These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love… and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Transmisia
  • Self-harm
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Graphic blood & gore depiction
  • Murder
  • Kidnapping

Spare by Prince Harry and J.R. Moehringer

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last. Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & racial slurs
  • Parental divorce & infidelity
  • Familial estrangement
  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Agoraphobia
  • Suicidal ideation mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Drug use (cigarettes, psychedelics, cocaine, marijuana)
  • Pregnancy, childbirth & miscarriage
  • Weight loss & gain mentioned
  • Physical injury and illness (frostbite, trench foot)
  • Death of a mother in a car accident
  • Death of an ex-partner from suicide
  • Death of a friend in a car accident and avalanche
  • Death of grandparents and great-grandmother mentioned
  • Stalking and harassment by the paparazzi and news organisations
  • Military service and deployment
  • Animal death including hunting and butchering
  • Injury of a pet dog

*Context : Mentions of intimate photos released without consent; Prince Harry’s uncle being accused of paedophilia and sexual violence.

The Empress of Time by Kylie Lee Baker

Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami Ren Scarborough is no longer the girl who was chased out of England—she is the Goddess of Death ruling Japan’s underworld. But her problems have never been greater. Her Shinigami see her as a foreigner on the throne. Her brother, Neven, is gone, lost in the deep darkness. And her fiancé, Hiro, has been killed by her own hand. Then Ren receives the most troubling news yet—Reapers have been spotted in Japan, and it’s only a matter of time before Ivy, now Britain’s Death Goddess, comes to claim her revenge. Ren’s last hope is to appeal to the god of storms and seas, who can turn the tides to… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Cannibalism
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Death of a mother mentioned
  • Death of a fiancé by stabbing mentioned
  • Death of a brother
  • Murder
  • Torture

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price. When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & colourism
  • Classism
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Medical experimentation
  • Murder
  • Torture
  • Kidnapping

They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta

An Indian American daughter reveals how the dangerous model minority myth fractured her family in this searing, brave memoir.

How do we understand ourselves when the story about who we are supposed to be is stronger than our sense of self? What do we stand to gain — and lose — by taking control of our narrative? These questions propel Prachi Gupta’s heartfelt memoir and can feel particularly fraught for immigrants and their children who live under immense pressure to belong in America… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Sexual assault
  • Domestic abuse
  • Depression
  • Suicidal ideation

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

Raised in a conservative and emotionally volatile Palestinian family in Brooklyn, Yara thought she would finally feel free when she married a charming entrepreneur who took her to the suburbs. She’s gotten to follow her dreams, completing an undergraduate degree in Art and landing a good job at the local college. As a traditional wife, she also raises their two school-aged daughters, takes care of the house, and has dinner ready when her husband gets home. With her family balanced with her professional ambitions, Yara knows that her life is infinitely more rewarding than her own mother’s. So why doesn’t it feel like enough?.. Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Sexism
  • Racism
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Anxiety & depression

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

Greta lives with her friend Sabine in an ancient Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York. She spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach who calls himself Om. She becomes infatuated with his newest client, a repressed married woman she affectionately refers to as Big Swiss, since she’s tall, stoic, and originally from Switzerland. They both have dark histories, but Big Swiss chooses to remain unattached to her suffering while Greta continues to be tortured by her past… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Homomisia
  • Bimisia
  • Rape
  • Cheating
  • Domestic violence
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Suicide recounted
  • Eating disorder
  • Drug use & abuse
  • Physical assault recounted
  • Animal cruelty (dog)

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

Geeta’s no-good husband disappeared five years ago. She didn’t kill him, but everyone thinks she did–no matter how much she protests.

But she soon discovers that being known as a “self-made” widow has some surprising perks. No one messes with her, no one threatens her, and no one tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for her business; no one wants to risk getting on her bad side by not buying her jewelry… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Misuse of prescription drugs
  • Emesis

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick

Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a plan: to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.

But then Stevie has a terrible fall. And when she comes to, she can remember nothing of the last two years—not California, not coming to terms with her sexuality, not even Nora… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Queermisia including parental disownment and forced outing
  • Religious trauma
  • Child abuse, on-page (sc)
  • Toxic friendship
  • Amnesia
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Teen pregnancy mentioned
  • Coma
  • Hospitalisation

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption–yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it)… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism discussed
  • Parental abandonment
  • Panic attacks
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Hospitalisation for a broken arm