Contemporary – Page 116 – Trigger Warning Database

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday, and her husband Adam is throwing her the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding they never had. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But Livia is secretly glad Marnie won’t be there.

Livia has recently uncovered a secret about their daughter which, if revealed, will shake the foundation of their family to its core. She needs to tell Adam, but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Adult-minor relationship
Miscarriage
Death of a child

The Therapist by B.A. Paris

The Therapist by B.A. Paris

When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive…

As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Infidelity
Murder
Stalking
Car accident

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Finn and Layla: young and in love, their whole lives ahead of them. Driving back from a holiday in France one night, Finn pulls into a service station, leaving Layla alone in the car. When he returns, minutes later, Layla has vanished, never to be seen again. That’s the story Finn tells the police. It’s the truth – but not the whole truth.

Twelve years later, Finn has built a new life with Ellen, Layla’s sister, when he receives a phone call. Someone has seen Layla. But is it her – or someone… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Domestic abuse
Child abuse
Alcoholism
Murder

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Domestic abuse
Murder
Torture
Kidnapping
Animal death
Animal cruelty

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments – even the physical violence – she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Islamomisia (theme)
Racism
Hate crimes
Terrorism
Child neglect
Physical assault
Strangulation recounted
Animal dissection for science class mentioned
Bullying (theme)

Slay by Brittney Morris

Slay by Brittney Morris

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is a college student and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. By night, she joins hundreds of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide in the secret online role-playing card game, SLAY.

No one knows Kiera is the game developer – not even her boyfriend, Malcolm. But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, the media labels it an exclusionist, racist hub for thugs… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism & racial slurs
Misogyny
Murder
Gun violence
Cyberharassment

Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Ben has spent his first year of college working on his fantasy manuscript with his writing partner Mario, who is a great Spanish tutor, and an even better kisser. So why can’t he stop thinking about the fact that Arthur’s back in town two years after they called it quits? Arthur is in New York for a dream internship on Broadway, with a boyfriend back at home that he couldn’t be happier with. But when he comes upon Ben cuddled with a mystery boy, he starts to wonder if his feelings for Ben ever truly went away. Even as the boys try to focus on their futures, they can’t seem to help run… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

Homophobia & outing
Sexual harassment
Cheating recounted
Alcohol consumption

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Everything is going right for Lucy Hansson, until her mom’s cancer reappears. Just like that, Lucy breaks with all the constants in her life: her do-good boyfriend, her steady faith, even her longtime summer church camp job.

Instead, Lucy lands at a camp for kids who have been through tough times. As a counsellor, Lucy is in over her head and longs to be with her parents across the lake. But that’s before she gets to know her coworkers, who are as loving and unafraid as she so desperately… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Transmisia
Anxiety
Substance addiction mentioned
Parent with cancer

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Grief & loss depiction
Death of a grandparent
Death of a boyfriend from drowning recounted

The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord

The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord

It’s senior year, and Paige Hancock is finally living her best life. She has a fun summer job, great friends, and a super charming boyfriend who totally gets her. But senior year also means big decisions. Weighing “the rest of her life,” Paige feels her anxiety begin to pervade every decision she makes. Everything is exactly how she always wanted it to be–how can she leave it all behind next year? In her head, she knows there is so much more to experience after high school. But in her heart, is it so terrible to want everything to stay the same forever?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Anxiety & panic attacks
Alcohol consumption
Emesis
Car accident