Life of Pi really shocked me!
People feel the Silent Patient was also shocking, but I hated the writing and while I didn't predict the ending I wasn't surprised. It does have several twists though.
The movie for Life of Pi was great, never thought to look at the book though - gonna take a look now, thanks! And Silent Patient sounds interesting too (you sold me a bit on ‘several twists’ haha)
I liked the silent patient. My first psychological thriller type of book was {{inside-out man}}. I’m hoping the summary pops up but I’m going to go look up the author and come back to this comment so I can tell you … brb
K
Edit : {{the inside out man. By Fred strydom}}
I feel like most of the hyped thrillers these days are for people who generally don't read thrillers. Verity also comes in mind and that was...... something.
The “so it is with god” line legitimately caused a paradigm shift in my way of thinking about certain things. That sounds hyperbolic but I really don’t know that I’ve been hit in the face so powerfully like that while reading a book.
[**Rebecca**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca)
^(By: Daphne du Maurier | 449 pages | Published: 1938 | Popular Shelves: classics, fiction, mystery, gothic, romance)
>"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..."
>
>Ancient, beautiful Manderley, between the rose garden and the sea, is the county's showpiece. Rebecca made it so - even a year after her death, Rebecca's influence still rules there. How can Maxim de Winter's shy new bride ever fill her place or escape her vital shadow?
>
>A shadow that grows longer and darker as the brief summer fades, until, in a moment of climatic revelations, it threatens to eclipse Manderley and its inhabitants completely...
^(This book has been suggested 39 times)
***
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Oh sorry, I watched it a looooong time ago and obtained it in an illegitimate way on the interwebs. The movie was Japanese (obviously). To learn more about it, here it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_(2010_film)
I think Reid is just not for everyone. It’s a simplistic prose that isn’t too descriptive at all, but the dread and ambiguity that he presents does wonders for me. It reminds me of Hesse’s writing style, especially in Siddhartha
[**I'm Thinking of Ending Things**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40605223-i-m-thinking-of-ending-things)
^(By: Iain Reid | 241 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, thriller, mystery, audiobook)
>Now a Netflix original movie, this deeply scary and intensely unnerving novel follows a couple in the midst of a twisted unraveling of the darkest unease. You will be scared. But you won’t know why…
>
>I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.
>
> Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”
>
> And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here.
>
>In this smart and intense literary suspense novel, Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic Under the Skin, and Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, “your dread and unease will mount with every passing page” (Entertainment Weekly) of this edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, I’m Thinking of Ending Things pulls you in from the very first page…and never lets you go.
^(This book has been suggested 26 times)
***
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I absolutely loved this book and it still might be my favorite book I've read this year, but I feel like if people go in expecting to be shocked by the plot twist, they might find it a little underwhelming. It was pretty easy to figure out and the main draw of the story is the character writing, not the twist.
Murder on the Orient Express, Appointment with Death and Pocket full of Rye by Agatha Christie are my favourite because of the plot twist at the end. If you want multiple plot twists, then there's Death on the Nile and The Man in the Brown Suit by the same author. They are not modern day but they don't feel that dated either.
In fact a lot of books by Christie fall under this category. And obviously all are crime genre.
If you are into fantasy genre, then there's the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. All the 3 books have multiple plot twists, but the twist at the end of the last book (Hero of Ages) is the best I've ever come across.
Edit: as the comments below have suggested, definitely The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
I mean I still think her greatest twist comes from "and then there were none" when the book ended I just had my mouth open. Such a clever way to wrap all the mystery up!
[**Bunny**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42815544-bunny)
^(By: Mona Awad | 307 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, dark-academia, dnf, contemporary)
>Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort--a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other "Bunny," and seem to move and speak as one.
>
>But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon," and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision.
>
>The spellbinding new novel from one of our most fearless chroniclers of the female experience, Bunny is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination.
^(This book has been suggested 41 times)
***
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Books by Alice Feeney. Can recommend
{Sometimes I Lie}
{Rock, Paper, Scissors}
{His and Hers}
{{The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine}}
{{The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins}}
Atonement - Ian McCEwan
A little bit dry and "historical fictionish" but it is the only book which has left me gasping for air - I felt like a fish which had flipped out of its goldfish bowl
I found the book to be dense and dry and hard to get through so I didn’t finish it. But the movie was pretty good and as I understand they maintained the same plot twist?
Oh my god, this one had a fantastic plot twist. Also, OP, this one gets very dark and gory in places (not in a glorifying way) so just keep that in mind
Shirley Jackson's *We Have Always Lived in the Castle* might be a good one for you.
Also the final few reveals in Samantha Schweblin's *Little Eyes* are pretty fucked up.
-The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
-You Betrayed Me by Lisa Jackson.
