Loyalty & Betrayal

The texts in this thematic collection organized around the idea of Loyalty & Betrayal range from Dennis Lehane's Mystic River to Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat. But each book explores the idea in its own way, revealing the intricate ways we may maintain loyalty at all costs — or test the bonds of family and friend relationships through deep betrayal.

Sir Orfeo

by Anonymous

Publication year 1329

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Grief, Beauty, Music

Tags Narrative Poem, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Classic Fiction, Medieval, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy

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Slay

by Brittney Morris

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Masculinity, Race, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Science Fiction, Race & Racism, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction

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Slob

by Ellen Potter

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Justice, Science & Technology, Equality, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Appearance & Reality, Food, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Family, Siblings, Friendship, Mothers, Teamwork, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Community, Education

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, Bullying, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse

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So Far Gone

by Jess Walter

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Aging, Environment, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Action & Adventure, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Someone We Know

by Shari Lapena

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Marriage, Mothers, Conflict, Revenge, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Family, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Parenting, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

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Something Blue

by Emily Giffin

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Love, Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Relationships

Emily Giffin’s 2005 novel, Something Blue, is a work of contemporary fiction and the sequel to her debut, Something Borrowed (2004). In Something Borrowed, Darcy, a beautiful and self-absorbed Manhattan public-relations executive, believes that her looks entitle her to a charmed existence, complete with a handsome lawyer fiancé, Dex. Just before her wedding, this world implodes when she discovers that Dex is having an affair with her best friend, Rachel, forcing Darcy—who is secretly pregnant... Read Something Blue Summary

Something Borrowed

by Emily Giffin

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Aging, Forgiveness, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Shame & Pride, The Past, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Marriage, Wins & Losses, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Apathy, Conflict, Loneliness

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Relationships

Something Borrowed is a work of romantic fiction from author Emily Giffin, published in 2004. It was a critical and commercial success, earning rave reviews and landing a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. The novel was Giffin’s first, and she has published several more books in the same genre. Some of her other books include Love the One You’re With (2008), Heart of the Matter (2010), Where We Belong (2012), and Something... Read Something Borrowed Summary

Song Yet Sung

by James McBride

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, African American Literature, World History

Song Yet Sung by James McBride is a 2008 historical fiction novel that takes place in 1850 on the eastern shore of Maryland. The central character, Liz Spocott, is a runaway slave who experiences strange dreams of the future with disturbing images that the reader can recognize as twentieth-century scenes. The novel employs magical realism and weaves historically accurate details with supernatural elements. Themes of race, class, gender, geography, and the consequences of the institution... Read Song Yet Sung Summary

Sons and Lovers

by D. H. Lawrence

Publication year 1913

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Psychological Fiction, British Literature, World History, Romance

Sons and Lovers is a 1913 novel by English author D. H. Lawrence. The novel explores the relationship between Gertrude Morel and her son Paul, who live in a small mining town in North England at the turn of the 20th century. Though met with a lukewarm response on release, Sons and Lovers has since been critically reappraised as one of Lawrence’s most important works and has been adapted for film and television.Other works by... Read Sons and Lovers Summary

Spare

by Prince Harry

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Conflict, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags European History, Politics & Government, British Literature, Animals, Grief & Death, Depression & Suicide, Social Class, Relationships, Journalism, Bullying, World History, Biography

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Sphere

by Michael Crichton

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Loneliness, Mental Health, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Space, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure

Sphere (1987) is a novel by best-selling author Michael Crichton, the sixth novel he released under his own name but his 16th novel overall. The novel follows protagonist Norman Johnson as he travels to the bottom of the ocean with a team of scientists to explore an unknown spacecraft. Inside the craft is a sphere that when entered enhances imagination and allows people to manifest reality from their unconscious mind. Sphere was made into a... Read Sphere Summary

Spunk

by Zora Neale Hurston

Publication year 1925

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Loyalty & Betrayal, Revenge

Tags Harlem Renaissance, Women`s Studies, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, US History, Arts & Culture, Black Lives Matter, African American Literature

“Spunk” is a short story by Zora Neale Hurston published in 1925. Set in the rural Southern United States, “Spunk” follows the conflict that ensues when one man pursues another man’s wife. The story’s publication helped establish Hurston as a significant literary voice during the Harlem Renaissance. In 1989, George C. Wolfe adapted the story, along with content from two others by Hurston, into a play by the same name. Citations in this guide correspond... Read Spunk Summary

Spy School

by Stuart Gibbs

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Community, Teamwork, Safety & Danger, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Science & Technology, Childhood & Youth, Education, Power & Greed, Shame & Pride, Fear, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance, Good & Evil, Justice, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Fathers, Loneliness

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor

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Starside

by Alex Aster

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Starside (2026) is a romantasy novel by Alex Aster, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Lightlark saga. Aster is a notable figure in the BookTok literary phenomenon, where her viral social media pitch for Lightlark catapulted her from a rejected author to a bestselling sensation. As the first installment in a new series, Starside builds on the author’s established brand of high-stakes fantasy, fast-paced action, and romantic tension. The novel is set... Read Starside Summary