Introduction
Imagine a world, where a city is hit by an epidemic of blindness – will the civilization be able to keep its order?
Now imagine you’re a boy living for 7 years in a captive environment, never being able to see the world beyond the room you’re in.
So many questions and predictions are raised when a book has an intriguing premise. You can know for sure that that book will keep you hooked until its ending. That’s why I selected a list of 9 books with unique and creative premises I fiercely recommend and that I’m sure you’ll want to read nonstop.
1. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Charlie was born with a worrying low IQ. Hoping to increase his intelligence, he is subject to a surgery that has been proven highly successful in lab rats. As the procedure manifests its triumph, Charlie’s intelligence now surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his new brain.
Unfortunately, his increased consciousness brings up traumas he didn’t know he had. After all, a high intellectual capacity comes at a great cost – the cost of innocence and that of happiness.
This book put me on an insane highway of emotions. I couldn’t stop reading it – and when I could, its story decided to live in my head rent-free.
2. Blindness by José Saramago
A city is hit by a sudden epidemic of “white” blindness. The first blind are sent to an abandoned mental hospital to be kept in a cruel quarantine. The quarantine turns out to be pointless – the entire civilization is collapsing into brutal chaos.
Between a sea of unfortunate blinds, there is a lighthouse of hope – a woman is asymptomatic. If you think about it, in this case, being the only sane person is actually its own disease.
Will there still be gratification and happiness? Will a cure be found to restore order? To know the answer you can either search for a spoiler or read the book. You won’t regret the second option.
3. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
This is the disturbing story of a young family moving into a mysterious house that is greater on the inside than it looks on the outside.
The plot is a bit confusing and this is not an easy read, but if you want a tremendously unique book that will also scare the shit out of you, this one is for you.
4. The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Henry has a genetic condition that causes him to unpredictably time travel. This book is a terrific love story about Henry and his Wife, who has to deal with her husband’s sudden disappearance.
This science fiction novel creates a love chemistry between the two main characters rarely seen in literature. Almost needless to say that reading this book will be a rollercoaster of emotions really worth experiencing. I really can’t stress enough how much I recommend it.
5. I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
After accidentally preventing a bank robber from escaping, Ed Kennedy receives his first “card” with three addresses written on it – he needs to figure out who needs help at these locations and what actions he can take to help.
It’s not only the plot that is tremendously unique in this book – the brilliant but seamless writing makes this book special and easy to read.
6. 253 by Geoff Ryman
This book probably has the most unique premise on this list: It’s the story of 253 passengers on a train. Each passenger is described in 253 words and all the passengers’ lives’ connect wonderfully creating a profoundly clever storyline.
If the premise of this book didn’t raise your curiosity, I don’t know what will.
7. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
David Mitchell narrates in a non-linear way. He jumps from story to story, from era to era, from place to place. In the end, all six storylines connect splendidly.
Every tale is flooded with its own writing nuance. It’s impressive how each tale is captivating on its own and the connection of those individual tales turns out to be way more than the sum of its parts.
8. Room by Emma Donoghue
Told from the perspective of 5-year-old Jack, it’s the frightening story of him and his mother who have been held captive in a small room for 7 years. For Jack, Room is all he ever experienced.
I’m gonna tell you this one more time: the narrator is the 5-year-old Jack, so you get the disturbing yet innocent perspective of someone who doesn’t know what is happening in that situation – for him, his life is normal.
Would an escape to the “normal” world be beneficial to Jack or would it be an even greater problem? This book raises so many questions.
9. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
The Narrator is a gorgeous fashion model. But when a sudden car accident destroys her face, she loses her beauty and everything she has because of it.
On every page of the book, there’s something that reminds you of how weird the book is, but, you’ll want to keep reading it anyway.