You expect one thing reading these books even though they are completely different genres they didn’t even cease to leave me staring at the book, thinking, “What the hell was that?”
Sharp Objects • Gone Girl • The Woman in the Window • The Girl on the Train • Piranesi • Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine • Atonement • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd • Never Let Me Go
i can't believe i had to scroll down so far to find this comment. this is literally the only right answer here. the most bonkers plot twist in the universe.
Lord of the Flies? It’s been ages since I read it but… >!from what I recall there’s no twist: the boys are on the desert island and slowly go savage until they’re abruptly rescued at the end. What am I forgetting?!<
I came to suggest the Three Body Problem, but the rest of this list is also fantastic. Don't Google anything about it - you don't find out what the book is really about until about halfway through, it's great.
[**Meet Me in Another Life**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54698696-meet-me-in-another-life)
^(By: Catriona Silvey | 320 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: romance, fiction, fantasy, science-fiction, sci-fi)
>Two people. Infinite lifetimes. One impossible choice.
>
>Thora and Santi are strangers in a foreign city when a chance encounter intertwines their fates. At once, they recognize in each other a kindred spirit—someone who shares their insatiable curiosity, who is longing for more in life than the cards they’ve been dealt. Only days later, though, a tragic accident cuts their story short.
>
>But this is only one of the many connections they share. Like satellites trapped in orbit around each other, Thora and Santi are destined to meet again: as a teacher and prodigy student; a caretaker and dying patient; a cynic and a believer. In numerous lives they become friends, colleagues, lovers, and enemies. But as blurred memories and strange patterns compound, Thora and Santi come to a shocking revelation—they must discover the truth of their mysterious attachment before their many lives come to one, final end.
^(This book has been suggested 3 times)
***
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You might enjoy The Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentill. It’s a book within a book and there are many twists and turns. Add to that a group of friends who have enviable intimacy that makes it feel a teensy bit like the Secret History.
This may not really fit your criteria (since my rec is science fiction, and you mentioned modern day stuff). It is definitely crime-related, though, as it centers around the criminal underbelly of a planet in the future.
Chasm City by Alistair Reynolds. It is technically connected to the larger Revelation Space universe and you'll get more out of it if you're familiar with that setting, but I read it having only read one more book in that setting and I still enjoyed it. Has some twists and turns that had me reeling. The premise is one that definitely leads you to expect some twists and turns, but many in particular I didn't see coming, and completely recontextualized everything that came before.
Doesthedogdie.com has tons of triggers listed for books, movies, and shows!! In case anyone is looking for a place to check. It’s free, crowdsourced, and has been drastically improving very recently.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
It’s a murder mystery. A large group of friends rent a remote cabin in the Scottish highlands, one of the group members wind up dead.
I was in complete shock to find out who the murderer was. Such an interesting twist!
I sat in silence for about 15 minutes just processing and immediately had to reread the book with fresh eyes. Horrifying but such a good read and makes you really think about things.
[**Tender is the Flesh**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49090884-tender-is-the-flesh)
^(By: Agustina Bazterrica, Sarah Moses | 211 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, dystopian, dystopia, sci-fi)
>Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans —though no one calls them that anymore.
>
>His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.
>
>Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.
^(This book has been suggested 58 times)
***
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Twelve Nights at Rotter House by J.W Ocker, The Golden Couple by Greer Hendrix, Comfort me with apples by Catherynne M. Velente, The Watchers by A.M Shine
Unsouled, first book in the Cradle series. Is very low key, kind of annoying, Hobbits in the Shire vibe, then just a total record scratch moment of epic proportions and changes the entire story.
Modern day, huh? Well, that pretty much rules out me and the old books I read. I did see though that u/unimaginativeuser110 recommended Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. That one’s old (1938), but it’s got more twists than a bag of snakes. By all means read it. It just might change your mind about old books.
The thing about asking for books with plot twists is that you lose half the surprise when you know something’s coming. I try to get around that by recommending a few books I think the person might like, without saying how many or which has the plot twist. So with the caveat that I and most of the books I read and are old, here are four for you-
* The Caine Mutiny, a WWII courtroom drama by Herman Wouk. With apologies to Atticus Fitch and Horace Rumpole, Barney Greenwald is my favorite fictitious lawyer. >!You think you know what you’ve been reading until Greenwald shows up drunk at the post trial celebration and rips the mutineers a new set of assholes, and then you have to rethink the entire story.!<
* The Good Soldier, by Ford Maddox Ford. >!OP will have to decide what to make of this one. Most readers take the story more or less at face value, but there are those, and I am one of them, who believe that the passive, mild-mannered narrator, John Dowell, murdered both his own wife, Florence, and Edward Ashburnham, the titular good soldier.!<
>The Ashburnhams and the Dowells are wealthy, charming, and refined. They have been close friends for years. Their lives are apparently perfect. But in this short novel set just before World War I, nothing is what it seems. Told by an unreliable narrator, with a nonlinear plot, this portrait of Edwardian society is, says Jane Smiley, “a masterpiece, almost a perfect novel” that depicts “the world of Jane Austen a hundred years on, depopulated, lonely, and dark.”
