Derek Landy - Huge Jump in Target Audience.

[talksensetome]

So DS is 11 and over the last couple of years he has read the Skullduggery series. I read them all before him and they seemed fine, gradually getting older in terms of target audience.

So after reading 8 of his books I assumed he was a pretty safe author and bout ds the next series he did Demon Road.

DS has read them and enjoyed them and I thought I would have a read. First book fine no problem. Second book has references to getting high on weed, girls being dynamite in bed and now a man who strangles sluts and whores.

This is a bit of a leap from demons and magic!

Luckily I have quite an open relationship with DS and we have touched on some of this stuff before but it has still shocked me a bit.

So just a little warning, don't be complacent with checking your child's books BEFORE they read them. I suppose when your child has a reading ability beyond their age this is the challenge you come across. I would be more ok with DS reading it in a few years but maybe not at 11.

Thanks, DS13 is also big on Mr Landy and I had no idea it had this kind of content. I think i will ask to read his latest (American Monsters, borrowed at the library) and then discuss issues with him.

The first of the trilogy isn't bad either, I think there is implied sex between Milo and a woman he meets but this second one has had me shocked a few times. It isn't the main point in the story but I just don't see the need to add stuff like that in. The demons and stuff is the focal point so he could have stuck with that.

The Skullduggery books definitely get more adult by the end. I agree the Demon road Trilogy is far more grown up but I personally I find the sex and subject matter are equal with the rather graphic gore content.
I always suggest reading YA books first before giving to your child/ teen if only so you can up the doors to a few trickier conversations. You don't have to read the whole series. The first and last books should give you a good overview of a long series.

Thanks for flagging this. Skullduggery was a huge favourite but will leave others for a bit older.

Sparrow I totally agree and usually do read books first as he reads at a much older age. I just got complacent as I thought it was a safe author.
I am not too bothered that he has read them, just wish we had talked through the issues as he was reading the books. We had a conversation very recently about smoking and other drugs so he is aware of things like weed etc, I just didn't think he would have read about it yet.

Darren Shan's Zom-B series caught me out. Well actually stupidly I asked DH if it was suitable for Ds2, 10 at the time, oh yes he said they are fine grrrr.

Commonsense media provides a good overview of content in books that parents might want flagged.

Ive been to a few book readings with Derek Landy (he's really funny btw. Worth going if you get a chance) and his audience is really varied. Quite a lot of older teens (especially girls) as well as pre teens. I think his audience has grown up while he has been writing and his books have moved on too I think.

Darren Shan is similar I think. He has an adult trilogy too which I quite enjoyed.