Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas

Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas

Ollie and Moritz might never meet, but their friendship knows no bounds. Their letters carry on as Ollie embarks on his first road trip away from the woods–no easy feat for a boy allergic to electricity–and Moritz decides which new school would best suit an eyeless boy who prefers to be alone.

Along the way they meet other teens like them, other products of strange science who lead seemingly normal lives in ways Ollie and Moritz never imagined possible: A boy who jokes about his atypical skeleton; an aspiring actress who hides a strange deformity; a track star whose abnormal heart propels her to victory. Suddenly the future feels wide open for two former hermits. But even as Ollie and Moritz dare to enjoy life, they can’t escape their past, which threatens to destroy any progress they’ve made. Can these boys ever find their place in a world that might never understand them?

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Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Attempted rape
  • Forced drug use
  • Terminal cancer
  • Death of a mother
  • Death of a friend
  • Drowning mentioned
  • Bus accident
  • Bullying mentioned

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

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Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Sexual assault
  • Child abuse
  • Cheating
  • Dieting discussed
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The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Mermaid, the Witch & the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, and don’t feel. But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is en route to a dreaded arranged marriage with her own casket in tow. Flora doesn’t expect to be taken under Evelyn’s wing, and Evelyn doesn’t expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian.

Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood, which causes men to have visions and lose memories) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Homomisia
  • Slavery & human trafficking
  • Misogyny
  • Rape & sexual assault mentioned
  • Child abuse & neglect
  • Forced arranged marriage
  • Alcoholism & alcohol abuse
  • Starvation
  • Blood depiction & physical injury
  • Emesis
  • Murder
  • Graphic torture (on-page)
  • Whipping
  • Hanging mentioned
  • Imprisonment
  • Poverty themes
  • Homelessness
  • War & colonialism themes
  • Animal abuse & death

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will.

Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Misogyny
  • Classism
  • Slut-shaming
  • Attempted sexual assault (nonconsensual kiss, on-page & discussed)
  • Child abuse recounted
  • Arranged & nonconsensual marriages discussed
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Blood & gore depiction, including dead bodies
  • Graphic physical injuries
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a brother
  • Death of a mother & father (off-page)
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Torture (off-page)
  • Gun violence
  • Knife violence & stabbing
  • Fire
  • Drowning
  • Shipwreck
  • Kidnapping & captivity
  • War themes, including regicide, rebellion, coup & colonialism

A Ferry of Bones & Gold by Hailey Turner

A Ferry of Bones & Gold by Hailey Turner

Patrick Collins is three years into a career as a special agent for the Supernatural Operations Agency when the gods come calling to collect a soul debt he owes them. An immortal has gone missing in New York City and bodies are showing up in the wake of demon-led ritual killings that Patrick recognizes all too easily from his nightmares.

Unable to walk away, Patrick finds himself once again facing off against mercenary magic users belonging to the Dominion Sect. Looking for allies in all the wrong places, Patrick discovers the next target is the same werewolf the Fates themselves have thrown into his path. Patrick has been inexplicably attracted to the man from their first meeting, but desire has no place in war. That doesn’t stop Patrick from wanting what he shouldn’t have. Jonothon de Vere is gorgeous, dangerous, and nothing but trouble—to the case, to the fight against every hell, and ultimately, to Patrick’s heart and soul.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Ableism
  • Suicide mentioned
  • PTSD
  • Nightmares
  • Blood & gore depiction
  • Physical injury
  • Hospitalisation
  • Death of a parent mentioned
  • Torture
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We Speak in Storms by Natalie Lund

We Speak in Storms by Natalie Lund

It’s been more than 50 years since a tornado tore through a drive-in movie theater in tiny Mercer, Illinois, leaving dozens of teens — a whole generation of Mercerites — dead in its wake. So when another tornado touches down in the exact same spot on the anniversary of this small-town tragedy, the town is shaken.

For Brenna Ortiz, Joshua Calloway, and Callie Keller, the apprehension is more than just a feeling. Though they seem to share nothing more than a struggle to belong, the teens’ paths continue to intersect, bringing them together when they least expect it, and perhaps, when they need it most. Both the living and the dead have secrets and unresolved problems, but they may be able to find peace and move forward–if only they work together.

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Homomisia
  • Sexual assault
  • Cheating
  • Disordered eating
  • Terminal cancer
  • Death of a parent
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Children of the Whales, Vol. 10 by Abi Umeda

Children of the Whales, Vol. 10 by Abi Umeda

In an endless sea of sand drifts the Mud Whale, a floating island city of clay and magic. In its chambers a small community clings to survival, cut off from its own history by the shadows of the past.

The promised land of Amonlogia has turned out to be a nightmare for the people of the Mud Whale. Suou and the Unmarked are being held hostage, and in order to save them, Ouni and Chakuro agree to serve the duke as soldiers. Orca’s forces and an inevitable bloody battle draw ever closer, but the duke has a far darker mission in mind for Ouni—one that will rock the very foundations of Amonlogia! 

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Hostage situation
  • War themes & military violence
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Children of the Whales, Vol. 9 by Abi Umeda

Children of the Whales, Vol. 9 by Abi Umeda

In an endless sea of sand drifts the Mud Whale, a floating island city of clay and magic. In its chambers a small community clings to survival, cut off from its own history by the shadows of the past.

The Mud Whale has finally reached the shores of Amonlogia, but it quickly becomes clear that Sir Rochalízo wasn’t being entirely up-front when he said the people of the Mud Whale would all be welcome. His father the duke has placed harsh conditions on their citizenship, and they only have three days to agree…or face the consequences!

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Suicidal ideation
  • Gun violence
  • Torture mentioned
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Children of the Whales, Vol. 8 by Abi Umeda

Children of the Whales, Vol. 8 by Abi Umeda

In an endless sea of sand drifts the Mud Whale, a floating island city of clay and magic. In its chambers a small community clings to survival, cut off from its own history by the shadows of the past.

The promised haven of Amonlogia is closer than ever, but the dark history of the Mud Whale still poses a terrible threat to its people. Somehow, learning the truth about the past has freed Ouni’s thymia from all constraints, and he is forced to lock himself away to avoid hurting the others. But even with that precaution, his very presence is a danger to his people as imperial forces prepare to capture the daímonas and kill everyone else on the island!

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Suicide
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Children of the Whales, Vol. 5 by Abi Umeda

Children of the Whales, Vol. 5 by Abi Umeda

In an endless sea of sand drifts the Mud Whale, a floating island city of clay and magic. In its chambers a small community clings to survival, cut off from its own history by the shadows of the past.

The people of the Mud Whale have fought off the forces of the Allied Empire—for now—and their only hope for continued survival is to find an ally from beyond the Sea of Sand. So when the bombastic Captain Rochalízo sails his ship alongside their island, Mayor Suou is ready and eager to befriend the stranger. But even if Rochalízo can offer asylum, they have no way to navigate. That is, until the mysterious Aíma begins unlocking the Mud Whale’s secrets for Chakuro… 

GoodreadsThe Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings:

  • Gun violence
  • War themes & military violence
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