13 minutes

[Fresta]

My dd has bought this book- she is 12- almost 13. Has anyone read this? Would you say it is suitable for her? Would you let your dd read it at this age? It seems to have reference to drugs, a sex scene, use of the f word etc. It was old in the Young adult section.

I haven’t but i have read other things by the same author i think. Take a look at the reviews on goodreads to get an idea of the plot and readers’ takes on it - it does sound a bit expletive-heavy but otherwise not much different in plot to all the angsty, betrayed-by-supposed-best-friend, point horror-type books i devoured at that age.

My general belief is that if a book is too old for a reader, or has a crap plot/characterisation as a result of it’s attempts to shock with language or violence, the reader will self-regulate by losing interest and not bothering to finish it. If it is good enough to hold the interest, then those aspects will either be integral to the plot or be forgiven and forgotten because of the gripping read. In your shoes, i would let her read it and if she likes it/finishes it, maybe read it yourself and chat to her about which bits you liked/ hated? FWIW, i read anything that interested me at that age from teenage tat to classics to adult horror, and still ended up with a first in English Lit and no major psychological damage.

Also, probably worth bearing in mind that anything you’re told is too old for you or unsuitable at that age instantly becomes catnip for reading illicitly...

I've had a look at the reviews and the main issue seems to be that sex and drugs are normalised in the plot as if they are part of normal teenage life without any consequences or judgement. Most of the reviews are form actual readers saying it's a good book. The ones from a parents perspective suggest it is more suitable for 16+

Well the characters are sixth formers, so over 16 - sex is a normal part of teenage life at that point. I think a younger reader would be aware of the age difference if they are old enough to find the book interesting. Drug taking - entirely up to you, but fwiw i don’t think anyone is swayed into drug taking by a novel they read rathed than peer-use by their friends. You know your DD best though. The reviews seem to me to emphasise that the worst thing about the book is how unlikable and unpleasant all the characters are, so for me i wouldn’t be worrying about anyone wanting to emulate them.

Fresca. My DD, the same age as yours, bought this book too but hasn't read it yet.

She wasn't sure how explicit the sex scene and drug taking was. I've just read it myself and sex, swearing, smoking and drugs are all featured in the book.

Most of the drug taking is weed and there is only one real sex scene described in the book (my DD would probably skip this bit) it's not really done in great detail. The F word features quite heavily but the girls in the book are Yr 12/13 so it's not too shocking.

I quite enjoyed the book although having read lots of psychological thrillers I must confess that I guessed the twist in the tale.

If DD wants to read it I wouldn't stop her. She's already read One of Us is Lying (Karen McManus) and The One Memory of Flora Banks (Emily Barr) which she loved. She started The Hate U Give but decided she wasn't ready for it and decided to leave until she was a little older.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for your replies- very helpful! Dd has decided that she’ll wait a little while before she it as she’s currently engrossed in the ‘gone’ series. I remember reading flowers in the attic around her age- I know she knows the difference like I did between fiction and reality!