Top Ten Tuesday: Most Unique Books I've Read

The topic was extremely tough this week, because it had me examine the question of what makes a novel unique? I had to really think about that and I decided that for me, it could be the author's writing style, the narrator, the setting, or something I've never encountered before.  So, with that said, here are my top ten most unique books I have ever read:

1.  The Book Thief Markus Zusak - This book is narrated by Death and takes place in Nazi Germany. Enough said.

2.  The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - This series is unique to me, because I have never come across a series with such a vast and diverse fan base. My little cousin loves this series, my dad loves this series, I love this series, my neighbor loves this series…everyone loves this series.  It reaches such a wide audience and for that in itself is unique.

3.  Animal Farm by George Orwell - Although this isn't my favorite book, one can't deny its uniqueness. It's a satire against Stalin after all, so politics + art = a win.

4.  The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - Cue the teenage angst….I remember when I first read this novel in high school. I thought to myself, "I have never read anything like this before."

5.  Looking for Alaska by John Green - This Printz award winning novel felt so unique to me when I first read it a few months ago. It was meaningful, it was dark, and it was powerful. I loved how the main character was obsessed with famous people's last words and how that sort of framed the story.

6.  The Maze Runner by James Dashner- This was one of the first young adult dystopian novels I read that had me going, "Wait….what?" I was completely blown away by this book and all the twists and turns. It's very hard to put down and is action packed. Ultimately, it got me interested in young adult dystopian literature.  I am looking forward to the movie!

7.  The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe- Granted this isn't a novel, but this is no doubt one of the most unique stories I have ever read. It was my first encounter with an unreliable narrator who is unnamed, which adds to the story's creep factor.

8.  Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse - This Newbery award winning novel is set during Oklahoma's Dust Bowl and is told in the form of free verse poetry. This was the first book I had read that was told in this fashion and I thought it was really powerful and well done.

9.  The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - This book is heart wrenching! I thought it was unique because the point of view is from a girl who has tragically died and is watching her family from Heaven. I have never read a book whose narrator is in Heaven, so that felt really unique to me.

10.  The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway- This is one of my favorite novels, mostly because I am in awe of Hemingway's modern style, which is extremely unique it its own right. Iceberg theory, anyone?

So, which novels are unique to you? What do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments below. This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, so check it out!