Books like My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
"My Friend Dahmer" is a graphic memoir by Derf Backderf that revisits his friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer during their high‑school years in the 1970s. It presents Dahmer as a shy, occasionally alcoholic boy struggling with unsettling urges and feeling out of place among classmates. The work provides a nuanced, humanized perspective on the young man who later became a notorious serial killer.
First publish date: 2012
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels/Graphic Memoir
Authors: Derf Backderf
★
★
★
★
★
3.7 (13 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to My Friend Dahmer (20 similar books)
Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel follows middle‑school theater enthusiast Callie as she designs a blue‑grass‑tired set for a school play, grappling with teamwork, budgets, and the drama of friendship and family.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
El Deafo is a graphic novel by Cece Bell that follows a young girl who loses her hearing, learns to navigate the world with a hearing aid, and finds new friendships through humor and creativity.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A 1980 digital scan of Thomas Pynchon's 9th printing edition of *Gravity's Rainbow*.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A graphic novel about Dodola and Zam, childhood refugees and slaves, whose bond deepens amid distant deserts and modern chaos, revealing a timeless story of love, faith, and the power of narrative.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Stephen King’s ‘Nightmares & Dreamscapes’ is a gripping anthology of new and previously published short stories that straddle horror, suspense, and dark humor, weaving tales of vampires, zombies, crime, and the macabre, all set against the backdrop of King’s famed Castle Rock.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Seventh‑grader Jordan Banks dreams of art school, but his parents send him to a top private school where he is one of the few kids of color. Struggling between two worlds, he must keep friends back home while navigating a new culture and staying true to himself.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When Grandma Mimi has a stroke, Claudia must take over babysitting duties, which strains her already tense relationship with her sister and threatens her place in the Babysitters Club.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Alison Bechdel revisits her childhood in this graphic memoir, uncovering the layered relationship with her mother—an avid reader, music lover, and concealed gay artist—while exploring psychoanalysis, literary heritage, and the quest for understanding.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When Stars Are Scattered is an autobiographical graphic novel that follows Omar Mohamed and his nonverbal brother Hassan living in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp, exploring their bond, daily hardships, and Omar’s school journey.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A comprehensive eight-volume collection that compiles key X‑Men story arcs, from "Alpha" to "X-Man," featuring iconic characters, alternate‑universe battles, and behind‑the‑scenes excerpts from Apocalypse.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Monstress follows teenage survivor Maika Halfwolf in an art‑deco, steampunk world torn by war between humans and Arcanics, as she hunts answers to her past while the monster within awakens.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A true‑story examination of a Laotian immigrant child’s illness and the clash between Hmong cultural beliefs and Western medical practice.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Amelia embarks on a journey to find her Aunt Tanner, her former cheerleader teammates, and the boy she once thought of as a friend, all while dodging ex-boyfriend's tell-all book and navigating the complex dynamics of their family's past and present. A lighthearted and humorous adventure story for young readers, perfect for fans of 'The Fault in Our Stars' and 'Wonder'.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A graphic memoir that captures the death of Nina Bunjevac’s father and traces the impact of fascist and communist Yugoslavia on her family and homeland.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A 1944 Brooklyn boy is taken by the nightmarish Boogeyman into a dark realm while World War II rages on Europe’s beaches.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A candid, graphic‑novel‑style memoir that follows Ariel Schrag through her junior year of high school, exploring the humor, heartbreak, and awkward discoveries of teen life, including friendships, romance, and the comic‑book lens she uses to see it all.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A graphic novel portraying the rise of Fidel Castro through the eyes of German journalist Karl Mertens, blending historical events and personal interactions with the revolutionary leader.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
Christa K.2: A Graphic Memoir by Christa K.The Bad Boy's Guide to Deception by Susan McBride
Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur
A Child Called 'It' by Dave Pelzer
I Am Not a Monster: A Memoir of a First Generation American by Barbara K. Holzberg
Killing Rage: Documenting American Mass Crime by Gerry Gable
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!