Looking for an unforgettable collection of books similar to The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger, I’ve spent over a decade analyzing and recommending the most impactful books that explore difficult and sensitive topics like sexual assault and justice.
Top Three Recommendations
Historical, Generational Shame: Purge by Sofi Oksanen - a stunning novel about two women in Estonia in 1941 and the way their lives are bound through silence, shame, and betrayal.
Historical Drama: The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse - a historical mystery where a teenage girl helps to find a missing Jewish girl.
Friendship, Justice, Healing: The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess - a powerful and unflinching novel about friendship, trauma, and healing as two best friends hide dangerous secrets—one about sexual assault and self-harm, and the other unknowingly walking into the predator’s trap.
You’ll find detailed reviews of these and ten other favorites in the roundup below. In all of these novels, you will find deep female friendships and characters in intense situations. I’m confident that you’ll love these books if you liked The Frozen River!
Purge by Sofi Oksanen
why you’ll love it - Dark secrets, generational pain
"The only thing left alive was the shame." ― Sofi Oksanen from Purge
I picked up Purge to add to my list of YA books about human trafficking, but this novel is pure literature, a stunning international masterpiece that spans decades of history, generations of pain, and dark twisted family secrets.
Set in Estonia and bouncing between 1941 and 1992, two protagonists tell their tales in a long and dizzying narrative that weaves between present terror and past horror. These women are bound to each other in multiple ways. Their mutual distrust them unreliable narrators, so that only the reader really only has the full picture, and sometimes even that picture is murky.
As I think back on each of these women's experiences, I see so many parallels in what happened to each, even though the details are very different on the surface. For example, both are raped. Both are silenced. Both are shamed. One is betrayed. One is a betrayer.
This is the kind of epic novel that I can think about for a long time and even read again. I missed things and know that I would see even more in a second reading because the book is so sweeping and full of such meaningful symbolism and detail.
If you liked The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, you will devour Purge. Add it to your TBR pile today!
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
why you’ll love it - WWII, historical
“I wept because i had no shoes, until i met a man who had no feet.” ― Ruta Sepetys from Salt to the Sea
Going in, I had no idea what this book was about, except that lots of people were reading it and it won awards. For sure, I had no prior knowledge of the historical event at its heart.
The multiple viewpoints and short scenes took a while to hook me. I didn’t like Alfred from the beginning, but the stories of the others pulled me in, the secondary characters as well as the main ones. All of them had compelling secrets. I wanted everyone in the group to escape, to be the handful of refugees to survive that horrific war.
Graphic details created a vivid backdrop. I could see the horses entombed in the ice with the people. I could see the starving cow, its udders burst in the cold. The dead and dying. War.
If The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon left you breathless, you will love Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.
The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess
why you’ll love it - friendship, justice, Healing
“My first time was supposed to be different. It wasn’t supposed to happen in darkness, dirt, and violence. It wasn’t supposed to be a two-man job.” ― Khristina Chess from The Cutting Edge of Friendship
Absolutely gripping! For readers drawn to the assault, justice, and healing aspects of The Frozen River, The Cutting Edge of Friendship is for you. This realistic novel explores the wounds of self-harm, shame, and redemption following a sexual assault. Sadie’s resilience is fierce and unforgettable, and the book’s raw, unfiltered pain hits hard. This story doesn’t shy away from the truth—it reveals, with painful honesty, how self-harm can become a desperate response to trauma.
From the very first page, it’s clear that although Sadie and Elana have always shared everything, now they’re keeping secrets that could destroy them. On the night of the fireworks, something terrible happened to Sadie—something she can’t even name. Instead, she turns to cutting, the only way she knows to cope.
But Elana has secrets too. She’s been texting Hunter, making plans to meet in secret, and never questioning why he insists on hiding their relationship.
As their lives spiral deeper into danger, Sadie must find the strength to fight back—not just for herself, but for Elana—before a predator can strike again.
I wholeheartedly recommend this poignant YA book about rape and sexual assault. For fans of The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, it’s definitely worth a look!
The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
why you’ll love it - historical drama
“When things come to an end in a way you didn't expect, in a way you never could have imagined, do they really come to an end? Does it mean you should keep searching, for better answers, for ones that don't keep you up at night? Or does it mean it's time to make peace?” ― Monica Hesse from The Girl in the Blue Coat
The Girl in the Blue Coat hooked me from the very beginning. It's a historical mystery, set in Amsterdam during WWII, and the protagonist is a teenage girl who trades black market goods to support her family. One of her clients asks her to help find a missing Jewish girl. Hanneke is good at finding things, but this isn't her kind of thing.
Still, she is drawn into the mystery and can't help herself from searching. As the pages unfold, we learn about Hanneke's lost love, meet new friends, and see her grow as a person.
