Drug Use & Abuse – Page 68 – Trigger Warning Database

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.

She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Marital rape
Child sexual abuse
Parental neglect
Suicide mentioned
Domestic violence
Drug abuse
Stillbirth
Murder
Cults

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Sexual assault, implied
Child abuse & neglect
Emotional abuse
Drug use
Beheading
Cannibalism mentioned
Starvation
Death of a parent
Murder
Physical & psychological torture
Hanging
Poverty themes

The Closest I’ve Come by Fred Aceves

The Closest I’ve Come by Fred Aceves

Marcos Rivas wants to find love. He’s sure as hell not getting it at home, where his mom’s racist boyfriend beats him up. Or from his boys, who aren’t exactly the “hug it out” type. Marcos yearns for love, a working cell phone, and maybe a pair of sneakers that aren’t falling apart. But more than anything, Marcos wants to get out of Maesta, his hood—which seems impossible.

When Marcos is placed in a new after-school program for troubled teens with potential, he meets Zach, a theater geek whose life seems great on the surface, and Amy, a punk girl who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. These new friendships inspire Marcos to open up to his Maesta crew, too, and along the way, Marcos starts to think more about his future and what he has to fight for. Marcos ultimately learns that bravery isn’t about acting tough and being macho; it’s about being true to yourself.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Sexual assault mentioned
Graphic physical & verbal child abuse
Suicide of a gay teenager due to bullying mentioned
Alcohol consumption & abuse
Recreational drug use
Overdose mentioned
Emesis, off-page

The Education of Margot Sánchez by Lilliam Rivera

The Education of Margot Sánchez by Lilliam Rivera

Things/people Margot hates: Mami, for destroying my social life; Papi, for allowing Junior to become a Neanderthal; Junior, for becoming a Neanderthal; this supermarket; everyone else.

After “borrowing” her father’s credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot Sánchez suddenly finds herself grounded. And by grounded, she means working in her family’s struggling grocery store to pay off her debts.

With each order of deli meat she slices, Margot can feel her carefully cultivated prep school reputation slipping through her fingers, and she’s willing to do anything to get out of this punishment. Lie, cheat, and maybe even steal… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Sexual harassment
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use
Physical assault

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

Nalah leads the fiercest all-girl crew in Mega City. That role brings with it violent throw downs and access to the hottest boydega clubs, but the sixteen-year-old grows weary of the life. Her dream is to get off the streets and make a home in the exclusive Mega Towers, in which only a chosen few get to live. To make it to the Mega towers, Nalah must prove her loyalty to the city’s benevolent founder and cross the border in a search for a mysterious gang the Ashé Ryders. Led by a reluctant guide, Nalah battles other crews and her own doubts, but the closer she gets to her goal, the more she loses sight of everything—and everyone— she cares about… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Self harm
Substance addiction (theme)
Addiction recovery, including withdrawal
Recreational drug use & abuse
Prescription drug abuse
Overdose
Alcohol consumption mentioned
Abortion mentioned
Dead bodies mentioned
Physical injury
Car accident

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Familial abandonment
Child abuse
Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use mentioned
Murder
Physical assault
Knife violence
Use of a taser
Attempted drowning

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed. It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.

Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am. We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it? … Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Slut shaming
Homomisia & homomisic slurs
Cheating mentioned
Depression
Drug abuse
Death of a sibling
Bullying

Indirection by Gregory Ashe

Indirection by Gregory Ashe

Shaw Aldrich and his best friend, boyfriend, and partner, North McKinney, are doing great, thanks. The aftermath of their search for the Slasher has finally settled down. Their private investigation agency is thriving. And after years of missed opportunities, they’re finally together. Sure, work might be taking up every spare minute, and their time together as a couple might have evaporated—but that’s normal, right?

When an author asks for their help investigating threats against a gay romance convention, Shaw sees an opportunity to shake up their routine and maybe have some fun. But the convention isn’t what he expects. Between the rabid fans and the backbiting authors, the death threats… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Ableism & ableist language
Homomisia
Bimisia
Sexual assault
Domestic violence mentioned
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Suicidal ideation mentioned
Drug use mentioned

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou’s seven volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope and joy, achievement and celebration. In this first volume of her autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evoker her childhood with her grandmother in the American South of the 1930s. She learns the power of the white folks at the other end of town and suffers the terrible trauma of rape by her mother’s lover.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Racism & racial slurs
White supremacy & mentions of the Klu Klux Klan
Sexism
Rape of a child
Sexual assault
Chronic bronchitis
Alcohol consumption
Smoking
Dead body
Murder
Physical assault

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

Forty years after her death, Janis Joplin remains among the most compelling and influential figures in rock-and-roll history. Her story is one of a girl who struggled against rules and limitations, yet worked diligently to improve as a singer. It’s the story of an outrageous rebel who wanted to be loved, and of a wild woman who wrote long, loving letters to her mom. And finally, it’s the story of one of the most iconic female musicians in American history, who died at twenty-seven.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Alcohol consumption
Recreational drug use
Overdose