BIPOC Lit – Page 67 – Trigger Warning Database

Blood to Poison by Mary Watson

Blood to Poison by Mary Watson

Seventeen-year-old Savannah is cursed. It’s a sinister family heirloom; passed down through the bloodline for hundreds of years, with one woman in every generation destined to die young. The family call them Hella’s girls, named for their ancestor Hella; the enslaved woman with whom it all began. Hella’s girls are always angry, especially in the months before they die. The anger is bursting from Savannah – at the men who cat-call her in the street, at her mother’s disingenuous fiancé, even at her own loving family… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Slavery mentioned
Sexual harassment

Every Variable of Us by Charles Bush

Every Variable of Us by Charles A. Bush

After Philly teenager Alexis Duncan is injured in a gang shooting, her dreams of a college scholarship and pro basketball career vanish in an instant. To avoid becoming another Black teen trapped in her poverty-stricken neighbourhood, she shifts her focus to the school’s STEM team, a group of nerds seeking their own college scholarships. Academics have never been her thing, but Alexis is freshly motivated by Aamani Chakrabarti, the new Indian student who becomes her mentor (and crush?). Alexis begins to see herself as so much more than an athlete. But just as her future starts to reform, Alexis’s own doubts and old loyalties pull her back into harm’s way.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Racism & racial slurs
Homomisia
Transmisia
Islamomisia
Classism
Hate crime
Disownment
Substance addiction
Gun violence

Noelle: The Mean Girl by Ashley Woodfolk

Noelle: The Mean Girl by Ashley Woodfolk

There are only three things that matter to Noelle Lee: her family, school, and the cello. She doesn’t care if people see her as selfish or mean, because she knows she has her priorities in order. That’s why when her dad loses his job, she doesn’t hesitate to work more hours at her grandparents’ Chinese restaurant. Seeing her girls and dealing with her ex-boyfriend have to take a backseat so she can help her family and prepare for her school’s fall showcase. But things get even more complicated for Noelle when she realizes she can’t stop thinking about Tobyn, one of the other Flyy Girls. With all of these distractions, Noelle starts to wonder if working hard even matters, especially if she can’t keep her life from falling apart around her.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Cheating
Chronic illness
Panic attacks
Bullying

Micah: The Good Girl by Ashley Woodfolk

Micha: The Good Girl by Ashley Woodfolk

Micah Dupree had always liked being the “good girl.” She was happy painting, going to church, and acing her school projects. After all, she had a perfect older brother to live up to. But when he unexpectedly dies, Micah’s world is turned upside-down. With her anxiety growing, a serious boyfriend in the picture, and new feelings emerging, Micah begins to question what being the “good girl” really means…and if it’s worth it, anyway.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Homomisia
Slut shaming
Anxiety & panic attacks
Death of a sibling
Car accident

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

It’s been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla’s friendship imploded. Nearly a month since Cleo realized they’ll never be besties again. Now, Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex–best friend. But pretending Layla doesn’t exist isn’t as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor. Despite budding new friendships with other classmates—and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom—Cleo’s turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Ableism
Bullying

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone’s hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he’s as beloved to the neighbourhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately, life at ZJ’s house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ’s mom explains it’s because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that–but it doesn’t make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Physical injury

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Running into a long-ago friend sets memory from the 1970s in motion for August, transporting her to a time and a place where friendship was everything—until it wasn’t. For August and her girls, sharing confidences as they ambled through neighbourhood streets, Brooklyn was a place where they believed that they were beautiful, talented, brilliant—a part of a future that belonged to them. But beneath the hopeful veneer, there was another Brooklyn, a dangerous place where.… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Misogyny
Fatmisia & body shaming
Rape
Sexual assault
Adult-minor relationship
Alcoholism
Suicide
Self-harm
Overdose mentioned
Pregnancy

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy—the best magic school in the realm—even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she’s never met. Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Child abuse, off-page

Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley

Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley

Back in high school, Lily Wang wanted to be popular, but she considered herself lucky to be part of a tight group of oddballs and honors students called the Nerd Herd. Now, at twenty-eight, she feels like she’s finally on the cusp of succeeding as a beauty influencer—if she can hit five million subscribers, brands will take notice and she could get her own makeup line. Fellow Nerd Herd alum Tobin Bui has had a lot of success as a YouTube gamer. But the road to online stardom has been rocky. First, he disappointed… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Sexism

Carefree Black Girls by Zeba Blay

Carefree Black Girls by Zeba Blay

In this collection of essays, Blay expands on that initial idea by looking at the significance of influential black women throughout history, including Josephine Baker, Michelle Obama, Rihanna, and Cardi B. Incorporating her own personal experiences as well as astute analysis of these famous women, Blay presents an empowering and celebratory portrait of black women and their effect on American culture. She also examines the many stereotypes that have clung to black women throughout history, whether it is the Mammy, the Angry Black Woman, or more recently, the Thot.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism & racial slurs
Sexual assault mentioned
Attempted suicide mentioned
Suicidal ideation
Police brutality