BIPOC Lit – Page 31 – Trigger Warning Database

I Had That Same Dream Again by Yoru Sumino

I Had That Same Dream Again by Yoru Sumino

An unhappy girl who engages in self-harm, a high schooler ostracized by her classmates, and an old woman looking to live out her twilight years in peace–what could three such different people have in common? That’s what grade schooler Nanoka Koyanagi is trying to find out. Assigned by her teacher to define what “happiness” means to her, Nanoka tries to find her place in the world by exploring her relationships with these three strangers, and through them, comes to know herself.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Self-harm (cutting)
Bullying

Waiting by Ha Jin

Waiting by Ha Jin

For more than seventeen years, this devoted and ambitious doctor has been in love with an educated, clever, modern woman, Manna Wu. But back in the traditional world of his home village lives the wife his family chose for him when he was young—a humble and touchingly loyal woman, whom he visits in order to ask, again and again, for a divorce. In a culture in which the ancient ties of tradition and family still hold sway and where adultery discovered by the Party can ruin lives forever, Lin’s passionate love is stretched ever more taut by the passing years. Every summer… Read more,

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Rape, on-page

Root Magic by Eden Royce

Root Magic by Eden Royce

It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven—and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going train them in footwork. Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of her family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

Slavery
Racism
Hate crime
Death of a parent
Death of a grandparent
Police brutality
Animal death
Animal cruelty

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

Hwani’s family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest, near a gruesome crime scene. The only thing they remember: Their captor wore a painted-white mask. To escape the haunting memories of this incident, the family flees their hometown. Years later, Detective Min—Hwani’s father—learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared under similar circumstances, and so he returns to their hometown to investigate… only to vanish as well. Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Human trafficking mentioned
Child abuse
Suicide & suicidal ideation
Grief & loss depiction
Murder
Poisoning
Kidnapping & captivity

The Red Palace by June Hur

The Red Palace by June Hur

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval. But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Blood & gore depiction including corpses
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a parent
Murder
Torture
Police brutality

Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and she’s also the prince’s bodyguard. A demon slayer and an outcast, she’s hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And she’s their only hope Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the saviour predicted in the Dragon King’s prophecy, but the legendary lost ruby treasure just might be the true key to victory. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, an evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost while raising a prince into a king.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Nightmares
Mass suicide mentioned
Decapitation, on-page
Death of a father from sword stabbing, on-page
Death of a mother from self-sacrifice, on-page
Death of a wife & baby son in childbirth mentioned
Death of a wife & children in an influenza epidemic mentioned
Murder & attempted murder
Knife & sword violence
Death from a fall
Near drowning
Strangulation
Kidnapping
War themes & battle scenes
Animal death
Animal hunting

It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi

It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi

After Kiran Noorani’s mom died, Kiran vowed to keep her dad and sister, Amira, close. Then out of the blue, Amira announces that she’s dating someone and might move cross-country with him. Kiran is thrown. Deen Malik is thrilled that his older brother, Faisal, has found a great girlfriend, even if it’s getting serious quickly. Maybe now their parents’ focus will shift off Deen, who feels intense pressure to be the perfect son. When Deen and Kiran come fact to face, they silently agree to keep their past a secret. Four years ago–before Amira and Faisal met–Kiran and Deen dated. But Deen ghosted Kiran with no explanation. Kiran will stop… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Hate crime mentioned
Substance addiction
Drug use & abuse
Death of a parent from terminal illness
Arson
Bullying mentioned

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi

News stations across the country are reporting mysterious messages that Earth has been receiving from a planet—Alma—claiming to be its creator. If they’re being interpreted correctly, in seven days Alma will hit the kill switch on their “colony” Earth. True or not, for teenagers Jesse Hewitt, Cate Collins, and Adeem Khan, the prospect of this ticking time bomb will change their lives forever. Jesse, who has been dealt one bad blow after another, wonders if it even matters what happens to the world. Cate, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she never… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Schizophrenia
Depression
Attempted suicide
Suicidal ideation
Self-harm
Cancer
Surgery
Hospital
Death of a parent recounted
Gun violence
Poverty
Animal death

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Homomisia
Victim blaming
Sexual assault
Alcohol consumption
Drug use
Terminal cancer
Death of a parent
Bullying

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Ari has spent all of high school burying who he really is, staying silent and invisible. He expected his senior year to be the same. But something in him cracked open when he fell in love with Dante, and he can’t go back. Suddenly he finds himself reaching out to new friends, standing up to bullies of all kinds, and making his voice heard. And, always, there is Dante, dreamy, witty Dante, who can get on Ari’s nerves and fill him with desire all at once. The boys are determined to forge a path for themselves in a world that doesn’t understand them. But when Ari is faced with a shocking loss… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Homomisia
Racism
Bullying