Five top novels involving destructive relationships

Meg Serino is a graduate of Emory Law School and the Bennington Writing Seminars. Born in New York City, she now lives in Westport, Connecticut.

Annapurna is Serino's first novel. Her research (and love of hiking) led her to Nepal, where she trekked to the base camp of Annapurna. Closer to home, she enjoys hiking with her family and her dog, Penny.

At Lit Hub the author tagged five "books that examine the complexities of destructive relationships and the stories we tell ourselves—the excuses we make—before we can let them go." One title on the list:

Rachel Lyon, Fruit of the Dead

This novel is a retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth, in which a recent high school graduate, Cory Ansel, is lured to a luxurious private island owned by Rolo Picazo, CEO of a pharmaceutical company. The allure of wealth and privilege plus a steady supply of cocktails laced with opiates keeps Cory ensconced at the island and out of touch with her mother, Emer, who is searching for her.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this book are the stories that Cory tells herself in order to stay at the island and remain with Rolo, the rationalizations that allow her to ignore her inner doubts and believe that what’s she’s doing (and who she’s doing it with) is a good thing.

Read about another novel on the list.

The Page 69 Test: Fruit of the Dead.

My Book, The Movie: Fruit of the Dead.

--Marshal Zeringue