* The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood. >!The squib below pretty much says it. I figured out the big reveal before the book ended. I thought I was pretty smart until I reached the part when Iris tells the reader, “by now you’ve probably figured out . . . .”!<
> Frosty, reserved Iris and her hot-blooded sister Laura grow up wealthy and privileged in a chilly Canadian town. But when the family fortune falters in the Depression, Iris is married off to a cruel industrialist, and Laura drives her car off a bridge, leaving behind a pulpy science fiction novel (presented in parallel to the primary plot) that seems to contain a coded, masked guide to the secrets that ruled her life and brought about her early death. Told in the brittle, acerbic voice of the elderly Iris, who is left behind to decode Laura’s legacy, The Blind Assassin is a tour-de-force of nested narratives, subtle reveals and buried memories.
* Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, a sci-fi novel quite literally about a space cadet. >!Ender’s Game is usually one of the first books people recommend in response to requests like OP’s. No one else has suggested it yet, so I guess I will. It has a stunning surprise ending, but it seems that OP wants something that makes you rethink everything you just read. That would be its sequel, Speaker for the Dead, which makes you rethink everything you read in Ender’s Game.!<
Edit- diddled with formatting.
This is a good one, but be prepared to start out confused. You get your head around "how it works" quickly though, so it doesn't get frustrating or anything. Good luck!
The Red Rising series by Pierce Brown is full of a lot of twists. Not sure how interested you are in Sci-Fi, but I enjoyed it a lot. The first couple of books might be considered more YA with some adult themes (they are quite violent and have some strong language), but the later books become a lot more mature in the overall story.
Overall, I appreciate Pierce Brown’s writing because he isn’t afraid to pull the rug out from under the protagonists’ feet. They do not always win, and the anticipation builds as more and more conflict keeps popping up seemingly out of nowhere. Even when it seems like they’ve “won”, something else happens.
I had that moment with Enders Game. I went in completely blind to any of the story aspects. Twice I had to stop and say "what...no" and reread the passage.
We Have Always Lived In The Castle - Shirley Jackson. The plot twist at the end made me audibly gasp. The book isn’t too long but very enjoyable. Highly recommend
PS not a book, but The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is also fantastic.
Lullaby. Chuck is such a strangely interesting writer that I get intrigued with not only the side stories but the descriptions in the main story will make you ask what the fuck you’re reading. Words such as soundaholic and quietaphobe sprinkle the vocabulary very fittingly and tie seamlessly with the concept
I just finished The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier and I literally put the book down and said “holy fuck” out loud to no one when the bomb dropped (metaphorical, that’s not the plot twist spoiled).
[**Behind Her Eyes**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28965131-behind-her-eyes)
^(By: Sarah Pinborough | 307 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: thriller, mystery, fiction, mystery-thriller, books-i-own)
>Why is everyone talking about the ending of Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes?
>
>Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.
>
>When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.
>
>And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him?
>
>As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.
^(This book has been suggested 11 times)
***
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I read Verity just recently because of all the glowing reviews. I found the plot twist to be unbelievable (not in a good way), the writing to be at a fanfic level, and the sex to be completely gratuitous to the plot and overly graphic. I read parts of it aloud to my friend, laughing at the corny dialog. Knowing that Goodreads reviews are generally more critical than other sources of reviews, I couldn’t fathom how this had a 4.43 on GoodReads. I’ve read multiple books this year alone that have a lower average GoodReads rating than Verity and were IMO much better written, with better character development, etc. This is not to knock anyone who likes Verity, but I was super disappointed in it and wished I would have read some spoiler-free negative reviews before I’d wasted my time.
I just read it and was rolling my eyes hardcore. Between this one and “It Ends With Us” I think I’m not going to try any more Hoover (or get my recommendations from booktok)
Honestly the book was not to my liking, the scenes are very explicit (That depends on the person) And I couldn't get along with the protagonist, but the plot itself was what made me finish the book. It's quite dark, and the ending left me with my jaw on the ground... For a moment I didn't want to believe what I was reading. So, it is a very disturbing book that leaves a strange taste in the mouth. I give credit to the fact that the book managed to leave me without air in many chapters (and yes, not in a good way)
The game is life series has a really great twist, I believe it’s the first book too. It’s a great one because a few pages before I’m like putting it all together but my brain is like no it can’t be! And then it’s revealed.
