Tag Archives: Death of a Child

This page lists books that contain trigger warnings for the depiction of death of a child.

See also Grief & loss depiction.

Wild Place by Christian White

Wild Place by Christian White

In the summer of 1989, a local teen goes missing from the idyllic suburb of Camp Hill in Australia. As rumours of Satanic rituals swirl, schoolteacher Tom Witter becomes convinced he holds the key to the disappearance. When the police won t listen, he takes matters into his own hands with the help of the missing girl s father and a local neighbourhood watch group. But as dark secrets are revealed and consequences to past actions are faced, Tom learns that the only way out of the darkness is to walk deeper into it. Wild Place peels back the layers of suburbia, expose… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Cheating
  • Teacher-student relationship
  • Death of a child
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Disappearance of a child

Burden Falls by Kat Ellis

Burden Falls by Kat Ellis

Also known as Wicked Little Deeds.

The town of Burden Falls drips with superstition, from rumours of its cursed waterfall to Dead-Eyed Sadie, the disturbing spectre who haunts it. Ava Thorn grew up right beside the falls, and since a horrific accident killed her parents a year ago, she’s been plagued by nightmares in which Sadie comes calling—nightmares so chilling, Ava feels as if she’ll never wake up. But when someone close to Ava is brutally murdered and she’s the primary suspect, she begins to wonder if the stories might be more than legends—and if the ghost haunting her dreams might be terrifyingly real. Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there’s a killer on the loose . . .

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Alcoholism
  • Body mutilation
  • Death of a child
  • Death of a parent
  • Fire
  • Car accident

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Parental abandonment
  • Child abuse, including emotional abuse & gaslighting, on-page
  • Intimate partner violence & abuse, on-page
  • Cheating recounted
  • Suicidal ideation recounted
  • Depression & depressive episodes
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Smoking mentioned
  • Childbirth, on-page
  • Death of a grandfather from a heart attack recounted
  • Death of a grandmother
  • Death of a great-aunt
  • Death of a child mentioned
  • Drowning mentioned

Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Amidst the whir of city life, a girl from Harlem is drawn into the glittering underworld of Manhattan, where she’s hired to use her knives to strike fear amongst its most dangerous denizens. But the ghosts from her past are always by her side—and history has appeared on her doorstep to threaten the people she loves most. Can one woman ever sacrifice enough to save an entire community?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Slavery
  • Racism
  • Rape
  • Death of a child
  • Torture
  • Lynching

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Beginning in 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic Plague will reshape life on earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Suicide
  • COVID-19 pandemic
  • Cancer & terminal illness
  • Hospitalisation
  • Blood & injury depiction
  • Emesis
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a child
  • Gun violence mentioned
  • Animal death & cruelty
  • Animal experimentation

Something is Killing the Children, Volume 2 by James Tynion and Werther Dell’Edera

Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 2 by James Tynion IV & Werther Dell’Edera

Erica Slaughter may have slain the monster terrorizing the small Wisconsin town of Archer’s Peak, but the horror is far from over. As her mysterious handler arrives in town to clean up her mess and quarantine the townsfolk, Erica sets off deeper into the woods — because the monster she killed was a mother… and now she needs to kill its children.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Homomisia mentioned
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a child
  • Murder

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But with her husband dead just weeks after their marriage, her new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure —a silent companion —-that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of The Bridge are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition–that is, until she notices the figure’s eyes following her.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Misogyny
  • Sexual assault
  • Child abuse
  • Suicide
  • Miscarriage
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a child
  • Murder
  • Fire
  • Animal death

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything—and everyone—at a safe distance. When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had. Soon she’s spending more time at Andrea’s remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn’t even mind that her cousin’s wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry—baby fever comes with the territory… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Rape, on-page
  • Child abuse
  • Claustrophobia
  • Anxiety attack, on-page
  • Attempted suicide, on-page
  • Drugging
  • Forced impregnation
  • Infertility mentioned
  • Death of an infant mentioned
  • Murder
  • Car accident
  • Fire

A Girl Called Corpse by Reece Carter

A Girl Called Corpse by Reece Carter

With a body made of wax, seaweed for hair and polished abalone shells for eyes, Corpse is bound to haunt the Witches’ sea shack forever. She has no memory of the kid she was before she was snatched and ended up on the rock-that-doesn’t-exist. But the delivery of an unexpected message sets Corpse off on a surprising quest, searching for answers to the old and familiar questions that have filled her not-brain since the day she first woke up a ghost. Questions about her name. Questions about her family. With only her eight-legged friend Simon for company, Corpse heads into the unknown. There will be danger cruelly… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Parental abandonment mentioned,
  • Memory loss
  • Physical injuries including burns
  • Body horror
  • Death of a mother and father mentioned
  • Murder and attempted murder of a child
  • Near-drowning incident
  • Loss of autonomy discussed (possession)
  • Animal death (bird, spider)

Human Acts by Han Kang

Human Acts by Han Kang

In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed. The story of this tragic episode unfolds as the victims and the bereaved encounter suppression, denial, and the echoing agony of the massacre. From Dong-ho’s best friend who meets his own fateful end; to an editor struggling against censorship; to a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories; and to Dong-ho’s own grief-stricken mother; and through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope is the tale of a brutalized people in search of a voice.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Sexual assault
  • Suicide
  • Death of a child
  • Murder
  • Torture