Tag Archives: Racism

This page lists books that contain trigger warnings for the depiction of racism.

See also White supremacy, Islamophobia, Antisemitism, and Antiziganism.

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

Rivals by Katharine McGee

Beatrice is queen, and for the American royal family, everything is about to change.

Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davis—but the more serious they get, the more complicated things become. Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationships…and this time will the broken heart be her own?

Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world.. Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Misogyny
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Drug use & abuse
  • Death of a parent
  • Car accident

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury

Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism mentioned
  • Fatmisia & body shaming discussed
  • Sexual assault of a child recounted
  • Grooming
  • Physical child abuse & neglect recounted including confinement, off-page
  • Suicide mentioned, off-page
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Teen pregnancy mentioned
  • Body horror
  • Loss of autonomy (possession)
  • Animal attack (birds)
  • Animal death (goat), off-page

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjej-Brenyah

Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from America’s own.

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America’s increasingly dominant private prison industry. It’s the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom… Read more.

Goodreads

Trigger and Content Warnings

  • Racism & racial slurs
  • Homomisia
  • Rape
  • Self-harm
  • Suicide mentioned
  • Blood, gore & injury depiction
  • Emesis
  • Murder
  • Torture
  • Police brutality