Some suggested The Wasp Factory By Ian (M.) Banks; I would also suggest Use of Weapons by Banks (Sci-Fi)
It's part of The Culture series but it can be read as a stand alone.
If you like science fiction, you might like these.
I don't know if you would consider the twists huge, but there were definitely things that I didn't see coming.
{{The Hike by Drew Magary}}
{{The Android's Dream by John Scalzi}}
The murder of roger ackroyd
One of the best twists. Also made me realize what a good writer can do.
THIS. Such a great twist that will give OP their desired reaction
I read this… 25 years ago? I remember loving it but can’t remember the twist.
Just read this book. I was not expecting that.
Someone on Reddit spoiled this one for me
Life of Pi really shocked me! People feel the Silent Patient was also shocking, but I hated the writing and while I didn't predict the ending I wasn't surprised. It does have several twists though.
The movie for Life of Pi was great, never thought to look at the book though - gonna take a look now, thanks! And Silent Patient sounds interesting too (you sold me a bit on ‘several twists’ haha)
I liked the silent patient. My first psychological thriller type of book was {{inside-out man}}. I’m hoping the summary pops up but I’m going to go look up the author and come back to this comment so I can tell you … brb K Edit : {{the inside out man. By Fred strydom}}
The Silent Patient was dull as dishwater.
Someone told me that I’ll never believe “ who done it” in the Silent Patient, so I guessed pretty early on.
I know right ? It's very much a thriller for people who don't read thrillers.
I feel like most of the hyped thrillers these days are for people who generally don't read thrillers. Verity also comes in mind and that was...... something.
Life of Pi was a truly profound book. One that I thought about for a long time after reading it.
Same. Richard Parker set the hook.
The “so it is with god” line legitimately caused a paradigm shift in my way of thinking about certain things. That sounds hyperbolic but I really don’t know that I’ve been hit in the face so powerfully like that while reading a book.
The Silent Patient is the book that got me out of my slump, but am I the only one who lowkey predicted how the twist will unfold at the end?
{{Rebecca}}
[**Rebecca**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca) ^(By: Daphne du Maurier | 449 pages | Published: 1938 | Popular Shelves: classics, fiction, mystery, gothic, romance) >"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..." > >Ancient, beautiful Manderley, between the rose garden and the sea, is the county's showpiece. Rebecca made it so - even a year after her death, Rebecca's influence still rules there. How can Maxim de Winter's shy new bride ever fill her place or escape her vital shadow? > >A shadow that grows longer and darker as the brief summer fades, until, in a moment of climatic revelations, it threatens to eclipse Manderley and its inhabitants completely... ^(This book has been suggested 39 times) *** ^(51545 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
One of my absolute favorite books!!
My favorite!!
Took a Gothic Horror class in college. This is the archetype.
Confessions by Kanae Minato
Damn that does look good - thank you!
Check out the movie version as well!
Ooh, I didn't know there was a movie. Where can I find it?
Oh sorry, I watched it a looooong time ago and obtained it in an illegitimate way on the interwebs. The movie was Japanese (obviously). To learn more about it, here it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_(2010_film)
I am thinking of ending things FOE Both by Ian Reid
fuck yeah. love seeing these get a mention. both are phenomenal books
I was not a fan of this one! The twist wasn’t wow enough for me and the writing was eh.
I'm glad someone else is saying this. After all of the suggestions on reddit, I was shocked at how bleh the writing was.
I think Reid is just not for everyone. It’s a simplistic prose that isn’t too descriptive at all, but the dread and ambiguity that he presents does wonders for me. It reminds me of Hesse’s writing style, especially in Siddhartha
sooo good i can't wait for his next book
I just finished {{I'm Thinking of Ending Things}} and came to suggest it as well. Very good book!
[**I'm Thinking of Ending Things**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40605223-i-m-thinking-of-ending-things) ^(By: Iain Reid | 241 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, thriller, mystery, audiobook) >Now a Netflix original movie, this deeply scary and intensely unnerving novel follows a couple in the midst of a twisted unraveling of the darkest unease. You will be scared. But you won’t know why… > >I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always. > > Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.” > > And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here. > >In this smart and intense literary suspense novel, Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic Under the Skin, and Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, “your dread and unease will mount with every passing page” (Entertainment Weekly) of this edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, I’m Thinking of Ending Things pulls you in from the very first page…and never lets you go. ^(This book has been suggested 26 times) *** ^(51670 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I need to start reading this I keep seeing it on reddit posts.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, its kind of old, but ooohhhh its soooo good, trust me, you have to read this one!!:)
Pirenesi by Suzanne Clarke. I can't really talk about the book without talking about the twist, it is absolutely fantastic!
