Tag Archives: Death of a Parent & Guardian

This page lists books that contain trigger warnings for the depiction of death of a parent or guardian.

See also Death of a mother, Death of a father, and Grief & loss depiction.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people… In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance – and Papi’s secrets – the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Coming out themes
  • Sexual harassment
  • Sexual assault of a minor recounted & attempted rape of a minor (on-page)
  • Sex-trafficking & coerced sex work of a minor discussed
  • Infidelity
  • Pregnancy discussed, and premature childbirth scene & resuscitation of a newborn
  • Emesis
  • Cancer mentioned (minor secondary character)
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a mother from dengue fever recounted
  • Death of a father & husband in a plane crash (of-page, theme)
  • Death of a sister mentioned
  • Stalking
  • Poverty themes

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown

For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom. But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & racial slurs
  • Emotional & physical child abuse
  • Infidelity mentioned
  • Anxiety & panic attack (on-page, protagonist)
  • Depersonalisation & derealization
  • Hallucinations
  • Self-harm & self-harm ideation
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Emesis
  • Blood depiction
  • Grief & loss depiction (theme)
  • Death of a father & sister recounted
  • Death of a mother (on-page)
  • Murder & attempted murder and regicide
  • Police brutality
  • Whipping mentioned
  • Knife violence & stabbing
  • Kidnapping & hostage situation
  • Fire recounted
  • Colonialism themes, including refugee experiences, riots & stampede
  • Animal cruelty & death, including animal sacrifice

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region. Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Period-typical misogyny & racism
  • Eugenics
  • Sexual assault & attempted rape (on-page)
  • Incest
  • Forced breeding mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption & smoking
  • Drugging
  • Hallucinations
  • Infertility & miscarriages mentioned
  • Medical treatment for tuberculosis discussed
  • Blood & gore depiction including body horror & cannibalism
  • Death of an infant mentioned
  • Death of a father discussed
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Knife violence

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn’t happened yet. Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture – being kept apart, overhearing each other’s anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There’s no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It’s from her future self and… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Slut-shaming
  • Disordered food thoughts, restrictive eating (dieting) & internalised body shaming
  • Nightmares & flashbacks
  • Suicide (on-page)
  • Drugging
  • Blood & injury depiction, including serious injury of a loved one, hospitalisation, needles, surgery, emesis and comas
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of both parents
  • Death of a friend & brother
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Torture & psychological torture
  • Gun violence
  • Kidnapping & hostage situation
  • Incarceration
  • Fire

Act Like It by Lucy Parker

Act Like It by Lucy Parker

Richard Troy used to be the hottest actor in London, but the only thing firing up lately is his temper. We all love to love a bad boy, but Richard’s antics have made him Enemy Number One, breaking the hearts of fans across the city. Have the tides turned? Has English rose Lainie Graham made him into a new man?

Sources say the mismatched pair has been spotted at multiple events, arm in arm and hip to hip. From fits of jealousy to longing looks and heated whispers, onlookers are stunned by this blooming romance. Could the rumors be right? Could this unlikely romance be the real thing? Or are these gifted stage actors playing us all?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Sexism and slut-shaming discussed
  • Sexual assault
  • Cheating recounted*
  • Suicide recounted
  • Cancer
  • Death of a sibling recounted
  • Death of a parent recounted
  • Building collapse

*Note: The main character has recently broken up with her boyfriend after finding out her cheated on her.

Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer — the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic. When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic. But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder-and more… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Arranged marriage
  • Physical & emotional domestic abuse recounted (chp 29)
  • Cheating discussed
  • Attempted sexual assault recounted (chp 19)
  • Forced sex work recounted
  • Hallucinations
  • Suicide (on-page)
  • Self-harm and self-injury
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a father (on-page)
  • Graphic blood & gore depiction including dead bodies, cannibalism, dismemberment and emesis
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Graphic dental torture (on-page)
  • Poisoning
  • Imprisonment
  • Drowning
  • War & rebellion themes
  • Animal abuse & torture (chp 29)

Extra: The author, Adalyn Grace, provided a detailed breakdown of content warnings here.

Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto

Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother’s country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger. Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander’s past love, Isobel… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Adult-minor relationship*
  • Slut-shaming
  • Cheating recounted
  • Suicide recounted
  • Death of a child recounted
  • Death of a mother
  • Drowning
  • Murder recounted

*Context: Romantic relationship between a 17-year-old girl and a 23-year-old man who has been dead for 157 years.

Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler

Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler

Lizzie Brandt was valedictorian of her high school class, but at Radleigh University, all she’s acing are partying and hooking up with the wrong guys. But all that changes when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, making her guardian to her two younger brothers. To keep them out of foster care, she’ll have to fix up her image, her life, and her GPA—fast. Too bad the only person on campus she can go to for help is her humorless, pedantic Byzantine History TA, Connor Lawson, who isn’t exactly Lizzie’s biggest fan. But Connor surprises her. Not only is he a great tutor, but he’s also a pretty great babysitter. And chauffeur. And listener. And he understands exactly what… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Slut-shaming
  • Cheating
  • Teacher-student relationship*
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of both parents in a car accident
  • Blackmail

*Context: Relationship between an 18-year-old girl and a 25-year old-man.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Antiziganism (g slur)
  • Colourism
  • Coming out themes recounted
  • Dubious consent scene discussed
  • Teen pregnancy & motherhood (theme) with mentions of childbirth mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Death of a mother, husband & grandfather recounted
  • Hurricanes & severe storms recounted
  • Bullying recounted

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

To regain a throne he never wanted, Prince Yarvi first must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself. And he must do it all with only one good hand. Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge. Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could. Will the usurped become the usurper?

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Ableism, internalised ableism & slurs (theme)
  • Arranged marriage
  • Child abuse recounted
  • Death of a brother, father & husband
  • Murder
  • War themes
  • Bullying