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.

Sustained by Emma Chase

Sustained by Emma Chase

When you’re a defence attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand. Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will turn you on. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be Then Chelsea McQuaid and…Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Death of a sibling
  • Death of a parent
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What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

A community in the Piedmont of North Carolina rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly white high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will tie their two families together in unexpected ways over the span of the next twenty years. On one side of the integration, debate is Jade, Gee’s steely, ambitious mother. In the aftermath of a harrowing loss, she is determined to give her son the tools he’ll need to survive in America as a sensitive, anxious… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Infidelity
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Abortion
  • Miscarriage
  • Death of a parent
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Animal abuse
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The Forest of Stars by Heather Kassner

The Forest of Stars by Heather Kassner

Left all alone after her mother passes away, twelve-year-old Louisa LaRoche watches the sky for her father. Long ago, a powerful gust of wind swept through town, stealing him away on the wings of his untamed magic—the same magic that stirs within Louisa. As if she is made of hollow bones and too much air, her feet never quite touch the ground. But for all her sky gazing, Louisa finds her fortune on the leaf-strewn street when she spots a gleaming black-and-gold invitation—a ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars. If her father fits in nowhere else, maybe she’ll find him there… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Memory loss
  • Death of a mother
  • Homelessness
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Hard Wired by Len Vlahos

Hard Wired by Len Vlahos

Quinn thinks he’s a normal boy with an average life. That is until he finds a trail of clues the father he barely knew left behind. After Quinn unravels his father’s puzzles, he “wakes up” … and realizes his world was nothing more than a virtual construct. In reality, he’s the first fully-aware A.I. in the world, part of an experiment run by a team of scientists—including the man he thought was his father. As the scientists continue to study him, Quinn’s new existence becomes a waking nightmare. Determined to control his own destiny, he finds allies in other teens—including crush… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Misgendering
  • Death of a father from cancer
  • Loss of autonomy
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The Navigator’s Touch by Julia Ember

The Navigator’s Touch by Julia Ember

After invaders destroyed her village, murdered her family, and took her prisoner, shield-maiden Ragna is hungry for revenge. A trained warrior, she is ready to fight for her home, but with only a mermaid and a crew of disloyal mercenaries to aid her, Ragna knows she needs new allies. Guided by the magical maps on her skin, battling storms and mutiny, Ragna sets sail across the Northern Sea. She petitions the Jarl in Skjordal for aid, but despite Ragna’s rank and fighting ability, the Jarl sees only a young girl, too inexperienced to lead, unworthy of help. To prove herself to the Jarl and win her crew’s respect, Ragna undertakes… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Blood & graphic injury depiction
  • Murder of a child
  • Torture discussed
  • Physical assault
  • Kidnapping of a child
  • Imprisonment
  • Animal death

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

In BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose. But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do. Good thing Oliver is such perfect HUSBAND MATERIAL.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Homomisia & internalised homomisia
  • Eating disorder mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a parent from a heart attack, off-page

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress of a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom. For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determ… com.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Child neglect
  • Domestic violence
  • Suicide
  • Death of a parent
  • House fire
  • Animal death (dog)

Will by Will Smith and Mark Manson

Will by Will Smith & Mark Manson

One of the most dynamic and globally recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life, in a brave and inspiring book that traces his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness, and human connection are aligned. Along the way, Will tells the story in full of one of the most amazing rides through the worlds of music and film that anyone has ever had. Will Smith’s transformation from a West Philadelphia kid to one of the biggest rap stars of his era, and then one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history, is an epic tale—but it’s…. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Child abuse
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Death of a parent

Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall

Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall

Twelve-year-old Eleanor has just moved to Eden Eld to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother was killed in a fire. Her birthday, which falls on Halloween, is just around the corner, and she hopes that this year will be a fresh start at a new life. But then one morning, an ancient grandfather clock counting down thirteen hours appears outside of her bedroom. And then she spots a large black dog with glowing red eyes prowling the grounds of her school. A book of fairytales she’s never heard of almost willingly drops in front of her, as if asking to be read. Something is wrong in… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Parental abandonment & neglect
  • Pregnancy & childbirth, off-page
  • Death of a mother, implied
  • Attempted murder
  • Kidnapping
  • House fire recounted

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future. When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl. But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Physical & emotional child abuse
  • Human trafficking, off-page
  • Rape
  • Death of a parent
  • Hanging
  • Animal death