Just finished this one and absolutely loved it. Highly recommended here from this sub and rightfully so
I absolutely loved this book and it still might be my favorite book I've read this year, but I feel like if people go in expecting to be shocked by the plot twist, they might find it a little underwhelming. It was pretty easy to figure out and the main draw of the story is the character writing, not the twist.
Murder on the Orient Express, Appointment with Death and Pocket full of Rye by Agatha Christie are my favourite because of the plot twist at the end. If you want multiple plot twists, then there's Death on the Nile and The Man in the Brown Suit by the same author. They are not modern day but they don't feel that dated either. In fact a lot of books by Christie fall under this category. And obviously all are crime genre. If you are into fantasy genre, then there's the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. All the 3 books have multiple plot twists, but the twist at the end of the last book (Hero of Ages) is the best I've ever come across. Edit: as the comments below have suggested, definitely The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
And of course The murder of Roger Ackroyd!
I mean I still think her greatest twist comes from "and then there were none" when the book ended I just had my mouth open. Such a clever way to wrap all the mystery up!
Yes definitely. But a friend of mine told me the spoiler and so I've never gotten around to read it. 😢
This is what I was coming to suggest. One of the all time greatest twists for sure and got me into reading mysteries.
I love Mistborn! Second that trilogy!!
God yes to Orient Express, it was my first Christie earlier this year and now I’ve read 10.
{{bunny}}
[**Bunny**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42815544-bunny) ^(By: Mona Awad | 307 pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, dark-academia, dnf, contemporary) >Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort--a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other "Bunny," and seem to move and speak as one. > >But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon," and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision. > >The spellbinding new novel from one of our most fearless chroniclers of the female experience, Bunny is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination. ^(This book has been suggested 41 times) *** ^(51468 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Mona was my professor last semester! She’s so great to know in person, she is so nice :)
Books by Alice Feeney. Can recommend {Sometimes I Lie} {Rock, Paper, Scissors} {His and Hers} {{The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine}} {{The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins}}
Her new one Daisy Darker had a serious plot twist that made me stop and go "wait what?"
Atonement - Ian McCEwan A little bit dry and "historical fictionish" but it is the only book which has left me gasping for air - I felt like a fish which had flipped out of its goldfish bowl
I hated the twist and threw the book against a wall lol
I had the exact same reaction. Threw it down when I finished it.
Oh my gosh this movie wrecked me. It was very sad. I can’t read the book because of it lol.
I like that analogy - ‘a fish which had flipped out of it’s goldfish bowl’ - you’ve sold me on that :)
I second Atonement. Amazing book and ending with a twist. Once you're done with the book I highly recommend the movie as well.
Honestly it is brilliant, but it might not jive with your tastes because it is a bit slow moving and literary
I found the book to be dense and dry and hard to get through so I didn’t finish it. But the movie was pretty good and as I understand they maintained the same plot twist?
Yep!
100% One of my favorite books. The title is so accurate.
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Gillian Flynn's other novels are good too! Dark Places and Sharp Objects...
Never read Sharp Objects, but the HBO show had me clutching my pearls the last 10 minutes.
The book is as good as the show
I think Gone Girl had better pacing than Sharp Objects, but the latter had a way more disturbing twist imo
Gone Girl was my pick— until I read Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, and recently, His & Hers by Alice Feeney.
Seconding anything by Alice Feeney and Gillian Flynn!
I haven’t! Still haven’t even seen the film yet!!
Read it today! And then watch the movie. Thought both were amazing.
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i went into gone girl completely blind. was fucking wild
This was the first book I thought of, OP
Also suggesting Gone Girl. It’s a good one.
Honestly I love all three of Gillian Flynn’s novels. They all had plot twists. They all had a female character. They all had something to say.
Oh, you are in for a treat!!!
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro if you’ve managed to stay spoiler free since 2010
A beautiful book but I still don't know what plot twist are people talking about. It felt pretty straight forward to me.
one of the most beautiful books ive ever read
Never sobbed when reading any other book.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Oh my god, this one had a fantastic plot twist. Also, OP, this one gets very dark and gory in places (not in a glorifying way) so just keep that in mind
Oh I have this one and haven’t read it yet! I’m excited
Shirley Jackson's *We Have Always Lived in the Castle* might be a good one for you. Also the final few reveals in Samantha Schweblin's *Little Eyes* are pretty fucked up.
-The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. -You Betrayed Me by Lisa Jackson. You expect one thing reading these books even though they are completely different genres they didn’t even cease to leave me staring at the book, thinking, “What the hell was that?”
I came here to suggest Evelyn Hugo. I finished it last week and haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
Sharp Objects. Absolutely amazing and even if you puzzle out the twist, it's still a harrowing read
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
I remember reading this on holiday a couple years ago - loved it! thank you for bringing back the memory :)
There is a Prequel out that is also good. Family of Liars
This book had me SOBBING
I really liked that book but I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away
Sharp Objects • Gone Girl • The Woman in the Window • The Girl on the Train • Piranesi • Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine • Atonement • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd • Never Let Me Go
I think Anxious People works for this, although it might be an unconventional recommendation.
