The Roses of May by Dot Hutchinson

The Roses of May by Dot Hutchinson

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Paedophilia
  • Incest
  • Rape & sexual assault
  • Eating disorder
  • Suicide
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Emesis
  • Murder
  • Stalking
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchinson

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchinson

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Paedophilia
  • Rape
  • Child abuse & neglect
  • Murder
  • Fire
  • Kidnapping & captivity
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

War-torn Germany. Four young people. Four dark secrets.

They come from different lands but each of them is hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies … and war.

As thousands of refugees flock to the coast, desperate to escape the advancing Red Army, the paths of four young people converge. All are hoping to board the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Antisemitism
  • Rape mentioned
  • Death from childbirth
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Death of a child
  • Death of a parent
  • Gun violence
  • Drowning
  • World War Two & the Holocaust
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

As I Lay Dying is Faulkner’s harrowing account of the Bundren family’s odyssey across the Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and mother. Narrated in turn by each of the family members — including Addie herself — as well as others; the novel ranges in mood, from dark comedy to the deepest pathos.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Rape
  • Sexual assault
  • Child sexual abuse
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

Melody Joo is thrilled to land her dream job as a video game producer, but her new position comes with challenges: an insufferable CEO; sexist male coworkers; and an infuriating—yet distractingly handsome—intern, Nolan MacKenzie, aka “the guy who got hired because his uncle is the boss.”

Just when Melody thinks she’s made the worst career move of her life, her luck changes. While joking with a friend, she creates a mobile game that has male strippers fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Suddenly Melody’s “joke” is her studio’s most high-profile project—and Melody’s running the show.

When Nolan is assigned to Melody’s team, she’s sure he’ll be useless. As their attraction deepens, she knows it’s time to pump the brakes, even with her Korean parents breathing down her neck to hurry up and find a man.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Racism
  • Sexism
  • Rape mentioned
  • Blackmail
  • Stalking
  • Cyber harassment
  • Doxxing

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Slavery
  • Rape
  • Child sex slavery
  • Child abuse recounted
  • Hallucinations
  • Murder recounted
  • Knife violence & stabbing
  • Torture
  • Shipwreck
  • War & rebellion themes
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Slavery
  • Rape mentioned
  • Recreational drug use
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • War themes
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Slavery
  • Misogyny
  • Classism
  • Slut shaming
  • Sexual harassment
  • Rape mentioned
  • Forced arranged marriage mentioned
  • Trauma & nightmares
  • Attempted suicide recounted
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Substance addiction
  • Nonconsensual drugging
  • Recreational drug abuse
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Physical injury
  • Emesis
  • Dead bodies
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a boyfriend recounted
  • Death of an mother & father recounted
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Knife violence
  • Poisoning
  • Torture
  • Whipping recounted
  • Imprisonment
  • Death by a fall
  • War & colonialism themes
  • Animal death & hunting mentioned
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Forced servitude & slavery
  • Misogyny
  • Classism
  • Persecution for witchcraft
  • Rape mentioned
  • Forced sex work
  • Child abuse recounted
  • Cheating mentioned
  • Trauma & nightmares
  • Attempted suicide (on-page)
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Graphic blood & gore depiction
  • Emesis
  • Dead bodies
  • Decapitation
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a boyfriend recounted
  • Death of an mother & father recounted
  • Death of a friend
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Imprisonment
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin’s Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas – together in one edition for the first time – Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn’s orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord• Alcohol consumption
• Blood & gore depiction
• Physical injuries
• Murder
• Knifer violence
• Physical assault
• Imprisonment
• Blackmail
• Building collapse
The Assassin and the Healer• Victim blaming
• Rape mentioned
• Sexual harassment
• Alcohol consumption
• Blood depiction
• Physical injury
• Emesis
• Death of a mother
• Murder
• Knife violence & stabbing
• Physical assault
• Hostage situation
The Assassin and the Desert• Adult-minor relationship
• Alcohol consumption
• Nonconsensual drugging
• Murder
• Torture
• Hostage situation
• Fire
The Assassin and the Underworld• Misogyny
• Slavery
• Slut-shaming
• Forced sex work
• Suicide
• Murder & attempted murder
• Torture
• Poisoning
• Fire
• Drowning
The Assassin and the Empire• Threats of rape
• Emesis
• Murder
• Torture
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com