Childhood trauma. Is it a character builder? A psychic wound? A personality quirk-maker? While no one (except maybe your therapist) can fully answer these questions, I do know this: I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the horrifying books I read as a child. While modern day children’s fantasy tends to pull its punches, the authors of yesteryear were fully prepared to dropkick children right in their little hearts. These are the 10 most traumatizing children’s fantasy books of all time, written by people who need therapy, for people who need therapy.