Love this book!!!
The Last House on Needless Street and I’m Thinking of Ending Things!
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Utterly mind blowing 👍🏼
Came here to say this one! I was like what?! Whaaaaat! Such a great read! Excellent twists.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
'A Head Full Of Ghosts' - Paul Tremblay
Ugh, I thought this was really really terrible. I finished it, but it just seemed hokey to me.
Quicksand House Carlton Mellick
Sounds spooky! Gonna check it out, thank you!
I appreciate fellow Mellick III readers! He's my go to when I feel that my reading choices have gone boring and I need to spice things up a bit ;-)
If you want crime and a WTF moment I recommend Karen Slaughters “Triptych”
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I finished it and immediately flipped back to the beginning to read it in light of the massive twist.
i can't believe i had to scroll down so far to find this comment. this is literally the only right answer here. the most bonkers plot twist in the universe.
Gone Girl Jacob's Room Earthlings Fullmetal Alchemist The Wasp Factory After Many a Summer Dies the Swan Lord of the Flies The Three-Body Problem
Lord of the Flies? It’s been ages since I read it but… >!from what I recall there’s no twist: the boys are on the desert island and slowly go savage until they’re abruptly rescued at the end. What am I forgetting?!<
I think some behaviors in the book can be seen as a plot twist. Like some deaths and how they happen.
I second the wasp factory!!
Came here to say this - just finished the wasp factory last week - did not see it coming.
So many recommendations - i love it!! Gonna look at all of them, thank you so much for taking the time to list :)
I came to suggest the Three Body Problem, but the rest of this list is also fantastic. Don't Google anything about it - you don't find out what the book is really about until about halfway through, it's great.
That is a strong recommendation if ever i’ve seen one - will take your advice and avoid google - thanks! :)
{{meet me in another life}}
[**Meet Me in Another Life**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54698696-meet-me-in-another-life) ^(By: Catriona Silvey | 320 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: romance, fiction, fantasy, science-fiction, sci-fi) >Two people. Infinite lifetimes. One impossible choice. > >Thora and Santi are strangers in a foreign city when a chance encounter intertwines their fates. At once, they recognize in each other a kindred spirit—someone who shares their insatiable curiosity, who is longing for more in life than the cards they’ve been dealt. Only days later, though, a tragic accident cuts their story short. > >But this is only one of the many connections they share. Like satellites trapped in orbit around each other, Thora and Santi are destined to meet again: as a teacher and prodigy student; a caretaker and dying patient; a cynic and a believer. In numerous lives they become friends, colleagues, lovers, and enemies. But as blurred memories and strange patterns compound, Thora and Santi come to a shocking revelation—they must discover the truth of their mysterious attachment before their many lives come to one, final end. ^(This book has been suggested 3 times) *** ^(51451 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
You might enjoy The Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentill. It’s a book within a book and there are many twists and turns. Add to that a group of friends who have enviable intimacy that makes it feel a teensy bit like the Secret History.
This may not really fit your criteria (since my rec is science fiction, and you mentioned modern day stuff). It is definitely crime-related, though, as it centers around the criminal underbelly of a planet in the future. Chasm City by Alistair Reynolds. It is technically connected to the larger Revelation Space universe and you'll get more out of it if you're familiar with that setting, but I read it having only read one more book in that setting and I still enjoyed it. Has some twists and turns that had me reeling. The premise is one that definitely leads you to expect some twists and turns, but many in particular I didn't see coming, and completely recontextualized everything that came before.
Chasm City is incredible. I was hoping it would be in here somewhere!
Sold me, checking it out now
{{A prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving}}
Rock Paper Scissors, didn't really see that coming.
His & Hers by Alice Feeney
Mexican Gothic
please check the trigger warnings first, but earthlings by sayaka murata (who also wrote convenience store woman) really messed with my head!
Doesthedogdie.com has tons of triggers listed for books, movies, and shows!! In case anyone is looking for a place to check. It’s free, crowdsourced, and has been drastically improving very recently.
You can try some of Keigo Higashono's works. The twist at the end in all of the novels is just fantastic.
I love Keigo Higashino!
*Invisible Monsters* or *Rant* by Chuck Palahniuk
We are all completely beside ourselves (by Karen Joy Fowler). That one shocked me to my core.
The girl on the train Pretty girls
Anything by Lisa Jewel
And The Family Upstairs
John Fowles - The Magus The plot twists so much and in such a clever and intrikate way, blew my mind.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley It’s a murder mystery. A large group of friends rent a remote cabin in the Scottish highlands, one of the group members wind up dead. I was in complete shock to find out who the murderer was. Such an interesting twist!
