Contemporary – Page 96 – Trigger Warning Database

Chemistry by Weike Wang

Chemistry by Weike Wang

At first glance, the quirky, overworked narrator of this novel seems to be on the cusp of a perfect life: she is studying for a prestigious PhD in chemistry that will make her Chinese parents proud (or at least satisfied), and her successful, supportive boyfriend has just proposed to her. But instead of feeling hopeful, she is wracked with ambivalence. The long demanding hours at the lab have created an exquisite pressure cooker, and she doesn’t know how to answer the marriage question. When it all becomes too much and her life plan veers off course, she finds herself on a new path of discoveries about everything she thought she knew.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Child abuse
Cheating

A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

One summer day, Ren meets Luna at a beachside basketball court and a friendship is born. But when Luna moves to back to Oahu, Ren’s messages to her friend go unanswered. Years go by. Then Luna returns, hoping to rekindle their friendship. Ren is hesitant. She’s dealing with a lot, including family troubles, dropping grades, and the newly formed women’s basketball team at their high school. With Ren’s new friends and Luna all on the basketball team, the lines between their lives on and off the court… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Fatmisia & body shaming
Teacher-student relationship
Threats of sexual assault
Self-harm
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use (smoking)
Cancer mentioned
Death of a parent

This Winter by Alice Oseman

This Winter by Alice Oseman

The festive season isn’t always happy for Tori Spring and her brother Charlie. And this year’s going to be harder than most. I used to think that difficult was better than boring, but I know better now… I’m not going to think about the past few months, about Charlie and me, and all of the sad. I’m going to block it all out Just for today.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism & internalised ableism
Bimisa
Suicidal ideation
Attempted suicide recounted
Eating disorder (anorexia)
Disordered food thoughts & restrictive eating
Psychiatric hospitalisation discussed

Trust Fund Fiancé

Trust Fund Fiancé by Naima Simone

His friend needs a fiancé to claim a fortune but they both know it’s about more than money… Ezekiel Holloway’s proposition could save his friend Reagan Sinclair’s inheritance and give her the freedom she craves. But when family scandals force Ezekiel to end their fake engagement, the heiress comes up with a counterproposal—and they elope to Vegas after all! Is there something more than mere convenience at stake here?

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Miscarriage
Death of a fiancé

Meet Me at the Intersection by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina

Meet Me at the Intersection edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina

Contributions from Mimi Lee, Jordi Kerr, Rafeif Ismail, Amra Pajalic, Graham Akhurst, Omar Sakr, Olivia Muscast, Ellen Van Neerven, Ezekiel Kwaymullina, Jessice Walton, Kelly Gardiner, Wendy Chen, Michelle Aung Thin, Melaine Rodriga, Yvette Walker, Kyle Lynch, and Alice Pung.

Meet Me at the Intersection is an anthology of short fiction, memoir and poetry by authors who are First Nations, People of Colour, LGBTIQA+ or living with disability. The focus of the anthology is on Australian life as seen through each author’s unique, and seldom heard, perspective.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Homomisia
Death of a grandparent
Death of a parent recounted
Bullying

Most Ardently by Susan Mesler-Evans

Most Ardently by Susan Mesler-Evans

Elisa Benitez is proud of who she is, from her bitingly sarcastic remarks to her love of both pretty boys and pretty girls. If someone doesn’t like her, that’s their problem, and Elisa couldn’t care less. Particularly if that person is Darcy Fitzgerald, a snobby, socially awkward heiress with an attitude problem and more money than she knows what to do with. From the moment they meet, Elisa and Darcy are at each other’s throats — which is a bit unfortunate, since Darcy’s best friend is dating Elisa’s sister. It quickly becomes… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Statutory rape recounted
Domestic abuse mentioned
Alcohol consumption
Death of parents in a car accident mentioned

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions–the topic of India is permanently closed. For Pri, her mother’s homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Sexism
Hospital
Bullying

Hero-Type by Barry Lyga

Hero-Type by Barry Lyga

Everyone is treating Kevin as a hero. He was in the right place and the right time and he saved a girl from being murdered. Only Kevin knows though, why he was able to save her. Things get even more complicated when Kevin is seen removing two patriotic “Support the Troops” ribbons from his car bumper. Now the town that lauded him as a hero turns on him, calling him unpatriotic. Kevin, who hadn’t thought much about patriotism up to then, becomes politically engaged, suddenly questioning what exactly suppo… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Stalking

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

When Brontë starts dating Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins – the guy voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” her twin brother, Tennyson, isn’t surprised. But then strange things begin to occur. Tennyson and Brontë’s scrapes heal unnaturally fast, and cuts disappear before their eyes. What at first seems like their good fortune turns out to be more than they bargained for…much more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Child abuse

Flamingo by Rachel Elliott

Flamingo by Rachel Elliott

In the garden, there were three flamingos. Not real flamingos, but real emblems, real gateways to a time when life was impossibly good. They were mascots, symbols of hope. Something for a boy to confide in. First, there were the flamingos. And then there were two families. Sherry and Leslie and their daughters, Rae and Pauline – and Eve and her son Daniel. Sherry loves her husband, Leslie. She also loves Eve. It couldn’t have been a happier summer. But then Eve left and everything went grey. Now Daniel is all grown-up and broken. And when he turns up at Sherry’s… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Suicidal ideation