Death of a Parent & Guardian – Page 169

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

If you have picked up this book with the hope of finding a simple and cheery tale, I’m afraid you have picked up the wrong book altogether. The story may seem cheery at first, when the Baudelaire children spend time in the company of some interesting reptiles and a giddy uncle, but don’t be fooled. If you know anything at all about the unlucky Baudelaire children, you already know that even pleasant events lead down the same road to misery.

In fact, within the pages you now hold in your hands, the three siblings endure a car accident, a terrible odor, a deadly serpent, a long knife, a large brass reading lamp, and the appearance of a person they’d hoped never to see again.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Attempted adult-minor marriage recounted
Child abuse
Death of a mother & father recounted
Murder
Kidnapping
Blackmail

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

I’m sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Attempted forced adult-minor marriage
Child abuse
Death of a parent
Kidnapping
Blackmail

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Aspiring choreographer Sophie Orenstein would do anything for Peter Rosenthal-Porter, who’s been on the kidney transplant list as long as she’s known him. Peter, a gifted pianist, is everything to Sophie: best friend, musical collaborator, secret crush. When she learns she’s a match, donating a kidney is an easy, obvious choice. She can’t help wondering if after the transplant, he’ll love her back the way she’s always wanted.

But Peter’s life post-transplant isn’t what either of them expected. Though he once had feelings for Sophie, too, he’s now drawn to Chase, the guitarist in a band that happens to be looking for a keyboardist… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism
Antisemitism
Pregnancy
Surgery (organ transplant)
Chronic pain
Death of a parent to cancer discussed

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Misogyny
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a father

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Odd-mannered, obsessive, withdrawn, Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak. She’s used to the names; she only wishes there was more truth to them. If she were truly a monster, as they accuse, she’d be powerful enough to tear down the walls around her until nothing remained of her world, save for stories told around the cookfire.

Aster lives in the low-deck slums of the HSS Matilda, a space vessel organized much like the antebellum South. For generations, the Matilda has ferried the last of humanity to a mythical Promised Land. On its way, the ship’s leaders have imposed harsh moral restrictions and deep indignities on dark-skinned sharecroppers like Aster, who they consider to be less than human… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism
Misogyny
Homomisia
Transmisia & misgendering
Racism & racial slurs
Slavery
Graphic rape
Sexual assault mentioned
Child sexual abuse implied
Suicide & attempted suicide
Self harm
Abortion
Forced sterilization
Medical procedures, including graphic surgery & amputation
Needles
Death of a child
Death of a parent
Police brutality
Torture
Lynching
Fire
Captivity

Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby

Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby

Growing up in the Cinzio Traveling Players circus, Genevieve Flannery is accustomed to a life most teenagers could never imagine. Her mother Delia’s ghostly hallucinations never seemed all that strange . . . until the evening Geni and her mother are performing an aerial routine they’ve done hundreds of times, and Delia falls to her death.

That night, a dark curtain in Geni’s life opens. Everything has changed. As they reel from the tragedy, the Cinzio Traveling Players are also grappling with the circus’s new owner: a generous, mysterious man whose connection to the circus—Geni suspects—has a dark history. And suddenly, Geni is stumbling into a new reality of her own, her life interrupted daily by the terrors only Delia used to see.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism & ableist language,
Fatmisia & body shaming
Domestic violence mentioned
Graphic physical injuries
Death of a mother
Murder
Torture mentioned
Car accident
Imprisonment
Kidnapping
Animal cruelty

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

When Ruby’s mother dies, she’s dragged three thousand miles away from her gorgeous boyfriend, Ray, to live in LA with her father, who she’s only ever seen in movies. He’s a mega-famous actor who divorced her mom before Ruby was even born, and while the rest of the world may love him, Ruby definitely does not.

But as time passes and pages turn, Ruby comes to understand that circumstances are far more complicated than they seem, and sometimes forgiveness is found where you least expect it.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism & ableist language
Coming out themes*
Parental abandonment
Cheating
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a mother

*Note: Coming out is used as a plot twist.

The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones

The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones

Luke has been away for two endless years, but he’s finally returning today. Lily was only twelve when he left. But now, at fourteen, she feels transformed. She can’t wait to see how Luke will react when he sees the new her. And when her mother tells her that Luke will be staying with them for a while, in the bedroom right next to hers, her heart nearly stops.

Having Luke back is better than Lily could have ever dreamed. His lingering looks set Lily on fire. Is she just imagining them? But then, when they’re alone, he kisses her. Then he kisses her again. Lily’s friends think anyone his age who wants to be with a fourteen-year-old must be really messed up. Maybe even dangerous. But Luke would never do anything to hurt her…would he?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Victim blaming
Paedophilia, grooming & child sexual abuse
Graphic rape by coercion (on-page)
Child abuse
Abusive relationship
Dissociation
Alcohol consumption, including forced alcohol consumption
Emesis
Death of a mother & father recounted
Death of a brother recounted
Stalking
Car accident recounted
Animal attack & death mentioned

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

A Wish in the Dark by Christian Soontornvat

All light in Chattana is created by one man — the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong’s prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free. Nok, the prison warden’s… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Death of a parent mentioned
Building collapse
Near-drowning incident
Fire
Imprisonment
Bullying

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria

In the city of Eldra, people are ruled by ancient prophecies. For centuries, the high council has stayed in power by virtue of the prophecies of the elder seers. After the last infallible prophecy came to pass, growing unrest led to murders and an eventual rebellion that raged for more than a decade.

In the present day, Cassa, the orphaned daughter of rebels, is determined to fight back against the high council, which governs Eldra from behind the walls of the citadel. Her only allies are no-nonsense Alys, easygoing Evander, and perpetually underestimated Newt, and Cassa struggles to come to terms with the legacy of rebellion her dead parents have left her — and the fear that she may be inadequate to shoulder the burden. But by the time Cassa and her friends uncover the mystery of the final infallible prophecy, it may be too late to save the city — or themselves.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Physical & emotional child abuse
Anxiety & panic attacks
Memory loss
Suicide (on-page)
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a mother & father recounted
Death of a friend
Physical injuries depiction
Medical experimentation
Murder & attempted murder
Gun violence
Knife violence & stabbing
Fire recounted
Blackmail
Poisoning
Poverty themes