People are wired to seek the positives in life. We make our choices based on which one will lead us to the happily ever after. But, the human experience is far from perfect. Alongside heart lifting moments of joy, there are heart-wrenching moments of sadness. What better medium to capture these emotions than literature? Here are five books that do just that.

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Set in Nazi Germany, this book tackles antisemitism, book burnings, the rise of Hitler and more. Oh, and it’s narrated by the personification of Death. Also adapted in to a film, this book took the literary world by storm and has won multiple awards. It also earned a special place in my heart after reading it for a high school literature class. If you haven’t read it yet, take the time to. It will leave you with tears of joy and sadness alike. Granted, you should expect nothing less from a book narrated by Death.

2. The Memory Book by Lara Avery

This story is about a girl who is going places. A great debate team, a great college, a great job... until she is diagnosed with a rare disease that causes unusually early onset of dementia. There is no cure, but she is determined to make her way through high school graduation and achieve her dreams. This book is a chronicle/log of her life, so when she starts to lose her memory, she can look back and read the book as reference. This book will make you thankful for every memory you create and cherish every moment of your life before they are gone.

3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman

The lesser-known sequel to If I Stay, this book tugs at your heart strings just as much as the first. I personally found this book a lot more accessible since it deals with a more common tragedy: a break-up. Narrated by Adam, Mia’s boyfriend, this book really captures how important love is in everyone’s life. I don’t want to give away too many details, but if you liked If I Stay, this book is also a must read.

4. Looking for Alaska by John Green

This is John Green’s first book that won him a Michael L. Printz Award. Peppered with Green’s typical awkward teenage boy humor and just a dash of pretentiousness, this book really captures raw and complex emotions that come with a loss and so much more (In a completely different way than The Fault in Our Stars). One disclaimer: this book has a lot of crude language and topics. If this is something you are willing to look past to enjoy a good story and skillful use of literary devices, I highly recommend giving it a read.

5. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The Divergent series is often cited as what you read if you liked the Hunger Games series. But even if you didn’t like Hunger Games, this series still has a unique take on the dystopian genre. It has unfortunately fallen prey to movie adaptations that just do not do the original story justice (what else is new) but the final installment of the trilogy is proof of how good the series really is on its own. Regardless of if you saw the plot twist coming, this book will leave your eyes stinging with tears of anger and sadness as Roth perfectly concludes her trilogy. (Way better than Mockingjay, for the record).