Sometimes, young Hanneke seems bratty, singularly focused, and unfeeling, but at the same time, her instincts have helped her stay alive this far. Fans of The Frozen River will enjoy this one.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
why you’ll love it - historical, haunting
“I am haunted by humans.” ― Markus Zusak from The Book Thief
No list of historical literature would be complete without including The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. How could you have missed this one? It has been at the top of the best seller lists for years—and with good reason!
In this novel set in Nazi Germany, we meet a young foster girl named Liesel. She’s an orphan. She loves books. She and her foster parents are sheltering a Jewish man in their basement. He also likes to read.
The writing is lovely. Zusak paints Liesel’s world of poverty, anxiety, fear, and grief in shades of stark contrasts. He is both a poet and a novelist.
What a wonderful, heartbreaking, haunting, and gripping story! It makes you really ask deep questions. It’s so beautiful. It’s transformational. It’s the reason why I love books.
If you liked The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and you’re looking for more historical fiction, you won’t be able to put down this award-winner.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
why you’ll love it - strong female in historical context
“Because while stupid people may not know they’re stupid because they’re stupid, surely unattractive people must know they’re unattractive because of mirrors.” ― Bonnie Garmus from Lessons in Chemistry
Lessons in Chemistry is one of the best books I've read in a while. It made me laugh out loud on many occasions. Elizabeth Zott has a direct and no nonsense practicality about her that is so lovable. Her dog, six thirty, makes a delightful sidekick. That she teaches him almost 1,000 words (and the author gives him a point of view) is beyond wonderful.
Elizabeth's struggles for equality in a male-dominated world were poignant and emotional. She demonstrated great restraint and composure when it wasn't deserved. I felt grateful to women of her generation for the opportunities I enjoy today in the technology workplace.
If you loved Martha’s character in The Frozen River, you will find Elizabeth Zott irresistible! Lessons in Chemistry is an inspiring, page-turning, and important historical book about women.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
why you’ll love it - historical, literary
“If there was only one tree like that in the world, you would think it was beautiful. But because there are so many, you just can't see how beautiful it really is.” ― Betty Smith from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I first heard about this book from Oprah Winfrey and picked it up during the book club years. A classic YA novel published in 1943, before YA was really “a thing,” A Tree Grows in Brooklyn tells the story of a poor young girl growing up in Brooklyn, a child of struggling immigrant parents.
This historical YA book about immigration, class, and poverty, and Francie, has remained with me for decades. There’s a reason why this novel has stood the test of time and lands in the category of literary classics. This one makes the list for fans of The Frozen River purely on its historical and literary merits.
We Walked the Sky by Lisa Fiedler
why you’ll love it - friendship, historical
“The show must go on, even when it's not the show you expected to be in.” ― Lisa Felder from We Walked the Sky
Fiedler's multi-generational novel really captured and held my interest. Two parallel stories are running: the grandmother, Victoria, is a 16-year-old who runs away and joins the circus in 1965, and her granddaughter, Callie, is a teen who has followed in her circus footsteps, but now finds herself in a new place.
There are mysteries to unravel and friendships to develop. I loved all the circus lore and animals and characters. Really, it was an enchanting story. I want to read more by this author.
If you enjoyed the women and history of The Frozen River, you won’t want to miss this lovely story.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
why you’ll love it - early American historical
I have read several of Laurie Halse Anderson's books, and I found this one to be ambitious, compelling, and heartfelt. I learned things about slavery during the American revolutionary war that were new since most literature I've consumed has been during the later period of the civil war. The author’s research into the book made it rich and come alive.
If you loved The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon as much as I did, you will want to add this amazing historical YA book about class difference, race, and slavery in early American history to your reading list. In fact, Laurie Halse Anderson is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
why you’ll love it - sexual assault, justice
“Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.” ― Alice Sebold from The Lovely Bones
Susie Salmon is dead.
She was raped and murdered in a most gruesome fashion by a most gruesome man, and now she exists in an afterlife, observing her family and her killer.
The story is a bit disorienting, but I think that’s kind of the point. Most of the novel is about Susie’s struggle to come to terms with the fact that she’s dead and move on. The “why?” questions haunt her. Her family and former life haunts her. The desire for justice and vengeance haunts her.
It’s the disquiet that comes when a young person dies tragically, suddenly, whether or not by foul means. There is a profound unfairness. The soul cries out.
If the poignant portrayal of rape and sexual assault in The Frozen River tugged at your heart, you will find The Lovely Bones to be tragic and unforgettable.
Other Books You’ll Devour If You Liked The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
If you are looking for other books like The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, Goodreads offers a list: Readers Who Enjoyed The Frozen River. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads.
Author Bio
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
