Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes and created by Lainey from Gingerreadlainey.
I’m not great at reading angst in a situation, so for this week’s topic of “Favorite Angsty Romances” I Googled some Goodreads list and realized that a few of my favorite novels were actually on these lists (Intense and Angsty Romances / Popular Young Adult Angst Books).
I’m not a huge John Green fan, but I remember wanting to read this one before I saw the movie and because everyone was talking about it around the time I bought it. It remains on the short list of books that have actually made me cry in public.
I remember picking this up in the local Barnes & Noble, but not picking it up at the time, instead waiting until I got home and getting the Nook edition instead. Of course, now that I’ve read it and it has become on of my favorite books, I have that as well as a hardcover edition. Eleanor is one of my favorite main characters; for all her flaws, she’s a fascinating character that perseveres.
Even if Katniss hadn’t gone to the Hunger Games this still would have been an angst filled environment for a romance. District 12 was the worst, from what I remember, and I’m shocked that much of anything happy happened there. Perhaps it’s because the citizens managed to carve out some good despite their circumstances that I like it so much.
When you’re locked in a life-and-death battle with the person you fall in love with, how can it be filed under anything but this category? Marco and Celia’s story, from their epic creations within the limits of the circus to the personal interactions, form the basis of a legend that will become a story told again and again among the folks of the circus, those who loved them, and those, like us, that loved their story.
This is the book that got me interested in Estelle Laure’s writing. It’s full of angst from a variety of sources, not least of which is the romantic aspect. The main character has to grow up faster than necessary, look after her little sister when she’s lost the rest of her family, and this, all coupled with first love (plus, the love interest is her BFF’s brother). It was a wild ride and 4 stars, if memory serves.
The Hermit Librarian 
Ah yes, I’ve read the first three books and they definitely had an angsty feel to them! Especially Eleanor & Park and TFIOS! I think I’m going to read THG some time, they used to be my favvve books! I have The Night Circus on my shelf and I hear great things about it all the time so I can’t wait to read it! 🙂
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YES to all of these! Actually I haven’t read the last one, but I will add it to be TBR!
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It’s really good! If you like it, you might also enjoy Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson. It has a similar plot, but I found it a bit more tragic.
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The Night Circus is such a good book! I loved it. Wasn’t a huge fan of TFiOS, but that’s more of a genre preference for me anyway.
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Contemporary can be a bit hit or miss for me, too. Some are really good, but then others really hit rock bottom.
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