rachel @ typed truths

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive and she is artist on the brink of an exciting career. They are settling into the routine of their life together, when they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Homomisia
Slut-shaming
Rape & statutory rape
Abortion
Cancer mentioned
Grief & loss depiction
Incarceration

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship–the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Homomisia
Hate crimes
PTSD
Depression
Nightmares
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use
Car accident
Incarceration
Animal death

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Darkness has descended on the Shadowhunter world. Chaos and destruction overwhelm the Nephilim as Clary, Jace, Simon, and their friends band together to fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. Nothing in this world can defeat Sebastian—but if they journey to the realm of demons, they just might have a chance…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism & ableist language
Homomisia & queermisia
Racism
Hate crimes
Attempted rape & sexual assault recounted
Incest
Child abuse & neglect
Parental abandonment
Intimate partner violence recounted
Cheating recounted
Nightmares
Suicide, self-sacrifice & attempted suicide
Suicidal ideation
Self-inflicted injuries
Alcohol consumption
Nonconsensual drugging
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a child
Death of a friend
Death of a brother & sister
Death of a mother & father
Death of a husband & wife
Murder & attempted murder
Knife violence & stabbing
Torture
Kidnapping & captivity
Blackmail
Exile
Drowning
Fire
Whipping recounted
Disappearance of a loved one
War themes including graphic battle scenes

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Okonowo is the greatest warrior alive. His fame has spread like a bushfire in West Africa and he is one of the most powerful men of his clan.

But he also has a fiery temper. Determined not to be like his father, he refuses to show weakness to anyone – even if the only way he can master his feelings is with his fists. When outsiders threaten the traditions of his clan, Okonowo takes violent action. Will the great man’s dangerous pride eventually destroy him?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Racism
Misogyny
Religious persecution
Suicide
Colonialism

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Astrid has been raised by her mother, a beautiful, headstrong poet. Astrid forgives her everything as her world revolves around this beautiful creature until Ingrid murders a former lover and is imprisoned for life. Astrid’s fierce determination to survive and be loved makes her an unforgettable figure.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Graphic child sexual abuse
Domestic abuse
Cheating
Suicide
Alcoholism
Murder
Gun violence
Incarceration

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Slavery & human trafficking
Rape
Child abuse & neglect
Self harm
Blood & gore depiction
Physical injuries
Murder
Torture
Kidnapping
Animal death
War themes & military violence

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

In 1979, Daisy Jones and The Six split up. Together, they had redefined the 70’s music scene, creating an iconic sound that rocked the world. Apart, they baffled a world that had hung on their every verse.

This book is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of the band’s rise to fame and their abrupt and infamous split. The following oral history is a compilation of interviews, emails, transcripts, and lyrics, all pertaining to the personal and professional lives of the members of the band The Six and singer Daisy Jones.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Slut-shaming
Abusive relationship
Cheating
Substance addiction & recovery (theme)
Recreational drug use & abuse
Alcohol consumption & abuse
Overdose mentioned
Pregnancy & childbirth mentioned
Abortion
Emesis
Death from a heart attack
Death of a friend
Vietnam War mentioned

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Beloved by Toni Morrison

In the troubled years following the Civil War, the spirit of a murdered child haunts the Ohio home of a former slave. This angry, destructive ghost breaks mirrors, leaves its fingerprints in cake icing, and generally makes life difficult for Sethe and her family; nevertheless, the woman finds the haunting oddly comforting for the spirit is that of her own dead baby, never named, thought of only as Beloved.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Racial slurs
Slavery
Sexual assault (forced fellatio) & gang rape
Bestiality mentioned
Murder of an infant by a handsaw
Strangulation

Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

It’s not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old – including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire – Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most awesome high school musical. (less)

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Coming out themes
Homophobia & slurs
Fatmisia & body shaming
Bullying

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Aza Holmes never intended to pursue the disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Pickett’s son Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) & intrusive thoughts
Anxiety & panic attacks
Dissociation & derealization
Self-harm
Death of a parent
Car accident
Disappearance of a parent