Must-Reads for Every Slytherin

I’m sure I’m not the only person out there who categorises allocates characters from certain books their Hogwarts House. That’s not weird, right? Like Starr from The Hate U Give is clearly Gryffindor, whereas Holland from A Darker Shade of Magic is the epitome of your typical Slytherin. But I also like to categorise books themselves to Hogwarts Houses, depending on their major themes and just my general feeling about the narrative — how it sits with me. I like to think of myself as the Sorting Hat in these instances.

Today, I’d like to share some of my favourite Slytherin reads with all of you! While I first thought I was Gryffindor, and then my visions aligned with Ravenclaw, and now I’m sufficiently evil enough to be placed in Slytherin by Pottermore — find out more about my Hogwarts House journey here — I want to share some of my favourite novels that I’ve sorted into Slytherin. Whether they be dark, filled with characters who are ruthlessly ambitious, or blatantly worship a reincarnation of the devil, these are all books that I think show a bit of Slytherin pride!

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Ah, Vicious. How could I not begin this post by recommending this brilliant, evil masterpiece? If you love morally grey characters, this is a book you need in your life. Both of the main characters are the villains in each other’s story, and they both commit questionable acts that will make you wonder if you actually like either of them. But they’re united by their ruthless ambitious and cunning plans, and I just think they could do great and terrible things in Slytherin, no doubt about that.

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

This is a novel that I read years ago now, but it’s one that I still can’t get out of my head. It’s one of the best mystery novels that I’ve ever read, and it has a unreliable narrator and a questionable protagonist that will make you question everything. It’s also quite a dark book, and the protagonist undeniably shows her Slytherin colours at times. It’s simply delightful. You know, as delightful as murder and death is.

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a contemporary novel with feminist elements, but it was so much more Slytherin than that. After Alex’s older sister was murdered and the killer walked free, she decided to take revenge. She’s an anti-hero and morally grey, but I really admired her determination to set things right. With death, of course. There’s nothing more Slytherin than that.

My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier

What could be better than a murderous younger sister? My Sister Rosa is the kind of book that will have you on the edge of your seat, hoping that this somewhat psychopathic 10 year-old isn’t going to cause the destruction of the world. Because of her, this whole book is classed as Slytherin in my mind, and once you read it, you’ll know what I mean. It’s dark, and it’s delicious.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

A common misconception about Slytherins is that we’re all evil because we’re ruthlessly ambitious and won’t let anyone or anything stand in our way of what we want, but most of us are just adorable munchkins at heart. That’s Juliette. She can kill people just by touching them, which is a trait I honestly wouldn’t mind at times, so she’s very Slytherin in that aspect. Although she gravitates towards being more Gryffindor at times, she’s stuck in Slytherin House because of her murderous talent. I wouldn’t complain if I were her.

Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

I didn’t think I’d enjoy a book about ballet until I read this one. Each character is cunning and ruthless and willing to do whatever it took to be the lead dancer and reach the top of the popularity ladder, and they’re undeniably Slytherin traits. I loved following the lives of these competitive dancers and being immersed in the somewhat shocking reality of what it’s really like to be a professional dancer in some places.

And I Darken by Kiersten White

What could be more of a Slytherin read than a gender-swapped novel about Vlad the Impaler? This is my favourite kind of historical fiction — the kind with swords and stabbing and ruthless characters. They were all precious murdering darlings and I just wanted to hug my fellow Slytherins. If you like your historical fiction smeared with blood, this one is for you.

Have you read any of the books I’ve mentioned? What Hogwarts House are you in? What are some of your favourite books that you’ve classified as Slytherin? Let’s take over the world together!

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Slytherin crest sourced from this amazingly talented artist on DeviantArt.

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