Books Where the Hero Gets a Fresh Start

Ove is not, to say the least, a people person. Widely considered the town curmudgeon, he’s not afraid to let people know how he feels, which is usually unhappy. However, beneath Ove’s rough and unfriendly exterior lies a story of true sorrow, loss, and grief. “A Man Called Ove” explores the comical and heartwarming relationship between a grumpy old man and his new neighbors. While we can’t quite imagine the lovable Tom Hanks as a curmudgeon, he stars in the film adaptation titled “A Man Called Otto.”

There’s nothing quite like “The House in the Cerulean Sea” — wonderfully weird, quietly romantic, and full of magic and queerness. Caseworker Linus Baker is stuck in a rut, forever following orders. He monitors gifted children held in the government’s care, making meticulous reports without ever getting involved. But he gets a chance at a new start when he’s assigned to work at Marsyas Island Orphanage, where the children are particularly monstrous and the caretaker extremely mysterious.

Mika Suzuki’s life is falling to pieces, but when Penny, her birth daughter, reaches out after 16 years apart, Mika pretends to have it all together. The closer Mika and Penny become, the harder it is to maintain her imaginary life. Jean’s novel (a book club pick for both Good Morning America and Marie Claire) is a wonderful blend of heart and humor and second chances while touching on heavier topics like interracial adoption and the weight of family expectations.

After witnessing her teenage son commit a brutal murder, Jen awakens the next morning with another shock: It’s the day before the crime. Each morning thereafter, Jen travels further back in time, giving her a chance to get to the root of her son’s actions (and stop the attack before it happens). A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick in 2022, McAllister’s thrilling mystery explores the repercussions of our choices, offering a fresh twist with each time-hop.

Viv, an orc barbarian, just wants to hang up her sword and open a coffee shop. But getting out of the warrior business isn’t as simple as giving two weeks notice. Can Viv brew up a way to keep her bloody past from crashing her second act? This cozy fantasy — and #BookTok fan favorite — is for anyone dreaming of taking a shot at a fresh start.

Maas’s “A Court of Thorns and Roses” is a wildly addictive book — a romance/paranormal/YA that satisfies every one of those genres. The book introduces Feyre, a young girl who has taken on the responsibility of feeding her family after her father loses everything. Feyre is proud, fierce, loyal, stubborn, and clever — basically everything you want a heroine to be. The series is being adapted for Hulu by Ron Moore (“Outlander,” “Battlestar Galactica”), and its action and amazing world should be a glorious delight on the small screen.

Beah’s powerful, firsthand account of his time as a child soldier will simultaneously break your heart and fill it with hope. Robbed of his childhood innocence, Beah was forced into the army as a child soldier in the midst of the Sierra Leone civil war. After enduring a violent life of unimaginable horrors, he breaks free with the help of UNICEF. However, as he enters a rehabilitation program, he must reconcile his past with the future that will help him reclaim his life.

A cute, queer love story between a gay trans boy and a ghost. Yadriel is determined to prove his gender identity to his Latinx family by exhibiting powers of a brujo rather than a bruja. He means to summon the ghost of his recently deceased cousin. He instead ends up with the spirit of his school’s resident bad boy, Julian Diaz, who refuses to go back to death until he ties up the loose ends of his life.

Angie Thomas’ prequel to “The Hate U Give” follows our favorite character from the original novel: Maverick Carter, Starr’s father. At 17, Maverick hasn’t yet grown into the Big Mav we know and love from “THUG”; on the cusp of adulthood, he’s still navigating his way through the expectations of manhood, his father’s legacy as a gangster, and the trials of young parenthood. This is the origin story we’ve all been waiting for, and in Thomas’ masterful hands, it remains fresh and spellbinding.

“I’ll Give You the Sun” follows the spectacular tale of two once-inseparable siblings torn apart by tragedy. Told in alternating points of view between twins Jude and Noah, Nelson takes readers on an emotional roller coaster that explores the complexities of sexuality, family relationships, death, and addiction.

How would you make the most of your last day on Earth? Part high school mystery, part poignant coming-of-age story, Oliver’s propulsive novel about a teen who is forced to live her last day over and over again will surprise you. It’s a beautiful exploration of how we can be kinder to those around us — one that will make you think twice about the daily choices we all make.

Born into all the privilege afforded a royal child, it’s hard to imagine what could have turned Jorg Ancrath into a hardened leader of a cutthroat gang of criminals. However, as you dive into Jorg’s life and the events that turned him to a life of crime and debauchery, you’ll find yourself rooting for him and his quest for vengeance.

Set 15 years after the finale of “Assassin's Quest,” Fitz Farseer is back. Settled in his self-imposed exile and living under a new identity, Fitz has finally found a life of simplicity and freedom. However, his world comes crashing down when familiar faces from his past come knocking at his door.

This classic Yuletide tale of redemption features the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Yet to Come, and Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge, a miserly gentleman who prefers “bah humbug” over greetings of holiday cheer, despises Christmas and all of the good that comes with it. He’s in for a rude awakening when he experiences a series of spectral visitors and visions of what’s to come if he doesn’t mend his ways.