Jodi Picoult

[schoty77]

Is she suitable for an 11yr old? DD has picked up two of her books from the library, The Pact and My Sisters Keeper. Have let her start on the latter assuming it’s the same as the film. DD is a keen reader and very mature, but still only 11. She has read those Maximum Ride books from James Patterson and we had no issue with content if that helps.

I'd say yes but also suggest that you read it too and discuss it. I'd say the pact is less suitable as the suicide theme may be too mature. Both are very mature themes but I let my teenager read whatever books he chooses so I'm perhaps not the best judge.

Iirc there's some sex scenes in my sisters keeper, and the ending is not the same. (Anna dies after getting emancipated and Kate then lives). I'd approach with caution as her books while wonderful have some loaded themes.

Gosh, I don't think I'd let my 11 year old read Jodi Picoult!

I would say no- the pact is about suicide and what happens at the end of my sisters keeper is not the same as the movie, I read it when I was 17 and cried for days

Thanks for the suggestions, I will read along with her. Not too worried about sex and whatnot, but I don’t think she’ll be reading The Pact as it does sound too mature. Have done a quick google and all her books seem to be rather confronting thematically so may have to give a hard no to future books by her.

Very hard to find books at her reading level while still theme appropriate! She’s read Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Divergent etc. but looking for something a bit more challenging now.

The writing style of the Jodi picoults is cringe-worthily pedestrian; I wouldn’t deliberately give them to an 11 year old for that reason. However I ploughed through all sorts on the 1980s at a similar age e.g. thorn birds, flowers in the attic, lace etc - I think reading junk you barely understand is a bit of a rite of passage.

A definite no on The Pact. It goes very far with sexual assault and suicide etc. It’s an interesting book but I’d say for 16+ as it’s much more intense than others.

OP I can't be much help as read the same kinds of things as Mystery but also read Austen/Brontes and similar. I'm sure if you started a thread on challenging books for 11 year olds you'd get some useful suggestions though.

I love Jodi Picoult and have read most of hers, but yep, the themes are challenging. It’s a hard one as by 12 ish I was moving into adult books, and like a pp, they included the Thorn Birds, Lace, and Flowers in the Attic.
The young adult section of libraries is much bigger now though. Back in the day it was very limited.

I've read most of the Picoult novels, and don't really think any of them are particularly suitable for an eleven year old.