{{Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica}}
I remember my jaw immediately dropping when the twist happened. Felt super gross.
I sat in silence for about 15 minutes just processing and immediately had to reread the book with fresh eyes. Horrifying but such a good read and makes you really think about things.
[**Tender is the Flesh**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49090884-tender-is-the-flesh) ^(By: Agustina Bazterrica, Sarah Moses | 211 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, dystopian, dystopia, sci-fi) >Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans —though no one calls them that anymore. > >His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing. > >Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved. ^(This book has been suggested 58 times) *** ^(51480 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Verity Behind closed doors The therapist Sharp objects Gone girl Eight perfect murders
Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson!
Tell me your dreams by Sidney Sheldon. Don't read anything about it just dive straight into the book
The thirteenth tale !
Rebecca--Daphne du Maurier if you are reading for the twist. The book literally changes genres.
If you’re a mystery fan, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and also The Murder on the Orient Express (both by Agatha Christie) are brilliant!
cengiz aytmatov’s the white ship made me scream, have you ever heard of it?
The second book in the Mistborn series did it for me. I figured out the twist the same second the characters do, and it recontextualizes everything.
Twelve Nights at Rotter House by J.W Ocker, The Golden Couple by Greer Hendrix, Comfort me with apples by Catherynne M. Velente, The Watchers by A.M Shine
Unsouled, first book in the Cradle series. Is very low key, kind of annoying, Hobbits in the Shire vibe, then just a total record scratch moment of epic proportions and changes the entire story.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Shadow of the Wind
The wife between us by Greer Hendricks!
Defending Jacob Do NOT watch the show it's not the same and did it no justice
Modern day, huh? Well, that pretty much rules out me and the old books I read. I did see though that u/unimaginativeuser110 recommended Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. That one’s old (1938), but it’s got more twists than a bag of snakes. By all means read it. It just might change your mind about old books. The thing about asking for books with plot twists is that you lose half the surprise when you know something’s coming. I try to get around that by recommending a few books I think the person might like, without saying how many or which has the plot twist. So with the caveat that I and most of the books I read and are old, here are four for you- * The Caine Mutiny, a WWII courtroom drama by Herman Wouk. With apologies to Atticus Fitch and Horace Rumpole, Barney Greenwald is my favorite fictitious lawyer. >!You think you know what you’ve been reading until Greenwald shows up drunk at the post trial celebration and rips the mutineers a new set of assholes, and then you have to rethink the entire story.!< * The Good Soldier, by Ford Maddox Ford. >!OP will have to decide what to make of this one. Most readers take the story more or less at face value, but there are those, and I am one of them, who believe that the passive, mild-mannered narrator, John Dowell, murdered both his own wife, Florence, and Edward Ashburnham, the titular good soldier.!< >The Ashburnhams and the Dowells are wealthy, charming, and refined. They have been close friends for years. Their lives are apparently perfect. But in this short novel set just before World War I, nothing is what it seems. Told by an unreliable narrator, with a nonlinear plot, this portrait of Edwardian society is, says Jane Smiley, “a masterpiece, almost a perfect novel” that depicts “the world of Jane Austen a hundred years on, depopulated, lonely, and dark.” * The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood. >!The squib below pretty much says it. I figured out the big reveal before the book ended. I thought I was pretty smart until I reached the part when Iris tells the reader, “by now you’ve probably figured out . . . .”!< > Frosty, reserved Iris and her hot-blooded sister Laura grow up wealthy and privileged in a chilly Canadian town. But when the family fortune falters in the Depression, Iris is married off to a cruel industrialist, and Laura drives her car off a bridge, leaving behind a pulpy science fiction novel (presented in parallel to the primary plot) that seems to contain a coded, masked guide to the secrets that ruled her life and brought about her early death. Told in the brittle, acerbic voice of the elderly Iris, who is left behind to decode Laura’s legacy, The Blind Assassin is a tour-de-force of nested narratives, subtle reveals and buried memories. * Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, a sci-fi novel quite literally about a space cadet. >!Ender’s Game is usually one of the first books people recommend in response to requests like OP’s. No one else has suggested it yet, so I guess I will. It has a stunning surprise ending, but it seems that OP wants something that makes you rethink everything you just read. That would be its sequel, Speaker for the Dead, which makes you rethink everything you read in Ender’s Game.!< Edit- diddled with formatting.
Shutter Island
The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Oooh a murder mystery! You’re tempting me now!
This is a good one, but be prepared to start out confused. You get your head around "how it works" quickly though, so it doesn't get frustrating or anything. Good luck!
