YANBU to not understand why anyone would want to read them, although I can understand why some people feel the need to write them.
I have a book on my shelves called When A Baby Dies. I bought it following my son's stillbirth and my premature daughters death. It is mostly filled with stories from other parents who have lost children, in their own words, and at various stages of life following their loss. It has helped me, and I am glad that these people were brave enough to tell their stories. I think it should be compulsive reading for anyone training to become a midwife etc too.
It's not the sort of book you would find on sale in the supermarket, complete with a picture of a scared looking blonde child and a title like "please daddy, don't" etc. It's far removed from that sort of book. But it has true stories from real families in it and I would wonder why someone wanted to read it if they or someone close to them hadn't lost a child or if they were not working in an environment that brought them into contact with parents who had lost a child.
I was shopping with my SIL at the weekend and she picked up a copy of A Boy Called It and asked if I had read it. She was quite insistent that I "had" to read it and said "it's a terrible story, but it's really compelling, everyone should read it."
Um. No thanks.
I think that IF these books can make a difference in some way, if they can inspire people to donate to charities like the NSPPC or lobby to have the law changed for abusers then that is a good thing. But I'm sceptical that those are the reasons that most people read them or that those are the reasons they get published in the first place.
And sometimes I wonder if the person writing the book hasn't become a victim of something else entirely.