do you think my precocious 13 year old might enjoy The Time travellers Wife

[cremolafoam]

it's ages since i read it and can't remeber if there is violence and kinkysex

i think she would really enjoy the concept and story

[cremolafoam]

.

[cornsilk]

I bought that yesterday!

[BroccoliSpears]

Isn't there quite a bit about her miscariage? Haven't read it for a long time, struggling to remember.

[theyoungvisiter]

I was reading that kind of stuff at 13. As long as she is unlikely to be upset about the stuff about miscarriages and the sad ending then I should think she'd be fine.

No worse than Jane Eyre for eg, which I read at 12.

[EmmyLou]

I'd say yes to Life of Pi, but no to Time Traveller's Wife.

I remember the heart wrenching miscarriage scene though. And irritating pool match and needless description of Iggy Pop gig (much as I like Iggy Pop).

Life of Pi deals with broad issues of belief and life.

IIRC, TTWife deals more with adult relationship issues (and the practical problems of time travel).

[TheMagnificent7]

Oh. Well I was going to finish it but now I know all the details. That's saved some time everyone, thanks.

[NigellaTheOriginal]

I'd have loved this as a 13 yr old. also life of pi. still love both.

[Takver]

I'd have liked this at 13 I'm sure - and if I hadn't been comfortable with it I would have stopped reading it or skipped the bits I didn't like (in fact TBH I still do this now - am quite sure that I didn't actually read the distressing bits mentioned). So it depends on your 13 yr old I suppose - will she read it and be upset, or just stop if she doesn't like it?

[theyoungvisiter]

magnificent7 - don't worry! There's lots that happens that's not mentioned on this thread. Neither the feet nor the miscarriages are a big plot spoiler.

TBH you know from quite early on that Something Bad happens to Henry (pool of blood in the clearing ring any bells?) so it doesn't come as a big surprise.

[UnderRated]

Yes to Life of Pi. Haven't read Time Traveller's Wife but I heard her read from her new book a few weeks ago and it was very good.

[Monkeytrousers]

Yes there is a tiny amount of sexual stuff that I think might be inapropriate for a 13 year old - not a 16 year old though. I'd wait a few years.

[NigellaTheOriginal]

i read much more explicit stuff at 13/14 ish than i would now. (think cosmo/jackie collins etc).

[fishie]

not if she has any sense, it is derivative and silly.

[Monkeytrousers]

Um yeah Fishie - thanks for that

I do like the sex stuff - it is more honest and very erotic at times. Better than Jackie Collins anyway.

I dont; have girls though, but I'd have thought Harry Potter was more appropriate at her age, reading about realtionships first, getting to grips with them and how to remain an indivisdual etc, before the sex stuff?

[theyoungvisiter]

sorry I agree with Nigella - perhaps 13-year-olds have got more innocent since I was one, but at that age I was reading some pretty steamy stuff.

I can remember MORE magazine being passed around the classroom at age 11 with position of the fortnight etc etc.

Time Traveller's Wife is positively coy compared to most of the stuff we were passing between desks at the time!

[nooka]

MT if she is a precocious 13 year old she probably read HP several years ago (well except for the last one I guess) and is wanting to read adult books now. I read lots of probably inappropriate books when I was growing up, as I just helped myself to everyone else's books (I am the youngest of four) including my parent's large collection and the libraries adult section too. I can't remember The Time Travellers Wives, but I do know that I used historical fiction and science fiction as the bridge between children and adult fiction.

[Moomin]

I read the Godfather when I was 12 (spot the child whose reading material wasn't vetted at all!)

but I would say it was ok - it's more thought-provoking than inappropriate I'd have thought. Has she read His Dark Materials yet?
and what about some of the modern classics:
To Kill a Mockingbird
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry
Catcher in the Rye
etc?

[Monkeytrousers]

I read To the Devil a daughter when about 11 - and The Howling when about 13 - really shit books but I had not way of assessing quality then.

The TTW is a quality book and deals with lots of themes - I think the main theme is about learning to appreciate the moment though - I'm not sure a 13 year old will have any problem doing that anyway - I mean it can;t hurt.

Do you think you will read it with her Cremola? Talk to her about it? That would be fine/ideal, espcially to help her (nearly understadn) the more subtle things in it. She will rememer them and it will probably make her a more sophistcated reader as she's growing [sile]

[cremolafoam]

ok she has read HP over and over all of philip pullman including ruby in the dust which has darker themes, catcher in the rye,loads of darren shan, the book thief which she loved,boy in the striped pajamas,the shadow of the wind, also loved it because of the cemetary of books,
chocolat, the incident of the dog in the nighttime,
also jaqueline wilson books for older readers
she also watches Ncis on telly which has adult themes.

Honestly she will read anything i give her.The only thing that really concerns me is that she would find it hard to follow. i loved this book and it made me weep buckets on a plane once but mostly it was to do with Alba.

[MagdaleneBunting]

That's why most people give up isn;t it - they think they have to keep trackof what is happeining when in two timelines but they don't...could be a lesson in itself (it's MT btw)

[filthymindedvixen]

At 13 we were all reading that Virginia Andrews shit (complete with some very odd sexual themes IIRC), Stephen King (with gratuitous sex/violence themes and that innfamous Lace book (because of the sex!)

What I actually read for pleasure at that age (rather than what all my friends were reading, so as not to feel left out) was Agatha Christie, Dodie Smith (I capture The Castle), The Catcher in The Rye (and other JD Salinger), To Kill a Mockingbird, there are loads of beautiful books out there for a precocious 13-yr-old

[filthymindedvixen]

sorry, I see she has read Catcher in the rye...