Tag Archives: PTSD & Trauma

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Refugee by Alan Gratz

Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world. Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety and freedom in America. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe. All three young people will go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Antisemitism
  • Blood depiction
  • Attempted suicide & suicidal ideation of a parent
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Physical injury
  • Physical assault
  • Police violence
  • Riots
  • Home invasion
  • Bombing
  • Imprisonment in concentration camps
  • War themes
  • Refugee experiences and displacement
  • Animal death

When You Find Me by PJ Vernon

When You Find Me by P.J. Vernon

Visiting her family’s South Carolina estate, socialite Gray Godfrey wakes from a night out to an empty bed. Her husband Paul is gone and a thrashing hangover has wiped her memory clean. At first, she’s relieved for the break from her tumultuous marriage; perhaps Paul just needed some space. But when his car is found abandoned on the highway, Gray must face the truth: Paul is gone. And Gray may not want him found. When a stranger named Annie calls claiming to know Paul’s whereabouts, Gray reluctantly accepts her help. But this ally is not what she seems: soon Annie is sending frightening messages and revealing… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Sexual assault of a child
  • Trauma
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Disappearance of a spouse

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

It’s been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah’s story–that she died proclaiming her faith. But it’s not true. I know because I was with her when she died. I didn’t say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah’s parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I’m not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did–and didn’t–happen that day. Except Sarah’s… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Alcoholism mentioned
  • Substance addiction mentioned
  • Overdose mentioned
  • Blood depiction
  • Death of a friend
  • School shooting
  • Bullying

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things. But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Panic attack
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Alcoholism & alcohol abuse
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of father from suicide
  • Death of a mother from a drug overdose

Triple-Duty Bodyguards by Lily Gold

Triple-Duty Bodyguards by Lily Gold

As one of the world’s most hated celebrities, I’m used to unwanted attention. But when I wake up one morning to find a mysterious man has broken into my house, I know I need security, fast. Enter “The Angels”, my three ex-military bodyguards: Glen, the Scottish sweetheart with the scarred face and gentle hands. Kenta, the long-haired soldier with the tattooed skin and secretive smile. And Matt, the blue-eyed, bad-tempered leader haunted by his military past. Having three gorgeous men guarding me 24-7 sounds like a dream come true, but it turns out to be a nightmare. They’re always here, watching me. Caring for me. Protecting… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Slut-shaming
  • Victim-blaming
  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Military Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) including flashbacks and night terrors
  • Dieting & weight loss mentioned
  • Blood & injury depiction
  • Hospitalisation
  • Needles mentioned
  • Emesis mentioned
  • Gun & knife violence
  • Torture recounted
  • Bombing
  • Kidnapping
  • Stalking (theme)

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableist language
  • Anxiety & depression
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Suicide mentioned
  • Physical injury
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a parent
  • Murder

Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology’s most well-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe. Featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story, Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated web-comic Lore Olympus brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age with this sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Rape
  • Sexual assault
  • Revenge pornography
  • Child abuse
  • Trauma & nightmares
  • Dissociation
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Smoking
  • Drugging
  • Kidnapping & captivity
  • Stalking

The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

Struggling with anxiety after witnessing a harrowing instance of gun violence, Manuel Soto copes through photography, using his cellphone camera to find anchors that keep him grounded. His days are a lonely, latchkey monotony until he’s teamed with his classmates, Sebastian and Caysha, for a group project. Sebastian lives on a grass-fed cattle farm outside of town, and Manuel finds solace in the open fields and in the antics of the newborn calf Sebastian is hand-raising. As Manuel aides his new friends in their preparations for the local county fair, he learns to open up, confronts his deepest fears, and even finds first love.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • PTSD & trauma
  • Panic attacks
  • Gun violence recounted

Sit, Stay, Love by Debbie Burns

Sit, Stay, Love by Debbie Burns

For devoted no-kill shelter worker Kelsey Sutton, rehabbing a group of rescue dogs is a welcome challenge. Working with a sexy ex-military dog handler who needs some TLC himself? That’s a different story. Kurt Crawford keeps his heart locked away from everyone. Well, everyone except the dogs who need his help…and always have his back. But as Kurt gets to know the compassionate, beautiful woman he’s been assigned to work with, he can’t help but feel a little puppy love…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from military service
  • Dogfighting recounted
  • Animal injury & surgery mentioned

Neon Hearts by Stefanie Simpson

Neon Hearts by Stefanie Simpson

Bea strikes up an online friendship with Josh, the mod of her disability support group, as she adapts to her new disabled reality after a serious accident. When the danger that’s dogged her for months closes in, she flees to Josh’s home during a terrible snowstorm, knowing he’s the only one she can go to. Josh needed to cut ties with his security job and life in Chadford, to seek solace in the hills and valleys of home. His intense connection and friendship with Bea made him second-guess his isolated life. He could protect her, but it would take him back to a dark place. Yet letting her go… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Panic attack
  • Memory loss
  • Physical injury, including brain trauma & nerve damage
  • Burn scars
  • Eyeball trauma
  • Chronic illness, including vertigo
  • Coma recounted
  • Heart attack & stroke mentioned
  • Physical assault recounted
  • Stalking
  • Car accident recounted
  • Fire recounted
  • Homelessness recounted