Why I Love...Tear Jerkers
I am not, by nature, an emotional person. I don't cry when I get upset. I don't cry when I get hurt. Honestly, I don't cry...at least it's a rare occasion if I do. In fact, several friends have described me as having a heart of stone because I never cry (jokingly, of course). However, there are a few things that get me every time: Selena, The Notebook (film version), The Family Stone and some other films. But for the most part, I'm a stone wall. Now that all changes when it comes to certain books. There are a few books that I will cherish forever despite the fact that they make me cry. For that reason, they belong in the Why I Love...Tear Jerkers category.
First, and foremost: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
This was the only installation in the boy wizard series where I cried. It's not that I wasn't upset about things that occurred in the previous books (Cedric's death, Sirius' death, Dumbledore's death, etc.), but this last book was so much more powerful. I remember getting the book the day it came out and staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. It was about 3 in the morning when the first bout of tears started streaming down my face. Queue the entrance (or exit) of Snape. I'd always loved him and had been pulling for him throughout the entire series. His recollection of events with Lilly really affected me and I couldn't help crying for his loss and the loss of Snape in general. But the most overwhelmingly sad part in the entire book, for me, was when Harry was walking through the Forbidden Forest to meet Voldemort, carrying the Resurrection Stone. Having the people he loved the most (his parents, Sirius, Lupin) with him during that terrifying time, and then throwing the stone, was too much for me. I literally sobbed like a three year old throwing a tantrum. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was desperately needed.
Second: The Book Thief
I cannot recommend this book to enough people. I first read the story of Liesel and her harrowing time during WWII when I was living in Austria (fitting). Of course I knew that this story would be a sad one; hello, it's set in Nazi Germany during the war and narrated by death. But little did I realize just how this story would squeeze my heart. It wasn't the overpowering notions of death and dying. It wasn't the fact that Liesel had lost her brother and her mother. It was Rudy Steiner and his encompassing love for Liesel that did me in. He maintained that love for Liesel until his dying breath, and it wasn't until that happened that Liesel finally realized just how much Rudy meant to her. That's when she finally bestowed upon him the kiss that he had constantly been begging for. TEARS!
Lastly: The Hunger Games trilogy
Now I'm not saying that all three books made me cry, but the bookends of the series did. In the first book, The Hunger Games, it was when little, tiny Rue met her untimely and unjustified end. I loved her character and was incredibly upset when she was killed off (though I knew it would happen). The ritual that Katniss went through to pay proper respect to her fallen comrade was so heartbreaking and tender. I couldn't help but cry. The song, the flowers, the signal to District 11...then Thresh's actions at the "banquet"...too much to contain! Then came book three, Mockingjay. While there were several deaths along the way, the two big ones that happened in this book hit me especially hard. I really, really liked Finnick and was so incredibly upset, and proud, when he sacrificed himself to save the others in the tunnels under the Capitol. Yay...but NO!!! And then there came the events that unfolded in the town square. Never have I been so upset over a single character's death (though I understand the point of such a senseless sacrifice for the story). I bawled when this happened.
And there you have it. The few books that make me cry on a continuous basis. Though it's few and far between, despite the fact that these book cause me to become an emotional wreck, I will love them unto eternity. Happy Reading (and crying)!
First, and foremost: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
This was the only installation in the boy wizard series where I cried. It's not that I wasn't upset about things that occurred in the previous books (Cedric's death, Sirius' death, Dumbledore's death, etc.), but this last book was so much more powerful. I remember getting the book the day it came out and staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. It was about 3 in the morning when the first bout of tears started streaming down my face. Queue the entrance (or exit) of Snape. I'd always loved him and had been pulling for him throughout the entire series. His recollection of events with Lilly really affected me and I couldn't help crying for his loss and the loss of Snape in general. But the most overwhelmingly sad part in the entire book, for me, was when Harry was walking through the Forbidden Forest to meet Voldemort, carrying the Resurrection Stone. Having the people he loved the most (his parents, Sirius, Lupin) with him during that terrifying time, and then throwing the stone, was too much for me. I literally sobbed like a three year old throwing a tantrum. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was desperately needed.
I cannot recommend this book to enough people. I first read the story of Liesel and her harrowing time during WWII when I was living in Austria (fitting). Of course I knew that this story would be a sad one; hello, it's set in Nazi Germany during the war and narrated by death. But little did I realize just how this story would squeeze my heart. It wasn't the overpowering notions of death and dying. It wasn't the fact that Liesel had lost her brother and her mother. It was Rudy Steiner and his encompassing love for Liesel that did me in. He maintained that love for Liesel until his dying breath, and it wasn't until that happened that Liesel finally realized just how much Rudy meant to her. That's when she finally bestowed upon him the kiss that he had constantly been begging for. TEARS!
Now I'm not saying that all three books made me cry, but the bookends of the series did. In the first book, The Hunger Games, it was when little, tiny Rue met her untimely and unjustified end. I loved her character and was incredibly upset when she was killed off (though I knew it would happen). The ritual that Katniss went through to pay proper respect to her fallen comrade was so heartbreaking and tender. I couldn't help but cry. The song, the flowers, the signal to District 11...then Thresh's actions at the "banquet"...too much to contain! Then came book three, Mockingjay. While there were several deaths along the way, the two big ones that happened in this book hit me especially hard. I really, really liked Finnick and was so incredibly upset, and proud, when he sacrificed himself to save the others in the tunnels under the Capitol. Yay...but NO!!! And then there came the events that unfolded in the town square. Never have I been so upset over a single character's death (though I understand the point of such a senseless sacrifice for the story). I bawled when this happened.
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