Trigger Warning: A Novel

by Jacinda Townsend

A new novel about the enduring trauma of police brutality by the award-winning author of Mother Country

She’d gotten no trigger warning. And her entire life, she wanted to scream now, had deserved a trigger warning.

Early in life, Ruth survived a series of devastating Her little brother died from a childhood illness, her mother died of grief, and then her father was shot by the police right in front of their home. In the years following her father’s murder, Ruth pushes her past underground. She changes her name and moves to Kentucky, marries a man named Myron, and together they raise a kid. It’s been two decades, and she is, by outside measures, living a good life—but why doesn’t it feel good? When her marriage comes to a sudden end, their house burns down in the middle of the night, and she learns that her estranged sister has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Ruth is jolted back into action. She flees again, this time back to her home state of California, with her nonbinary teenager in tow, perhaps ready at last to face her pain and retrieve her former self.

Searing, surprisingly witty, and deeply human, Trigger Warning is a novel about the durational aftermath of anti-Black police violence. Through the perspectives of Ruth and Myron, and those of their friends and their child, Townsend explores divorce and desire, the heartbreaking brevity of parenting, the push and pull of old friendships, and the possibility, after incredible trauma, of reconnecting to what makes us feel alive.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2025

About the author

Jacinda Townsend grew up in Southcentral Kentucky. She studied at Harvard University and Duke University Law School before receiving her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Since receiving her MFA she has been a Fulbright fellow to Côte d’Ivoire, a Carol Houck Smith fiction fellow at the University of Wisconsin, and a Hurston-Wright Award finalist. She lives in Bloomington, Indiana and teaches creative writing at Indiana University.

Reviews

[Jillian B · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the time Ruth graduated high school, she had already lost three close family members: her little brother, to illness; her mother, to a sudden medical event; and her father, to a traumatic police shooting. So when it’s time to go to university, she cuts nearly all ties to her past—including her relationship with her big sister. The new Ruth, living on the other side of the country, has a new last name, a new backstory, and no siblings.

But running from trauma never lasts. Decades later, now a mom in her late forties, Ruth’s marriage has crumbled and she’s fighting over custody of her kid, Enix. She gets word that her sister now has MS, and decides it’s time to reestablish contact. So she grabs Enix and hits the open road, finally heading home. And her ex-husband must face the fact that he never knew the real Ruth.

This was a really interesting look at the way people are shaped by trauma. Ruth is a sometimes unlikeable character, and not in the trendy “unhinged, morally grey woman” way. Rather, her actions are those of someone who dealt with unspeakable things at a young age and has never healed or really let anyone else in. The interpersonal dynamics in this book —between Ruth and her best friend, her husband, her child—all show what it’s like to be this person who hasn’t processed their feelings about the most meaningful thing that ever happened to them.

This is a serious read with moments of tension-breaking humour. I would for sure recommend it to lit fic fans.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC!

[Annie Tate Cockrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels similar to All Fours in that it’s a midlife coming of age story, they also both involve road trips - the meat of both books is quite different though. In Trigger Warning we get multiple povs but I would say our main character is Ruth, a woman who’s going through a divorce while also trying to grieve from her childhood. Ruth’s been lying to everyone in her life about the circumstances of her childhood and it all catches up with her once they start to go through a divorce. It’s a book about family, motherhood, family history, and much more. Thanks to Graywolf for sending me this advanced copy and I’m looking forward to the pub date on September 16th.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 10/10 novel with a focus on how police brutality can traumatize you. I was a huge fan of Ruth’s calendar. Not only has she been through so much in childhood but the hits keep on coming when she tries to start anew and ends up dealing with an ending marriage and another tragedy.
The way Ruth chooses to face her demons head on is inspiring. The themes in this book are timelessly relatable and it really hits home right now in this country. A most relatable read, this will open up your eyes.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I’m a little bit of an outlier in my opinion of the book, so you’ll probably find that other reviewers have rated it a lot higher than myself.

The intent of the subject matter is hard hitting and it should have really kept me invested, sadly it was all a bit heavy for me and because of that it dragged a bit. The writing is solid and the narration was excellent I just found it all a bit much. Just a personal opinion.

I’m grateful to HighBridge audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger Warning is a book about so many things grief, survival, identity, and the way unresolved trauma can shape who you are, especially later in life. Ruth, the central character, was completely dynamic to me. She lost so much early on her brother, her father to police brutality, and the fragile stability of her family. By the time she reaches her 40s, she’s faced with new layers of trauma: divorce, death, and the echoes of her past resurfacing in ways she can’t ignore.

What struck me most is how Townsend shows that the people closest to you may not fully see or understand your pain unless they themselves are triggered by something else. Ruth’s journey is about carrying invisible weight, and the audiobook makes that weight audible.

✨ Themes that resonated:
- 🌀 Unresolved trauma — how it lingers, resurfaces, and reshapes identity across decades.
- 💔 Family and loss — Ruth’s relationships with her sister and her child, Enix, who is nonbinary, add tenderness and complexity.
- ⚖️ Social commentary — police brutality, systemic injustice, and the silence that survival sometimes demands.
- 🌿 Moments of reprieve — romance and humor woven in, offering breath between the heaviness.
- 👥 Multiple POVs — the shifting perspectives deepen the story, showing how trauma reverberates across lives and generations.

This was not an easy listen, but it felt necessary. Townsend balances the pain with humanity, and for readers of literary fiction, this is a deeply rewarding experience even if it may not be for everyone. Ruth eventually faces her demons, and that reckoning makes the story feel both devastating and dynamic.

🎙️ Narration Note: Adenrele Ojo delivers a performance that elevates the entire book. She embodies Ruth and the surrounding cast with such passion that, although it’s a single-narrator audiobook, it feels like a full ensemble. Artfully done, deeply alive, and unforgettable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5) — for its emotional depth, dynamic narration, and the way it lingers long after the last chapter.

I received an advanced audiobook copy for free in exchange for a honest review. All opinions stated are my own and are left voluntarily.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. As I read it, I was fighting with myself, one part wanting to read every chance I got, the other wanting to wait so it wouldn’t have to end. I feel like I know the characters, as if they’re part of my life. It’s in part a reflection on grief and how it impacts us. I want to read it again.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was incredibly fortunate to have been given an ARC of this book from Gray Wolf Press. Words cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. The subject matters are not light fare, but the author's portrayal of these wonderfully flawed characters is nothing short of incredible.

[Caroline Hagood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Townsend has written another heart-stopper. This book is as brilliant as it is timely, raising crucial questions of both parenting and political violence that will leave you thinking deeply for a long time after.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous rendering of a family in crisis. Ruth and Myron are flawed, deeply complex, and never not hilarious. I’ll also be thinking about Enix any time I think of how people write children. Just such a great book.

[elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book

[April Baer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a lot to like and learn from in the approach, blending a lot of wisdom about generational, trauma, together with every day, feelings and interactions.

[Bridget Johnson (Jameson)]

I got to 50% which is usually my threshold to just power through, but I just can’t get into this.