Sexual Harassment & Violence

We've carefully curated a Collection of titles that center the experiences and impacts of Sexual Harassment & Violence. Representing a broad range of voices and genres, these titles explore the personal and social effects of violation through violence and sexual harassment through literary forms that include memoirs, poetry, and fiction.

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction

Abbi Glines’s Until Friday Night is a young adult romance novel that follows the relationship between the two protagonists, Maggie Carlton and West Ashby. Maggie’s and West’s alternating first-person narratives reveal their complex feelings for each other and their struggles to navigate falling in love. Their evolving dynamic is the basis for the novel’s themes of Coping with Grief and Trauma, The Development of Teenage Romantic Relationships, and The Role of Communication in Healing. This... Read Until Friday Night Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Indigenous

Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Military / War, Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 1994

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., African American Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, History: World, Biography

Originally published in 1994, Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals primarily focuses on the 1957-58 school year at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, during which Beals was a member of the Little Rock Nine—the first group of Black students to attend the formerly all-white high school of 2,000 white students. Beals’s book, written for young-adult readers, speaks of her early life and her many adult accomplishments. Encouraged by school administrators and local... Read Warriors Don't Cry Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Great Depression, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Water for Elephants, a New York Times bestseller and author Sara Gruen’s third novel, was published in 2006 by Algonquin. The novel was adapted into a full-length film in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison.Gruen often features animals in her novels, and Water for Elephants is no exception, as she follows two lovers in a forbidden relationship set against the backdrop of a circus and its eclectic mix of characters and exotic animals. The... Read Water for Elephants Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Depression / Suicide, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson is a young adult science fiction novel that follows the coming-of-age story of Henry, a teenager whose life is in shambles. Hutchinson uses the first-person point-of-view of his protagonist to explore themes of family, grief, universal unknowns, and the development of identity. Published in 2016, Hutchinson’s novel questions the value of human life while incorporating science fiction elements to portray the smallness of human existence in the... Read We Are the Ants Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Incarceration, Relationships, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Psychology, Psychology

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver. It is an epistolary novel, comprising the letters that Eva Khatchadourian writes to her husband Franklin in the aftermath of their son’s crime. The novel explores themes of nihilism, motherhood, the relationship between violence and depravity, and much more. The book won the Orange Prize for Literature in 2005 and was adapted into an acclaimed feature film starring Tilda Swindon and John... Read We Need To Talk About Kevin Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: African , Journalism, Military / War, Politics / Government, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Biography

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda (1998) describes the Hutu majority’s slaughter of at least 800,000 Tutsis in 100 days in 1994—with author and journalist Philip Gourevitch documenting the meticulous planning behind the genocide. Gourevitch chastises the international community, especially the United States and France, for failing to stop the genocide in accordance with obligations under the Genocide Convention. Visiting Rwanda one year after... Read We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Parenting, Psychology, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Community, Identity: Race

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Psychology, Inspirational, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Biography


Publication year 1999

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Immigration, Society: War

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Historical Fiction


Publication year 1966

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Parenting, American Literature, Post-War Era, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence