Literary Fiction – Page 27 – Trigger Warning Database

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Cheating
Anxiety
Depression
Alcoholism
Attempted suicide
Terrorism

Afterland by Lauren Beukes

Afterland by Lauren Beukes

Twelve-year-old Miles is one of the last boys alive, and his mother, Cole, will protect him at all costs. On the run after a horrific act of violence-and pursued by Cole’s own ruthless sister, Billie — all Cole wants is to raise her kid somewhere he won’t be preyed on as a reproductive resource or a sex object or a stand-in son. Someplace like home.

To get there, Cole and Miles must journey across a changed America in disguise as mother and daughter. From a military base in Seattle… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Cancer

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit, and a talent for finding lost things. But when a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, she’s forced to take on her least favourite kind of job – missing persons.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Rape
Drug use
Child soldiers
Poverty
Refugee experiences

Lie With Me by Philippe Besson

Lie With Me by Philippe Besson

Just outside a hotel in Bordeaux, Philippe chances upon a young man who bears a striking resemblance to his first love. What follows is a look back at the relationship he’s never forgotten, a hidden affair with a gorgeous boy named Thomas during their last year of high school. Without ever acknowledging they know each other in the halls, they steal time to meet in secret, carrying on a passionate, world-altering affair.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Homomisia
Sexism
Sexual harassment
Divorce
Coming out themes
Anxiety attack
Suicide & attempted suicide
Miscarriage
AIDS
Car accident

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The sudden death of Truviv’s CEO means their boss, Ames, will likely take over the entire company. Each of the women has a different relationship with Ames, who has always been surrounded by whispers about how he treats women. Those whispers have been ignored, swept under the rug, hidden away by those in charge.

But the world has changed, and the women are watching this promotion differently. This time… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Rape
Workplace sexual harassment (theme)
Postpartum depression
Cyberbullying

The Deal of a Lifetime and Other Stories by Fredrik Backman

The Deal of a Lifetime and Other Stories by Fredrik Backman

The Deal of a Lifetime is a profound and moving novella set on Christmas Eve. It tells the story of the intertwining destinies of a man who has built a global business empire but lost his family in the process and a courageous little girl fighting for her life, and it asks the question: if you had the chance to change your legacy, would you take it?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Cancer

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It’s just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams, and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Parental abandonment
Cheating
Physical injury (broken bones)
Death of a sibling
Death of a parent

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod

Growing up, Antonia “Toni” Bennett’s guitar was her only companion…until she met Sebastian Quick. Seb was a little older, a lot wiser, and he became Toni’s way out, promising they’d escape their small town together. Then Seb turned eighteen and split without looking back.

Now, Toni B is all grown up and making a name for herself in Philadelphia’s indie rock scene. When a friend suggests she try out for the hottest new band in the country, she decides to take a chance. She’s in for a surprise when one of the decision-makers… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Misogyny
Parental abuse & neglect
Recreational drug use

Braised Pork by An Yu

Braised Pork by An Yu

One morning in autumn, Jia Jia walks into the bathroom of her Beijing apartment to find her husband – with whom she had been breakfasting barely an hour before – dead in the bathtub. Next to him, a piece of paper unfolds like the wings of a butterfly, and on it is an image that Jia Jia can’t forget.

Profoundly troubled by what she has seen, even while she is abruptly released from a marriage that had constrained her, Jia Jia embarks on a journey to discover the truth of the sketch… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Attempted suicide

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, nine people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in.

“Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says.

“I am the Lord,” the man whispers.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Classism
Suicide
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a child