Tag Archives: Bullying & Hazing

Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas, since her family moved there for her father to work as a paediatrician. While dealing with the Islamophobia that she faces at school, Zara has to lay low, trying not to stir up any trouble and jeopardize their family’s dependent visa status while they await their green card approval, which has been in process for almost nine years. But one day her tormentor, star football player Tyler Benson, takes things too far, leaving a threatening note in her locker… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & racial slurs
  • Islamophobia
  • Biphobia
  • Hospitalisation
  • Gun violence
  • Bullying & hate crime

Bad Cruz by LJ Shen

I would say Dr. Cruz Costello is my archenemy. But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade. He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician. I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner. He is Fairhope royalty. I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip. He’s well-off. I’m…well, off. When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise. Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else. Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand.. (My fault, of course)… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Misogyny
  • Sexual harassment
  • Teen pregnancy recounted
  • Bullying

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skill has made her famous as the Planner of Park Slope, designing beautiful custom journals for New York City’s elite. She has another skill too: reading signs that other people miss. Like the time she sat across from Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée, and knew their upcoming marriage was doomed to fail. Weaving a secret word into their wedding program was a little unprofessional, but she was sure no one else would spot it. She hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Emotionally abusive relationship (secondary character)
  • Parental divorce recounted
  • Psoriasis (protagonist)
  • Bullying recounted

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page. But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Familial estrangement
  • Emotional child abuse
  • Anxiety
  • Substance addiction & depression recovery
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Pregnancy & childbirth mentioned (secondary character)
  • Parent with rheumatoid arthritis
  • Death of a mother from cancer mentioned (secondary character)
  • Bullying recounted
  • Dog attack & minor injuries to pet dog

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn

Hairstylist Jess Greene has spent the last decade raising her younger half-sister, Tegan—and keeping a shocking secret. Ever since their reckless mother ran off with a boyfriend she’d known only a few months, Jess has been aware that he’s the same accomplished con man who was the subject of a wildly popular podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore. Now thirty-one, Jess didn’t bargain on Tegan eventually piecing together the connection for herself. But Tegan plans to do exactly what Jess has always feared—leave their safe, stable home to search for their mother… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Homophobic bullying mentioned
  • Parental abandonment & divorce recounted
  • Minor physical injuries of a child mentioned (secondary character)
  • Death of a friend from suicide by drowning recounted
  • Death of an uncle in a car accident mentioned
  • Death of a mother from heart disease mentioned (secondary character)
  • Death of a secondary character from lung cancer mentioned

Can I Steal You for a Second? by Jodi McAlister

Mandie Mitchell will do anything to get over her toxic ex. Even sign up to the polarising reality dating show, Marry Me, Juliet. But with her self-esteem in tatters, she’s not sure she’s brave enough to actually go on the show – until she forms a friendship with fellow contestant Dylan Gilchrist, who gives her the push she needs. Dylan is everything Mandie is not – tough, strong, and totally unafraid to speak her mind. Unfortunately, she also looks set to win, as she soon becomes the clear favourite of the Romeo, who also happens to share the same name. It’s annoying, really, just how perfect the Dylans seem for… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Workplace sexism & sexual harassment
  • Biphobia & panphobia recounted including forced outing (secondary character)
  • Infidelity recounted
  • Anxiety & panic attacks (secondary character)
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Dieting discussed
  • COVID-19 pandemic
  • Death of a father from cancer mentioned
  • Bullying

Context : One protagonist’s ex-husband cheated and the other left her ex-boyfriend for another woman.

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

Avery West’s newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead. To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle — beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexism & homophobia mentioned
  • Attempted rape recounted
  • Forced breeding (implied)
  • Child abuse & parental abandonment
  • Panic attack (on-page)
  • Alcohol consumption & smoking
  • Pregnancy mentioned
  • Miscarriage
  • Blood, gore & injury depiction
  • Emesis
  • Death of a mother & father
  • Death of a friend
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Knife & gun violence
  • Explosions mentioned
  • Kidnapping, captivity & being held hostage situation at knifepoint
  • Stalking & blackmail
  • Car accident (off-page)
  • Bullying recounted

Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R.X. He

Ella Moore was the most popular girl in school…and also the most hated. When she’s murdered at her own party, there are too many suspects to count–and too many people who think she deserved it. The police’s prime suspect is the new girl, Dawn Foster. She was the last to hand Ella a drink on the night Ella died. Plus, all of Ella’s friends with a motive for wanting her dead are more than willing to implicate Dawn. But Dawn refuses to go down without a fight. She’s determined to clear her name. As she delves deeper into the past, she discovers that Ella and her friends had… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Fatphobia & body-shaming
  • Adult-minor relationship & toxic friendships
  • Disordered eating
  • Attempted suicide & suicidal ideation
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Hospitalisation
  • Death of a parent
  • Murder
  • Car accident
  • Fire
  • Kidnapping & stalking
  • Bullying & cyberbullying

Clique Bait by Ann Valett

Chloe Whittaker is out for revenge Last year her best friend Monica’s life was unceremoniously ruined by the most popular students at their high school, so this year Chloe plans to take each and every one of them down. She’s traded in her jeans and T-shirts for the latest designer clothes, erased anything on social media that would tie her to Monica (and blow her cover), and carefully figured out how she will befriend the members of the clique, find out their deepest and darkest secrets, and reveal them to the world. Chloe has the perfect plan… but there’s on thing she didn’t… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Infidelity
  • Alcohol consumption & drugging
  • Emesis
  • Drowning
  • Blackmail
  • Bullying (theme)

The Rivals of Casper Road by Roan Parrish

He’s in it to win it until he falls under his neighbor’s spell. Bram Larkspur’s rugged, sexy looks belie his fear of all things horrifying. But as Casper Road’s newest resident, he’s excited to join the annual Halloween decorating contest. The competition is keen, especially from six-time champion, architect Zachary Glass. But when enigmatic Zachary sparks a prank war, it’s game on – until one sizzling kiss turns these rivals into allies. Now only one thing scares Bram: how quickly he’s losing his heart to Zachary.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Antisemitism mentioned
  • Infidelity recounted
  • Nightmares & mentions of stress-induced weight loss
  • Emesis
  • Disappearance of a sibling
  • Bullying recounted

* Context : The protagonist’s ex-partner cheated on him with his best friend. The other protagonist’s sister went missing when she was 17-years-old and has never been found.