Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you loved Ottessa Moshfegh, read Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer, then Mona Awad's Bunny, then Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, and Melissa Broder's The Pisces and Virginia Feito's Mrs. March. All are dark, comic literary fiction.
Ottessa Moshfegh writes dark novels such as My Year of Rest and Relaxation. These picks share her bite.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Sister, the Serial Killer | Oyinkan Braithwaite | Adult | readers who want a quick read |
| Bunny | Mona Awad | Adult | readers who like weird fiction |
| The Bell Jar | Sylvia Plath | Adult | mental health classics |
| The Pisces | Melissa Broder | Adult | bizarre romance |
| Mrs. March | Virginia Feito | Adult | creeping paranoia |
| Geek Love | Katherine Dunn | Adult | dark carnivals |
| The Virgin Suicides | Jeffrey Eugenides | Adult | neighborhood mystery |
| Sharp Objects | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like psychological thrillers |
| The Girls | Emma Cline | Adult | readers who like coming-of-age darkness |
| Outline | Rachel Cusk | Adult | modern minimalism |
| Fleishman Is in Trouble | Taffy Brodesser-Akner | Adult | midlife satire |
| Queenie | Candice Carty-Williams | Adult | readers who like modern London stories |
| The Idiot | Elif Batuman | Adult | campus novels |
| Hunger | Roxane Gay | Adult | readers who want a direct memoir |
| Followers | Megan Angelo | Adult | readers who like tech satire |
1. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede cleans up after her beautiful sister Ayoola's murders in Lagos. Short, dark and funny.
Best for: readers who want a quick read.
2. Bunny by Mona Awad
Samantha joins a writing program at a New England university and is drawn to a clique of women. Surreal, dark and funny.
Best for: readers who like weird fiction.
3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
A young woman in 1950s New York slides into depression. Sharp, funny and sad.
Best for: mental health classics.
4. The Pisces by Melissa Broder
A woman in Venice Beach falls for a merman. Dark, funny and strange.
Best for: bizarre romance.
5. Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
A wealthy woman descends into suspicion after reading a novel. Eerie and sharp.
Best for: creeping paranoia.
6. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
A family of carnival performers breeds its own freaks. Dark, strange and unforgettable.
Best for: dark carnivals.
7. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
A group of boys recall the five Lisbon sisters in a Michigan suburb. Dreamy, sad and unresolved.
Best for: neighborhood mystery.
8. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Camille returns to her hometown to report on the murder of two girls and faces her family. Dark and stylish.
Best for: readers who like psychological thrillers.
9. The Girls by Emma Cline
Evie, a lonely teen in 1969 California, is drawn to a cult-like group of girls. Atmospheric and unsettling.
Best for: readers who like coming-of-age darkness.
10. Outline by Rachel Cusk
A writer teaches in Athens and listens to the stories of others. Cool and thoughtful.
Best for: modern minimalism.
11. Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
A man's divorce is told partly through the eyes of a friend. Sharp on modern marriage and ambition.
Best for: midlife satire.
12. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie, a Jamaican British woman in London, struggles after a breakup. Funny, honest and raw.
Best for: readers who like modern London stories.
13. The Idiot by Elif Batuman
A Turkish American student navigates her first year at Harvard. Funny, awkward and brilliant.
Best for: campus novels.
14. Hunger by Roxane Gay
Gay writes about her body, trauma and the world's judgment of her size. Honest and painful.
Best for: readers who want a direct memoir.
15. Followers by Megan Angelo
Two women chase fame in 2015, while a future story shows what fame becomes. A sharp social media satire.
Best for: readers who like tech satire.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Ottessa Moshfegh: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Ottessa Moshfegh. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For dark humour, read My Sister, the Serial Killer. For strange women, try Bunny. For literary darkness, pick The Bell Jar.
Related: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ottessa Moshfegh?
An American novelist born in 1981.
What is her best-known book?
My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
Is it dark?
Yes, darkly funny.
Which book here is best for readers who like tech satire?
Try Followers by Megan Angelo, which suits readers looking for readers who like tech satire.
Which book here is best for readers who want a direct memoir?
Try Hunger by Roxane Gay, which suits readers looking for readers who want a direct memoir.
Which book here is best for campus novels?
Try The Idiot by Elif Batuman, which suits readers looking for campus novels.
Which book here is best for readers who like modern London stories?
Try Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, which suits readers looking for readers who like modern London stories.
Which book here is best for midlife satire?
Try Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, which suits readers looking for midlife satire.
Which book here is best for modern minimalism?
Try Outline by Rachel Cusk, which suits readers looking for modern minimalism.