YOU’RE NO BETTER may not be a traditional horror novel - I’m not quite sure what I consider it - but nevertheless, it explores the aftershocks of extreme childhood violence in plain, ugly detail. (It’s a serial killer book by AJW. What did you expect.) Content warnings include:
Backstory/discussions of:
- Kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder
- Child abuse and grooming, including forcing a child to witness or participate in the above
- The “troubled teen industry,” the adoption industry, past hospitalization, and psychiatric mistreatment
On-page:
- Narrative focus on child abuse (physical and emotional) and true crime’s exploitation of abuse and trauma for “content”
- Graphic violence, including assault and manslaughter
- Sexual harassment and attempted assault
- Queerphobia, transphobia, and ableism; threats of queerphobic violence, forced closeting, misgendering, and medical/psychiatric neglect
- Mental health crises; intrusive thoughts, autistic meltdowns, self-medication with alcohol/alcohol abuse, self-harm (physical and emotional), suicidality
- Confinement
- Hospitalization (minor, after injury) and foster care
This story has a happy ending, or at least a hopeful one. A more general list of content warnings also exists in the author's note at the front of the book.