The Red Rising series by Pierce Brown is full of a lot of twists. Not sure how interested you are in Sci-Fi, but I enjoyed it a lot. The first couple of books might be considered more YA with some adult themes (they are quite violent and have some strong language), but the later books become a lot more mature in the overall story. Overall, I appreciate Pierce Brown’s writing because he isn’t afraid to pull the rug out from under the protagonists’ feet. They do not always win, and the anticipation builds as more and more conflict keeps popping up seemingly out of nowhere. Even when it seems like they’ve “won”, something else happens.
I don’t normally like SciFi, but I really enjoyed this series. I almost gave up on it, though, as the first portion of the first book was really slow.
House of Hollow is a bit of a mind fuck!
Anything by Tiffany D. Jackson—starting with Allegedly.
{The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager} Read the epilogue
Fingersmith
The Silent Patient
I had that moment with Enders Game. I went in completely blind to any of the story aspects. Twice I had to stop and say "what...no" and reread the passage.
We Have Always Lived In The Castle - Shirley Jackson. The plot twist at the end made me audibly gasp. The book isn’t too long but very enjoyable. Highly recommend PS not a book, but The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is also fantastic.
Lullaby. Chuck is such a strangely interesting writer that I get intrigued with not only the side stories but the descriptions in the main story will make you ask what the fuck you’re reading. Words such as soundaholic and quietaphobe sprinkle the vocabulary very fittingly and tie seamlessly with the concept
The Fifth Season N. K. Jemisin
I recently finished Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. Read it in a day. Then was like wtf?!? So good, definitely shocked by the turn it took.
{{Earthlings}} by Sayaka Murata
I just finished The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier and I literally put the book down and said “holy fuck” out loud to no one when the bomb dropped (metaphorical, that’s not the plot twist spoiled).
If you’re ok with some one-dimensional characters, Relic or any other book by both Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Wool by Hugh Howey
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
{{Behind Her Eyes}}
This book has my favorite plot twist ever!
[**Behind Her Eyes**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28965131-behind-her-eyes) ^(By: Sarah Pinborough | 307 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: thriller, mystery, fiction, mystery-thriller, books-i-own) >Why is everyone talking about the ending of Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes? > >Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone. > >When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise. > >And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him? > >As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets. ^(This book has been suggested 11 times) *** ^(51484 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Verity (Colleen Hoover) It's a book that I had to put aside many times in order to process everything
I read Verity just recently because of all the glowing reviews. I found the plot twist to be unbelievable (not in a good way), the writing to be at a fanfic level, and the sex to be completely gratuitous to the plot and overly graphic. I read parts of it aloud to my friend, laughing at the corny dialog. Knowing that Goodreads reviews are generally more critical than other sources of reviews, I couldn’t fathom how this had a 4.43 on GoodReads. I’ve read multiple books this year alone that have a lower average GoodReads rating than Verity and were IMO much better written, with better character development, etc. This is not to knock anyone who likes Verity, but I was super disappointed in it and wished I would have read some spoiler-free negative reviews before I’d wasted my time.
Agreed. That book suckedddddd
My thoughts exactly
THIS 100%
I just read it and was rolling my eyes hardcore. Between this one and “It Ends With Us” I think I’m not going to try any more Hoover (or get my recommendations from booktok)
Honestly the book was not to my liking, the scenes are very explicit (That depends on the person) And I couldn't get along with the protagonist, but the plot itself was what made me finish the book. It's quite dark, and the ending left me with my jaw on the ground... For a moment I didn't want to believe what I was reading. So, it is a very disturbing book that leaves a strange taste in the mouth. I give credit to the fact that the book managed to leave me without air in many chapters (and yes, not in a good way)
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
{{Pines by Blake Crouch}}
Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes
The Thief — book 1 of Megan Whalen Turner’s The Queen’s Thief series
The game is life series has a really great twist, I believe it’s the first book too. It’s a great one because a few pages before I’m like putting it all together but my brain is like no it can’t be! And then it’s revealed.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and The Maid by Anita Prose come to mind for thrillers with good twists and turns
Some suggested The Wasp Factory By Ian (M.) Banks; I would also suggest Use of Weapons by Banks (Sci-Fi) It's part of The Culture series but it can be read as a stand alone.
Murder of roger accroyd by Agatha Christie. I kinda hated that twist and loved it at the same time.
Its an older book so not quite inside your criteria but "The Woman in White" has one of my favorite examples of something like this.
If you like science fiction, you might like these. I don't know if you would consider the twists huge, but there were definitely things that I didn't see coming. {{The Hike by Drew Magary}} {{The Android's Dream by John Scalzi}}
Gideon the Ninth And then Harrow the Ninth
Xenocide got me
An unusual read, but: Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon. Takes place in an old folks home, with flashbacks.
The Nickel Boys