Stephen King suitable for a 12 year old

Not Rose Madder, It, Needful Things or Dolores Claiborne! All have very adult themes, not suitable for 12 year olds.

The Dark Tower series would be good. The Talisman, The Stand, Under the Dome, The Green Mile - might be okay for a mature teenager. Still some hard-hitting / distressing scenes in them though.

I read Misery and Carrie at that age and really enjoyed them. I wouldn’t recommend Shawshank as he is badly abused by the sisters in there and reading it as an adult was difficult for me.

Christine would probably be ok. The Green Mile maybe? I loved that one and found it quite magical as well as bloody sad.

I know I've already said if but honestly this is a really good one to start with. It has one mention of sex (not graphic) and is really not that scary but introduces you to SK style of writing.
After that maybe fire starter or misery?

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003BKZW2W/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I went through a Stephen King phase when I was 13 - I remember reading Salem's Lot, Carrie, The Dark Half, The Shining and IT. In retrospect, I wonder if my parents had a clue what was in these books (more the sex than the horror!) but it didn't particularly traumatise or scare me (although reread Salems lot aged 30 and was petrified!)

I was a very sheltered and naive teen generally, I think I found the graphic sex stuff boring and incidental to the rest of the story (though even I was aware the bit in IT where they all have sex to somehow stop the monster was a bit wrong!)

I would probably say Salems lot is the best one to read first (despite above comment!)

Eyes of the dragon, gunslinger/dark tower series. Talisman with peter straub.

Gwendys button box

The talisman

This thread for example has made me think about the chapter about the fire in the Blackspot in IT and it is harrowing in a few different ways as well as graphic. A very hard read for anyone, I think it could really be too much for a 12 year old. As a 34 year old woman now I won’t watch the new film! I don’t know what his short stories are like, or the Dark Tower books, they might be better. I’m not against young teens reading adult books but just because you are a precocious or advanced reader it doesn’t mean you can cope with what you read! I read all sorts I shouldn’t have before I was a teenager. From 14-15 I’d say full adult books are fine, but 12 is still young.

Sorry, I meant Joyland is a good call.

Joyland. Against a PP here - I wouldn't recommend Shawshank Redemption. It comes with three other stories and I've just had to abandon the second one as two upsetting. Very rare I do that. Shawshank itself is fantastic if you can get it alone.

Duma Key is creepy but good. Carrie, although see PP's reservations. And the JFK one is excellent although it does include domestic violence and weird sexual hangups.

Yes buglife

I read IT when I was 13 and it scared the crap out of me, I kept reading though! I overthought stuff though, so whilst I was drawn to reading scary things I also suffered a lot with reliving it and sleeping badly. Also Stephen King’s books are frightening beyond the monsters, they are quite dark and themes such as domestic abuse, sexual abuse, racial abuse etc are common. It depends on the child, but they are supposed to unsettle and unnerve and a child might not be able to handle that in the name of entertainment like an older teen/adult would.

X post Angel!

It's totally different to any of his others. In the introduction he says that his own then teenage daughter hated his books, but loved this one.

The Eyes of the Dragon.

Eyes of the dragon is aimed at young teens.

Lol @ macbeth.

Its not the same.

I wouldnt recommend any of them to a 12 year old. Some of the short stories are OK.

Not the gore, although some of them are horrific, but the sex. IT has that weird bit when all the 12 year olds have sex with each other.

I read a lot of them at that age but with my own kids would probably try and push it into teens. Some of it is pretty graphic/sexualised and not really a lot like MacBeth...

I would at least read a couple first and see what you think so you know what she’s reading. The JFK one is good but around 700 pages.

My 12 year old has been pestering me to read IT. He gave up after about 3 chapters, Steven King waffles a bit too much for him.

Yes, most of SK’s books are suitable from 12-13. They are scary yes, they have sexual themes yes, but nothing more so than Shakespeare etc which they are expected to study from that age anyway.

Carrie has sex, rape references etc, I wouldn't personally choose it.

Dolores Claiborne has child abuse as Giles says.

Perhaps "The Dome"?
I have a soft spot for "Rose Madder", and loved 11.22.63.

11.22.63 I would think would be suitable.

The girl who loved Tom Gordon is a good one to start with m.

Def not Gerald's Game!