose small,…

    space opera · dystopian society · political intrigue · survival · grimdark

  235. 235
    Planetfall cover

    Planetfall

    Emma Newman · Sci-Fi

    "From Emma Newman, the award-nominated author of Between Two Thorns, comes a novel of how one secret withheld to protect humanity's future might be…

    unreliable narrator · space opera · twist ending · survival

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  236. 236
    Of Monsters and Mainframes cover

    Of Monsters and Mainframes

    Barbara Truelove · Sci-Fi

    **Spaceships aren't programmed to seek revenge--but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception.** Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling…

    space opera · revenge plot · survival · post apocalyptic

  237. 237
    Alpha cover

    Alpha

    K. D. Marchesi · Sci-Fi

    How many lives will be lost for the sake of a non-existent war?

    dystopian society · survival · found family

  238. 238
    The Martian Chronicles cover

    The Martian Chronicles

    Ray Bradbury · Sci-Fi

    This is a collection of science fiction short stories, cleverly cobbled together to form a coherent and very readable novel about a future…

    space opera · dystopian society · post apocalyptic · survival