Category Archives: Kidlit

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Ben and Rose secretly wish for better lives. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother’s room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing. Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories – Ben’s told in words, Rose’s in pictures – weave back and forth in symmetry.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableism

The Shattering by Karen Healey

The Shattering by Karen Healey

Keri, Janna and Sione have two things in common: they each have an older brother who committed suicide. And they each have a connection with Summerton. As the three teenagers delve deeper into the mystery they uncover secrets that will shatter everything they thought they knew. Summerton is perfect: gorgeous weather, stunning scenery, cute out-of-towners to hook up with. But sharp-tongued Keri is immune to her hometown’s charms. Her older brother’s sudden death has left her shattered by grief and with too many unanswered questions. When Keri discovers that childhood friend turned rock-chick… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Suicide

The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski

The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski

At the end of The Midnight Lie, Nirrim offered up her heart to the God of Thieves in order to restore her people’s memories of their city’s history. The Half Kith who once lived imprisoned behind the city’s wall now realize that many among them are powerful. Meanwhile, the person Nirrim once loved most, Sid, has returned to her home country of Herran, where she must navigate the politics of being a rogue princess who has finally agreed to do her duty. In the Herrani court, rumours begin to grow of a new threat rising across the sea, of magic unleashed on the world, and of a cruel, black-haired queen who can push false… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Coerced drug abuse recounted
  • Blood depiction
  • Dead bodies
  • Amputation recounted
  • Decapitation, on-page
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Gun violence
  • Poisoning

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colours. You either follow the rules or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences. Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest. But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumours that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Queermisia
  • Physical & emotional child abuse
  • Blood-letting
  • Death of a parent
  • Murder
  • Imprisonment

Warrior Witch by Danielle Jensen

Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen

Cécile and Tristan have accomplished the impossible, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil they have unleashed upon the world. As they scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king, Cécile and Tristan must battle those who’d see them dead. To win, they will risk everything. And everyone. But it might not be enough. Both Cécile and Tristan have debts, and they will be forced to pay them at a cost far greater than they had ever imagined.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Torture
  • Body horror

Tarnished Empire by Danielle Jensen

Tarnished Empire by Danielle L. Jensen

A siege is laid against the last resistance to the Senate’s rule. As the battle rages, a commander, a soldier, and a rebel will decide how far they are willing to go for victory. Marcus is forced to choose between destroying the rebel forces and liberating his legion. He must face the true cost of being a leader. And an oppressor. Marcus is forced to choose between destroying the rebel forces and liberating his legion. He must face the true cost of being a leader. And an… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Starvation
  • Sword violence
  • War themes & battle scenes

Stolen Songbird by Danielle Jensen

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse. Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time. But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Arranged marriage
  • Miscarriage recounted
  • Poisoning

Hidden Huntress by Danielle Jensen

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation. Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Torture
  • Gun violence
  • Animal death (sacrifice)

Gilded Serpent by Danielle L. Jensen

Gilded Serpent by Danielle L. Jensen

Lydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever. His birthright as commander of the Royal Army is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious. Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark—and in doing so, risks starting a war Having defeated the tyrant Urcon, Marcus struggles to form a lasting alliance with the Arinoquians. But he is plagued by the… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Drug use
  • War themes & battle scenes
  • Animal attack

Dark Skies by Danielle Jensen

Dark Skies by Danielle L. Jensen

Lydia is a scholar, but books are her downfall when she meddles in the plots of the most powerful man in the Celendor Empire. Her life in danger, she flees west to the far side of the Endless Seas and finds herself entangled in a foreign war where her burgeoning powers are sought by both sides. Killian is Marked by the God of War, but his gifts fail him when the realm under the dominion of the Corrupter invades Mudamora. Disgraced, he swears his sword to the kingdom’s only hope: the crown princess. But the choice sees him caught up in a web of political intrigue that will put his oath – and his heart – to the test… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Starvation
  • Sword violence
  • Poisoning