If You’re Obsessed with “Unethical” by Faouzia, You Need These Books & Shows

A list of books, shows, and one very trending song, for anyone who can’t stop t0hinking about tortured, morally grey love. Light spoiler warning ahead — I tried to keep it minimal

If you’re searching for books like “Unethical” by Faouzia, you’re in exactly the right place.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I am fully, embarrassingly obsessed with Faouzia’s “Unethical.” If you’ve been anywhere near TikTok lately, you already know that one — that gut-punch chorus that just asks you: isn’t this a little painful?

I’ve had it on repeat for days, and it sent me down a rabbit hole of one question: which books and shows actually capture that exact feeling? What should I read or watch to make me feel that way — that tortured, aching, “I know this is bad for me and I’m doing it anyway” kind of love? The part where you’re deeply in love with someone, but loving them means letting them go?

Quick List: Books Like “Unethical” by Faouzia

1. It Ends with Us — Colleen Hoover
2. The Cruel Prince — Holly Black
3. Onyx Storm — Rebecca Yarros
4. Shadowhunters (The Mortal Instruments) — Cassandra Clare
5. Shatter Me — Tahereh Mafi

1. It Ends with Us — Colleen Hoover

I don’t think I even need to explain this one. The final line says it all: “It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.” There’s still love there, somewhere — but real peace and safety mean walking away instead of staying in something toxic. I

f you want a story that will absolutely wreck you but somehow still leave room for hope, this is the one.

2. The Cruel Prince — Holly Black

Honestly, it’s not just this book — the entire Folk of the Air series runs on this exact ache the whole way through.

It’s a classic fantasy trope done well, and even if it’s not the “best” book I’ve ever read, it’s endlessly compelling. The song genuinely brings me back to one specific scene — the one where Cardan holds Jude under the water. If you know, you know.

3. Onyx Storm — Rebecca Yarros

Possibly one of the most talked-about fantasy series of the moment, and for good reason — yes, Onyx Storm earns its spot on this list. I won’t get into specifics. If you know, you know.

But if you haven’t started the series yet, consider this your sign. Dragons, enemies-to-lovers, impossible choices, devastating plot twists, and a romance that somehow manages to make you equally excited and emotionally unwell.

It’s basically the perfect combination of “this is probably a terrible idea” and “I need to know what happens next.”

And honestly? Isn’t that exactly what we’re here for?

4. Shadowhunters (The Mortal Instruments) — Cassandra Clare

This one might not be about the books specifically, though they carry the same energy. For me, it’s really about the TV show — one of my all-time favorites, and the finale genuinely broke my heart into pieces.

Yes, I know the show isn’t a perfect match for the books. Doesn’t matter. I’m firmly on Team Show Over Movie for this one.

What makes it fit the “Unethical” feeling isn’t necessarily the entire romance, but that particular kind of love where wanting someone doesn’t automatically mean you’re supposed to keep them.

And the ending captures that beautifully: sometimes, if you truly love someone, loving them means letting go.

5. Shatter Me — Tahereh Mafi

If there’s one character who embodies “I can’t tell if you’re good or bad and I’ve stopped caring,” it’s Warner.

The whole series lives on that tension — Juliette (and honestly, us as readers) constantly wondering whether to trust him, even while knowing better. There’s a moment later in the series where, no matter how many times the story resets around him, Warner ends up falling for the same girl all over again — every single time.

That’s the whole feeling of the song, distilled into one relationship. If you love dystopia mixed with a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc, start here.