Stephen King suitable for a 12 year old

[Chaosofcalm]

My niece has read a couple of Stephen King’s story stories at school and she would like some more Stephen King books for her birthday. Which ones would be suitable?

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.

Gwendys button box

The talisman

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

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!)

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 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.

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 am listening to The Stand and I would say def not for 12 year olds. Teh characters are very unlovely, believeable but not nice, and I was listening to a shoot out earlier, one had his face blown off, a woman blown across the room, about 6 horrible deaths in one chapter!

And I am still haunted by the juggernaut running over his 3 year old son in Pet Semetary.

What do people think about cujo?
My 12 yr old is asking to ready Stephen king too. I haven’t let him read any yet but thought I might give him The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
I read loads as a teenager but can’t remember much of them. The bit I most remember from any of the books is the same as Sumo1.

I read the Stand for the first time when I was 11. I even did a book report for it when I was 13 LOL. It has graphic sex, but honestly other than raising an eyebrow at the male rape it (which I totally didn't get at 11 in 1992), I won't say I'm scarred for life.

I don't know. I guess because I was a pretty sexually naiive 11 year old I just skimmed over that stuff and focused on the stuff I understood better and found more interesting.

I wouldn't say any to be honest. I would wait until she is of an age to "enjoy" the books, to savour the darkness - late teenage angst is the time that horror books come into their own!

Reading without understanding - and at 12 I would hope she would NOT understand the deep dark recesses of SK - is not really "worth" it - better to read books with less - adult?? - not really the word I'm searching for - themes

The first two I read at that age were Misery and Four Past Midnight. I don’t recall anything unsuitable, but it was quite a long time ago so I could be wrong.

The short story books skeleton crew ? 9

Honestly, I’d wait. With the exception of The Eyes of the Dragon (highly suitable and a great story) plus some of the short stories (but these would be in a collection with other not suitable ones) I don’t think any are really appropriate for a 12 year old. I wouldn’t ever censor reading so if dd picked one up I’d let her continue but I wouldn’t actively direct her to SK just yet. Even the more benign ones are quite dark or just a bit complicated for younger readers. I don’t remember anything alarming in 11.22.63 but I don’t expect most 12 year olds would be all that interested without the historical context. And Firestarter, which I read recently and didn’t see anything I’d consider inappropriate for a mature 12 year old still, I think, would leave most young teens a bit cold. Or at least, they’d miss a lot of what makes it a good book. So why would you, when there are so many other books out there? I’d rather they discovered authors for themselves in their own time - I think they are more likely to keep reading them then, and SK in my view is too good a storyteller to be rejected on the basis of a bad experience early on.

Someone could correct me, but I don't think the Dark Tower series has anything overly sexual, I mean, there is sex, but it's pretty tame sex.
Neither does the Talisman, which he wrote with Peter Straub.

Agree with previous posters that of all the spine chillingly gruesome things that happen in Stephen king's books the thing that affected me the most was the guy running over his three year old son in Pet Sematary - in fact, think that is the only book I could not bring myself to reread!

Can't believe suggestions of Misery for 12! I couldn't read as an adult, it made me feel very sick.
I've read most of his others, but wouldn't be happy if my niece/nephew were reading those at 12. Your DD may be mature and able to read it, but I would wait a couple of years. What about starting her on the old Point Horror books?
Like PPs said, the vast majority of horror in king books, is not the monsters.

Rose Madder is not suitable for a 12yo! It has some pretty graphic descriptions of sexual assault.

I love SK, but I wouldn't recommend any of his work until she's a bit older. Even the less graphic stuff will probably contain themes she doesn't really grasp.

I have been a massive King fan since age 14 or so? 12 a bit young but they have already read some. If they like them.i don't see what harm they could do but encourage and foster a love of reading.

What do people think about cujo?

Not suitable either. I'm middle aged and I still find that one particularly distressing. 'Cujo just wanted to be a good dog', sob.

Cell is fairly harmless for Stephen King, I read Misery at 12 and loved it but I had a much stronger stomach then than now.

Salem's Lot is just a modern Dracula really, and again really good. From memory Insomnia wasn't too scary but I didn't find it very good either.

Not Rose Madder

The Eyes Of The Dragon was beautifully written for a competent young reader. A young person with an adult reading age.

Every single other Stephen King book was written to FRIGHTEN ADULTS. There are multiple references to rape in nearly every book. They are not for under 16s. I read H P Lovecraft at 11, if she is an excellent reader who enjoys being frightened, these are better. King depicts graphic child sex abuse in many of his books.