The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

1943: Tucked away in the idyllic hills south of Florence, the Rosatis, an Italian family of noble lineage, believe that the walls of their ancient villa will keep them safe from the war raging across Europe. Eighteen-year-old Cristina spends her days swimming in the pool, playing with her young niece and nephew, and wandering aimlessly amid the estate’s gardens and olive groves. But when two soldiers, a German and an Italian, arrive at the villa asking to see an ancient Etruscan burial site, the Rosatis’ bucolic tranquillity is shattered. A young German lieutenant begins to court Cristina, the Nazis descend upon the estate demanding… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Antisemitism & Nazism
  • Murder of a sister-in-law
  • World War Two

The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider

The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider

Welcome to the great kingdom of Camelot. Prince Arthur’s a depressed botanist who would rather marry a library than a princess, Lancelot’s been demoted to castle guard after a terrible misunderstanding, and nothing is going according to plan. Then Arthur accidentally pulls the sword from the stone (in his defence, he was drunk and mostly kidding), and now everyone’s convinced he’s some prophesied hero. Emry Merlin is stuck in her small town. Her father, the legendary court wizard, disappeared years ago, and Emry’s been peddling theatre tricks to… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Misogyny
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood depiction

Confessions by Kanae Minato

Confessions by Kanae Minato

After calling off her engagement in wake of a tragic revelation, Yuko Moriguchi had nothing to live for except her only child, four-year-old Manami. Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation. But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a maniacal plot for revenge.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Misogyny
  • Parental neglect & abandonment
  • Transphobia mentioned & misgendering
  • Depression
  • HIV/AIDs (theme)*
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a father in a car accident mentioned
  • Death of a mother from illness mentioned
  • Murder of a daughter from drowning
  • Attempted murder of a child from electrocution
  • Murder of a teen girl from strangulation
  • Mass death of a family from poisoning discussed (mother, father & child)
  • Explosion, off-page
  • Animal death & cruelty mentioned

*Context: A teacher purposefully infects the two teenage boys who murdered her daughter with HIV/AIDs. The aftereffects of being infected are explored in depth. Mentions of HIV+ stigma and how the teacher’s ex-husband is dying of HIV/AIDs.

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths. One choice threatens a lifelong friendship. Siblings save each other. Rescue and second chances are possible, and so is revenge. On the surface, it seems that nothing ever happens in these towns. But Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock shows that underneath that surface, teenagers’ lives blaze with fury, with secrets, and with love so strong it burns a path to the future.

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Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & queerphobia
  • Sexual assault
  • Pedophilia & child sexual abuse
  • Cheating
  • Alcoholism
  • Drug use
  • Murder
  • Kidnapping
  • Car accident
  • Wildfire

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother’s death, she’s accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can’t stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who’s disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. When he resurfaces half a globe away, Isma’s worst fears are confirmed. Then Eamonn enters the sisters’ lives. Son of a powerful political figure, he has his own birthright to live up to—or defy… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Misogyny
  • Islamomisia
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a parent recounted
  • Death of a sibling
  • Suicide bombing
  • Beheading
  • Drive-by shooting
  • Terrorism
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Theory of Bastards by Audrey Schulman

Theory of Bastards by Audrey Schulman

Francine decided to share her MacArthur award with the Foundation so that she could study a group of remarkable animals, gentle and intelligent – the perfect creatures to certify her astonishing theory of reproduction, a revolutionary concept that has already changed genetic testing and unmasked public figures and past presidents. As Francine learns more about her fascinating subjects, we slowly discover that she has access to the most advanced technology: “bodyware,” the lifelike devices that have replaced cellphones, computers, watches, television—most ever… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Cheating
  • Chronic illness
  • Death of a child
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Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on tales about the might and benevolence of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Misogyny & sexism
  • Classism
  • Domestic abuse
  • Pregnancy & childbirth
  • Infertility
  • Murder
  • Fire
  • Animal death
  • War themes & battle scenes
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Killer Content by Kiley Roache

Killer Content by Kiley Roache

The six teenagers who make up the Hype House seem to have it all. A beachfront Malibu mansion, millions of TikTok followers, model good looks, and sponsorship deals up to $30,000 per post. Everything’s pretty much a Gen-Z paradise. Except that one member of the house has just turned up dead in the infinity pool. And the rest of them are suspects. When the group’s TikTok account starts posting cryptic messages about the murder, the police limit their investigation to the members of the house. Now old joke videos are filed as evidence and past rivalries start to look like motives. As investigators dig into these influencers’ lives beyond their glossy internet personalities, they discover all… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Suicide
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Death of a friend
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
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The Hitman by Katrina Jackson

The Hitman by Katrina Jackson

What would you do if you found out that your fiancé cheated on you the night before your wedding with a reality tv exotic dancer? What if you found out that they’d had a threesome with your best friend, who was also your maid of honour? What if you discovered all of this on the morning of your wedding with a camera for your own reality tv show pointing at your face? Let me tell you what I do. I punch her. I punch him. And then I run away to Italy on what should have been my honeymoon alone, with my ex’s stolen credit cards. I just want to drink all the wine and cry myself to sleep at night, but I can’t even do that in peace… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Cheating recounted
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Gun violence
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Amulet Keepers by Michael Northrop

Amulet Keepers by Michael Northrop

When Alex’s mother uses the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead to bring him back from the brink of death, she inadvertently summons a slew of other spirits from the underworld. In Book 2, Alex and his best friend Ren head to London, where people are going missing, treasures are disappearing, and a blood rain is pouring from the skies. Can they stop a powerful Death Walker from destroying the city?

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Kidnapping
  • Knife violence
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