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.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism
Publication year 1981
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction
American author Tobias Wolff, known for memoirs like In Pharaoh's Army (1994) and short stories like “Bullet in the Brain” (1995), published “Hunters in the Snow” in 1981 in his first collection of short stories, In the Garden of North American Martyrs. The story is believed to be inspired by the painting Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel. The story, narrated from a third-person limited perspective, focuses on the relationship between three characters: Tub... Read Hunters in the Snow Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure
I Am Pilgrim is a 2014 spy thriller by Terry Hayes. The work was his first novel and became a New York Times bestseller. He worked as a journalist before transitioning to writing for film and television. His major credits include Payback, Mad Max 2 (released as The Road Warrior in the US), and Dead Calm.Content Warning: This study guide and its source material discuss recreational drug use, death by suicide, depictions of torture, and... Read I Am Pilgrim Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Indian Literature
The novel Cracking India (first published as Ice-Candy-Man in 1980), by Bapsi Sidhwa, explores the civil war that occurred during the Partition of India in 1947. The political and social upheaval engendered by independence and Partition included religious intolerance that led to mass violence, killings, mutilations, rapes, dismemberments, and the wholesale slaughter of infants, children, men, and women, along with the displacement of millions of refugees—Hindus fleeing to India and Muslims fleeing to Pakistan.Told from... Read Ice Candy Man Summary
Publication year 1910
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Inspirational, Lyric Poem, Relationships
... Read If— Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Biography
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen is narrative nonfiction true crime book published in 2019. It documents the story of Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek, sisters who survived living with their mother, Shelly Knotek, who would ultimately be responsible for the infamous Raymond torture killings in Washington State. Olsen specializes in writing crime-related narratives about people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances... Read If You Tell Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: European, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Insurgent, by Veronica Roth, is the second novel in the three-part Divergent series and describes a revolution in a post-apocalyptic Chicago. That society is founded upon principles that divide people into factions based on their personalities and function within the society. The selfless belong to Abnegation; the brave belong to Dauntless; the intelligent belong to Erudite; the honest belong to Candor; and the peacemakers belong to Amity. Each 16 year old undergoes an aptitude test to... Read Insurgent Summary
Publication year 1983
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: African
“In the Shadow of War,” a fictional short story by Nigerian author Ben Okri, was first published in the London magazine West Africa in 1983. Five years later, Okri included a revised version in his collection Stars of the New Curfew, which has been out of print since 2004. This anthology marked a point in Okri’s career during which he began to incorporate more magical and fantastical elements into his otherwise realist writing. Okri was... Read In the Shadow of War Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Animals, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Leadership/Organization/Management, Children's Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Poverty, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Romance, Humor, LGBTQ, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 410
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community, Society: War
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Military / War, Mythology, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Gender / Feminism, Leadership/Organization/Management, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mystery / Crime Fiction