BIPOC Lit – Page 65 – Trigger Warning Database

The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena

The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena

Susan is the new girl—she’s sharp and driven, and strives to meet her parents’ expectations of excellence. Malcolm is the bad boy—he started raising hell at age fifteen, after his mom died of cancer, and has had a reputation ever since.

Susan’s parents are on the verge of divorce. Malcolm’s dad is a known adulterer. Susan hasn’t told anyone, but she wants to be an artist. Malcolm doesn’t know what he wants—until he meets her.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Parental infidelity mentioned
Death of a mother from cancer

Rising Like a Storm by Tanaz Bhathena

Rising Like a Storm by Tanaz Bhathena

With King Lohar dead and a usurper queen in power, Gul and Cavas face a new tyrannical government that is bent on killing them both. Their roles in King Lohar’s death have not gone unnoticed, and the new queen is out for blood. What she doesn’t know is that Gul and Cavas have a connection that runs deeper than romance, and together, they just might have the strength and magic to end her for good… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Rape mentioned
Torture

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena

Gul has spent her life running. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her arm, and in the kingdom of Ambar, girls with such birthmarks have been disappearing for years. Gul’s mark is what caused her parents’ murder at the hand of King Lohar’s ruthless soldiers and forced her into hiding to protect her own life. So when a group of rebel women called the Sisters of the Golden Lotus rescue her, take her in, and train her in warrior magic, Gul wants only one thing: revenge… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Slavery
Sex slavery, implied
Chronic illness
Death of parents
Murder
Animal cruelty

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk-taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Misogyny
Slut shaming
Victim blaming
Rape
Sexual assault
Sexual harassment
Physical & psychological child abuse
Domestic violence
Depression
Nonconsensual drugging
Death of a parent
Graphic car accident
Death of a pet

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

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Being the middle child has its ups and downs. But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Lesbomisia mentioned
Slut shaming
Child abuse recounted
Teen pregnancy
Adoption (theme)
Alcoholism & alcohol abuse

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, where Marvellers from all around the world come together to practice their cultural arts like brewing Indian spice elixirs, practising Caribbean steel drum hypnosis, and bartering with fussy Irish faeries. Ella knows some people mistrust her Conjuror magic, often deemed “bad and unnatural,” but she’s eager to make a good impression—and, hopefully, some friends… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Blood depiction
Kidnapping
Bullying

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

In this honest and stunning novel, James Baldwin has given America a moving story of love in the face of injustice. Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions — affection, despair, and hope.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Misogyny
Rape
Sexual assault

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

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1—Phantom Blood, Vol. 3 by Hirohiko Araki

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood, Vol. 3 by Hirohiko Araki

The conclusion of the Phantom Blood Arc! Jonathan Joestar and his mentor Zeppelli continue their pursuit of the villainous vampire, Dio! But to get to him, they must first face down his murderous henchmen! In battle after bloody battle, JoJo and Zeppelli are pushed to their limits and beyond!

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Body horror
Dismemberment
Arson