Chronic Illness & Chronic Pain – Trigger Warning Database

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him. So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Minor slut-shaming
Physical child abuse & neglect, including starvation, captivity, and forcing a child to write righthanded by tying up their left arm (on-page)
Protagonist with clubfoot
World War II (theme), including plane crashes and bombings (on-page)

A Star Like Jesse Owens by Nikki Shannon Smith

Matthew is a young African-American boy who dreams of becoming an Olympic runner like his hero, Jesse Owens. There’s one big problem, though Matthew has asthma, which makes it hard for him to run. When his journalist father is assigned to cover the 1936 Olympics in Germany, Matthew jumps at the chance tag along. He has never been out of Ohio before, let alone to Europe. Will Owens’s amazing Olympic victories inspire Matthew in his own chosen career?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Period-typical racism & antisemitism discussed
Asthma (protagonist)

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

Mira is starting over at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to pretend that she could act like a functioning human this time, not a girl who can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby. Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn, it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with mischief glinting in his eye. Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Depression & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Attempted suicide
Alcohol consumption
Drug use & abuse

The Safe Place by Anna Downes

Emily Proudman has been offered the chance of a lifetime – leave her messy London life, move to a beautiful estate in France and help her boss’s wife take care of their daughter. It seems like the perfect opportunity to start again. But once there, Emily soon starts to suspect that her charismatic new employers aren’t telling her the whole truth. That there are even dangerous secrets hidden beneath the glamorous facade. Why have the family been moved to this isolated house so far from home? Why does her boss’s daughter refuse to speak or be touched?… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Foster care experiences mentioned
Child abuse, including one slap scene, faking a child’s chronic illness, and forcing them to live in isolation (etc.)
Discussions of childhood trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (c-PTSD)
Parent with dementia
Panic attacks
Self-harm (on-page)
Suicide by jumping (on-page)
Alcohol consumption & abuse and implied drug abuse
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a daughter recounted
Minor blood & injury depiction and emesis
Attempted murder by gun violence
Kidnapping and captivity of a child
Stalking
Financial difficulties discussed

Zombie Tag by Hannah Moskowitz

Thirteen-year-old Wil Lowenstein copes with his brother’s death by focusing on Zombie Tag, a mafia/capture the flag hybrid game where he and his friends fight off brain-eating zombies with their mothers’ spatulas. What Wil doesn’t tell anybody is that if he could bring his dead brother back as a zombie, he would in a heartbeat. But when Wil finds a way to summon all the dead within five miles, he’s surprised to discover that his back-from-the-dead brother is emotionless and distant.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Claustrophobia
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a brother from an asthma attack

Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston

What’s an Alpha Male to do when he meets the Alpha Female of his dreams? Step one, hide all sharp objects. All Zach Sheridan ever wanted was to become Alpha Male of his Pack and be left alone. What he definitely didn’t need in his life was some needy female demanding his attention. What he never saw coming was the vicious, scarred female who not only demanded his attention but knew exactly how to get it. Sara Morrighan knew this was the best she could expect from her life. Good friends. A nice place to live. And a safe job. But when Zach rode into her…. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Slut-shaming (internalised)
Chronic injury cured magically without consent (limp)
Graphic animal death

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

Alien Quarantine Rescue by Robin Lovett

I haven’t touched anyone, let alone slept with anyone, since the Beerona Virus killed half of Earth’s population. This virus mutates faster than scientists can create a vaccine for it. I’ve lost all my family and all hope of seeing my friends again. Until a naked, silver alien comes for me. The only words he knows are “Give antibodies” and “Mine.” He could be lying. He could have Beerona. I could be dead in three days after the virus eats me from the inside out. But I haven’t had sex in so long, and he’s as strong as a gladiator. , as beautiful as Adonis, and did I mention his… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Deadnaming
Slut-shaming
Abortion recounted
Pregnancy
Heart condition
Pandemic
Medical procedures
Gun violence

Against a Wall by Cate C. Wells

My high school bully is now my fake boyfriend. Cash Wall has been messing with me since junior high. Nuisance stuff, mostly. Name calling. Pranks. Honestly, he’s nowhere near the worst of my problems. Back in school, I had bigger fish to fry, and now, I’ve got a “scarlet letter” situation going on. The whole town hates me. For some reason, Cash offers himself up as my knight in shining armor. So now my former bully is my fake boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong? Cash: Glenna Dobbs thinks I’m an idiot, and she’s mostly right. I hunt. Fish. Go mudding. I’m not a… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Fatphobia & body shaming
Workplace sexual harassment & dubious consent scenario
Cheating mentioned
Emotionally abusive relationships recounted
Anxiety & insomnia
Alcohol consumption and drug use, including vaping & cigar smoking
Physical injury (gunshot wound)
Emesis mentioned
Parent with agina
Death of a mother from a heart attack recounted
Death of a grandparent mentioned
Murder of an uncle
Physical assault
Police corruption
Hunting & death of a pet dog mentioned
Bullying

Mixing Magics by Clare Edge

Bernadette Crowley feels like she’s finally getting a handle on her diabetes diagnosis. At least, she can finally manage to not summon a demon every time she checks her blood sugar. But without her Grandma Orla, who disappeared into the demon dimension while protecting their family’s coven, even big wins don’t seem to matter as much. Frustrated that no one is trying hard enough to rescue Grandma Orla, Ber takes matters into her own hands, using her growing powers to try to reach the demon dimension. But nothing can prepare her for the truth, a history that… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Diabetes (protagonist)
Needles & self-injury for blood (on-page)