Category Archives: Representation

Bad At Love by Gabriela Martins

Ever since Daniel moved to L.A. from Brazil to join the band Mischief & Mayhem, he’s become the tabloids’ bad boy. Paparazzi follow him and girls swoon over him . . . except for Sasha, who hates bad boys. When a chance encounter brings them together, Sasha sees an opportunity to get close to Daniel and write a story that will make a name for herself at the celebrity gossip magazine where she interns. But Daniel is surprisingly sweet and extremely cute—could she be falling for him? The truth is: Daniel is hiding something. When Sasha discovers his secret, will she follow her… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Parental infidelity mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption & drug use mentioned
  • Heart attack mentioned

Backwards to Oregon by Jae

“Luke” Hamilton has always been sure that she’d never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man.
After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life. But now they find themselves married and on the way to Oregon in a covered wagon, with two thousand miles ahead of them.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Rape & attempted rape
  • Sexual harassment
  • Domestic abuse
  • Miscarriage
  • Drowning

The Backstagers, Vol. 2: The Show Must Go On by James Tynion IV & Rian Sygh

Jory and the rest of the Backstagers have one goal this semester: to put on the best show their town’s ever seen. But best laid plans aren’t easy to achieve when there’s an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain! When one of the actors suddenly goes missing, the Backstagers must band together to save their comrade and maintain the natural balance of . . . theater.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableist language
  • Disappearance of a friend

The Backstagers, Vol. 1: Rebels Without Applause by James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh & Walter Baiamonte

When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he’s taken in by the only ones who don’t treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableist language
  • Bullying
  • Disappearance of a friend

Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler

Juliette Ricci dreams of only one being the best women’s tennis player in the world. She’s worked nonstop with her strict father/coach to prepare for her big chance in the Australian Open. Unfortunately, she’ll be playing Lucky Luca Kacic, an aloof player whose unorthodox style and reigning popularity deeply irritate Juliette. For months they’ve traded sly insults in their press conferences leading up to their showdown on the court, and their first ever match is the most anticipated of the season. But Juliette refuses to let her nerves—or Luca’s annoyingly perfect abs—get the… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Death of a parent mentioned
  • Sports injury

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Meet Hanna. She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good. Meet Suzette. She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette’s husband remains blind to the failing family dynami… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Mutism
  • Self-harm
  • Parent with depression recounted
  • Surgery for Chron’s Disease recounted
  • Emesis

Baby & Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma

Seventeen-year-old Joel Teague has a new prescription from his therapist—a part-time job—the first step toward the elusive Normal life he’s been so desperate to live ever since The Bad Thing happened. Lucky for Joel, ROYO Video is hiring. It’s the perfect fresh start—Joel even gets a new name. Dubbed “Solo” after his favorite Star Wars character, Joel works his way up the not-so-corporate ladder without anyone suspecting What Was Wrong With Him. That is, until he befriends Nicole “Baby” Palmer, a smart-mouthed coworker with a chip on her shoulder about . . . well, everything… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Infidelity mentioned
  • Pregnancy & unplanned pregnancy
  • Abortion
  • Suicide & attempted suicide
  • Alcohol consumption & mentions of smoking
  • Psychiatric hospitalisation

Bride of Ignat, Volume 1 by Moyori Mori

Rita, a lonely boy, is chosen as the “Dragon’s Bride” by the village custom. The ancient legend of the “Snowy Mountain Dragon” is now nothing more than a legend, but Rita, unable to find his role in the village, accepts the sacrifice while realizing that it is to reduce the number of mouths to feed. Rita, who was left alone and freezing in the snowstorm, is saved by Ignat, a beautiful dragon in human form. Rita’s eyes sparkle because the dragon really exists, and he is able to fulfill his role as a “bride”, but Ignat rejects him, saying “I… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Pandemic mentioned
  • Death of parents recounted
  • Bullying

Bluebird by Brooke Blaine

Every morning, I stop at the same gas station for coffee before my shift. Same routine. Same quiet moment before the sirens start. And the same beautiful stranger. We see each other almost every day—two men passing in the early hours, never speaking. Until one morning, we finally do. Reid is kind, easy to talk to, and someone who would never be interested in me, at least not in the way I want him to. Then the call comes in. A wreck in town. One patient critical. It’s Reid. I save his life—but the accident steals ten years of his memories. Reid doesn’t remember his past, his job, or… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Car accident, resulting in traumatic brain injury & amnesia

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Kaylani is a born-and-bred Brooklyn girl. She expects to feel like a fish out of water spending the hot and sticky summer on Martha’s Vineyard with family friends, the Watsons. But her mother insists, especially since Kaylani still spends long hours on the phone with her imprisoned father. The Watsons live in the town of Oak Bluffs, a place with a rich Black history that fascinates Kaylani. Though the Watsons’ daughter, London, is snobby and unfriendly, Kaylani ends up connecting with some other kids in the town, who show… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Classism
  • Emesis
  • Blood depiction
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a child
  • Murder
  • Imprisonment
  • Bullying