The Running Man - age suitability

[SmartestGiant]

Has anyone read The Running Man? My year 8 child has to choose a dystopian novel to read and wants to read this. She needs to let her teacher know what she's reading by the end of the week and I haven't got time to read it by then. Would it be suitable for a child her age or does she need to wait a few years?

If you mean The Running Man by Stephen King aka Richard Bachman then I would definitely wait a few years! I first read it at 18 and remember it being pretty dark

It’s an amazing book, but fairly dark. I would have read it as a 13 year old and been ok but I’m possibly not in the majority. If she’s mature I’d let her, but if she needs to present to the class at the end of it, that could be an issue with other less mature students. Have a read of the wiki plot summary (make sure you get the book one) it may put you off

Yes, the Stephen King one. I read the plot summary last night and it reminded me of The Hunger Games (which she has read) Good point about checking if she has to present to the other students. She is mature. I read a lot of Stephen King novels as a teen but not this one and I think I was a little older than my daughter.

I read it at 14ish, along with the other Bachman books.

If you're not sure about The Running Man, try The Long Walk instead.

Or The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (I read this at school in Y8).

I also read it around 14. My first Stephen King I ever read was at 12 and was the Talisman, amazing book which I have re-read several times over the years.

What about Ender's Game? By Orson Scott Card, more age appropriate, still dystopian, and make a good change from the other 28 pupils that will do Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner.
I was going to suggest Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, but I'm not 100% sure what age it would be ok for.