Tag Archives: Grief & Loss Depiction

This page lists books that contain trigger warnings for the depiction of grief and loss depiction.

Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison

Sutton and Ethan Montclair’s idyllic life is not as it appears. They seem made for each other, but the truth is ugly. Consumed by professional and personal betrayals and financial woes, the two both love and hate each other. As tensions mount, Sutton disappears, leaving behind a note saying not to look for her. Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton Montclair. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Suicide
  • Alcohol consumption & drug use
  • Abortion
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a son from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue’s taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders. Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & racial slurs
  • Hate crime
  • Physical child abuse
  • Blood & gore depiction and emesis
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a mother
  • Murder
  • Gun violence
  • Police brutality

Bound by Firelight by Dana Swift

After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa’s punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay. Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante… but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a parent
  • Torture
  • False imprisonment (on-page, protagonist)
  • War themes & mass death

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey

Kate is a bit of a mess. Two years after losing her young husband Cameron, she’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad at her university fundraising job, always dropping the ball—and yet clinging to her sense of humor. Lurching from one comedic crisis to the next, she also navigates an overbearing mom and a Tinder-obsessed best friend who’s determined to matchmake Kate with her hot new neighbor. When an in-flight problem leaves Kate and her boss, Hugh, stranded for a weekend on the east coast of Australia, she finally has a chance, away from her son, to really… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Miscarriage
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a husband from early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Death of a partner from cancer mentioned
  • Car accident

Death Note, Vol. 2: Confluence by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Light thinks he’s put an end to his troubles with the FBI—by using the Death Note to kill off the FBI agents working the case in Japan! But one of the agents has a fiancée who used to work in the Bureau, and now she’s uncovered information that could lead to Light’s capture. To make matters worse, L has emerged from the shadows to work directly with the task force headed by Light’s father. With people pursuing him from every direction, will Light get caught in the conflux?

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Rape mentioned
  • Heart attack
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a fiance recounted
  • Murder & attempted murder (on- & off-page)
  • Gun violence recounted
  • Bus-jacking recounted
  • Illegal & unethical surveillance and invasions of privacy by law enforcement

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already. But when PJ reads an obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Domestic abuse
  • Grief-related alcoholism (protagonist)
  • Death of a daughter recounted
  • Death of parents mentioned
  • Murder-suicide

A Risk on Forever by N.S. Perkins

When Matthias Phillips imagined the new caretaker for his mother with ALS, the last thing he had in mind was a gorgeous twenty-something who didn’t look like she had a day of experience in the field. However, his mother has always been stubborn, and despite his objections, she’s insistent: it’s Adelaide Samson she wants him to hire. After losing her job, Adelaide needs a new gig to continue supporting her family, even if that means working for overprotective and rude Matthias. Once she earns his trust, though, she gets to see a whole other side of him—a funny, sweet… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Parent with depression
  • Chronic illness (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS))
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a parent recounted (on-page)

Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli

Adriana Russo is figure skating royalty, born to gold-medalist parents and an equally talented sister. Adriana’s dream? To conquer the Junior World Championships and uphold the family legacy. But when the family’s legendary skating rink faces financial ruin, everything she’s worked for is at risk. Training with her new partner, Brayden, sparks an let the world believe their on-ice chemistry isn’t only for show. The fake-dating gains traction, and Adriana realizes maybe she actually is falling for Brayden. But then her past crashes into her present and changes everything… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Alcohol consumption
  • Hospitalisation for sports injury
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a parent discussed

Queso, Just in Time by Ernesto Cisneros

Quetzalcóatl Castillo—Queso for short—has had an ache in his heart that won’t go away ever since his father’s death. More than anything, he wishes he could spend time with his dad again. After whispering that wish one night under the light of the moon, Queso wakes up the next morning in 1985. With 12-year-old Pancho—the kid who will grow up to be his dad. Even though he has no idea what to do, Queso is just happy to be by his dad’s side again. But while Pancho is confident when scoring on the foosball table or standing up to bullies, he doesn’t think he’s smart enough to reach for his dreams. If only Pancho believed in himself the… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Homophobia & transphobia
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Murder of a father (shot during a home invasion)
  • Bullying

The Coldest Winter by Brittainy C. Cherry

I met Milo Corti during his self-destructive era, and he met me during mine. That night when we crossed paths at a college party, we only had one goal in mind: to feel good during our personal hell storms. After we parted ways, I’d planned to never see him again. That was until I showed up to my first day as a student-teacher and I found him sitting right there in front of me.⁣ Now I was forced to cross paths with the person who was meant to be nothing more than a fading memory. The more time we spent together, the more drawn I felt… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Teacher-student relationship
  • Depression
  • Grief & loss depiction (theme)