What Stephen King books are appropriate for a 12 year old

[ConnorFett]

My son loves horror and has been asking me for a while if he could read Stephen king's books but I've never read one myself so I don't know how appropriate his books are. Do you know of any that might be appropriate for him to read. I'm not as worried about the violence or gore as I am the sexual content and language.

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He may already have read them but what about the old point horror books? They were specifically written for teens.

12-13 year olds commonly read Stephen King books. I preferred James Herbert and Clive Barker at the time, though; we'd pass them round like an unofficial library, as they weren't literary enough to be kept in the school library.

Cujo (a few sex references and a bit of swearing)
The Dark Tower series
The Stand

Joyland is pretty innocent - I had no worries giving it to my mum to read!

The talisman is absolutely fine for a robust 12yo.

I agree the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon should be appropriate- I also recently read the Institute which should be fine as the story is focused on kids, so no sex storylines, although it was quite a chunky book. Cujo and from a Buick 8 I don't think had anything particularly adult from memory.

At 12ish though I was more into Christopher Pike as teen horror (much better imo than the Point Horrors were!). Christopher Pike's Monster and Die Softly were particular favourites if you were looking to get some- I think he wrote almost as well as King when he was on form.

Even when King isn't writing inappropriately his horror is very absorbing, so I might want to hold off if this was my son. I have had King books repeat in my dreams for weeks after reading sometimes.

I read The Stand, Carrie, etc at 11 and survived. The favourite book in year 7 English reading was The Rats. But... it was a long time ago and we also used to borrow 18 videos - nightmare on elm street and Friday 13th and no one raised an eyebrow.

Whoever recommended James Herbert, he writes a LOT of sex!

I read the shining when I was early 20s and it scared the live out of me! So much scarier than the film. I don't think there was much sex or language in misery but may be mis-remembering

I think 12 is a bit young. I was reading Stephen King around 14-15. I would start with the Shining, Salem's Lot (vampires), The Talisman.

Personally I found the Long Walk more disturbing than some of the supernatural horror ones. Do not let your son read Black House - follow up to the Talisman as it is very disturbing (includes serial killer of children who eats their body parts)

Has your DS read the 'Gone' series by Michael Grant - they are very King like but more suitable for his age. Ditto the 'Raven's Gate' series by Horowitz

@HasaDigaEebowai

Total recall isn’t Stephen king, it’s a Philip K Dick story. He also wrote blade runner, the man in the high castle, minority report, the adjustment bureau etc.

I think 12 is too young for Stephen king (and too young to appreciate the genius of Philip K Dick properly)

The PP may be thinking of The Running Man. There is a film of the same name, that very loosely follows the plot - of course, with Arnie in the lead. The book is I think one of four novellas in The Bachman Books (aka Stephen King); the ending is far far bleaker (and slightly revolting).

Apologoes if someone has already pointed this out.

I am not sure if 12 is possibly too young for Stephen King - but do more or less agree with Shawshank. If execution is not a taboo subject, the The Green Mile is a good read..... (and great film of course). Maybe a rule of thumb could be if the film is certified as inapprropriate for the age, the the book may be as well (if a faithful adaptation, that is).

I do think The Stand is another good choice - but so so long.

I started reading King around that age but a lot of his more sexually graphic books hadn't been released then. I read and loved Desperation which has brief references to sex, I also read the stand but thats 2000 pages so only if hes an avid reader. Dragons eye is fab but more fantasy.

As others say his short stories are really good, the body has some sexual references but nothing major, the shawshank redemption is a masterpeice but does contain rape.

For pure Horror Cujo is good but it does reference sex, prostitution and a bloke banging on about his hard on for half a chapter.

I dont recall Dreamcatcher being overly sexual, and the Dead zone was good too.

I've not read a lot of newer ones but Bag of bones has a horrific rape scene in it, made me feel ill so would avoid that!

@cantgetmyheadroundit

Whoever recommended James Herbert, he writes a LOT of sex!

Which is exactly why it appealed to us as 12 year olds.

Still better written than the bonkbusters we also passed around.

James Herbert was a much better writer than SK, drew you in and kept you reading. SK has great stories, but his writing style is a bit dull for teens.

@Ineedideas

Just asked DH next to me, as he is a big Stephen King fan, and he recommends The Shining and Pet Sematry!

Eeek!!!! God, not The Shining!!! Don't you remember Joey had to hide his copy in the fridge in Friends? It's terrifying. Guaranteed nightmares.

I would echo what others have said. Once he's read one, he'll be sucked into the King cannon forever. Which is fine as King is amazing, but many of his books are totally inappropriate for a 12 yr old.
I'd def start with The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.

(Mind you, I was reading Jackie Collins around 12/13 and my mum had NO IDEA how inappropriate they are!!)

The Talisman written with Peter Straub is good.

Is it too much to let my 11yo son read "It"?

I started reading Stephen King at about your sons age.

Maybe avoid Apt Pupil, one of his novella's, which I think was published in his Different Seasons book. Also perhaps avoid Breathing Method from the same book. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Body are in the same book, but you might be able to get them separately now. Apt Pupil has a teenage boy fantasising about violent sex and torture and Breathing Method is the one (I think) where a dead woman gives birth.

One of his most recent books, The Institute, might actually be okay. It's about teenagers with psychic powers who are kidnapped to be used for their abilities, I don't remember any sex in it, I don't think it's one of his best but it's fairly fast paced. If your son has seen Stranger Things he might like it.

He might like The Gunslinger too, the first in the Dark Tower series.

PP said The Shining - I've just re-read it and it definitely isn't suitable for a 12 year old. The main character is so disturbed and says such awful things about his wife and child. The idea of a dad turning into a monster that tries to kill his little boy is a bit much for 12 I think! From memory, perhaps Carrie? What's the rush to explore this genre though?

I would say none are suitable - I wouldn’t let my 12 year old read SK. I’d probably try him on something like Neil Gaiman first - not horror, but still dark/supernatural.

I read SK at around that age but I would still say they aren't suitable.

Especially It @Mirrah1 .

They are a bit 'tropey ' for want of a better word. They are good, he writes a good yarn, but there are much better writers. There is less sexual violence in other writers, which is what I'd be wary of for a 12 year old.

As PPs have said though, The Talisman written with Peter Straub is excellent.

James Herbert has aged dreadfully. Standard man of action and womento scream, die, or for for men to sex with.

There's a lot of sex and it's either crap (not recovered from "moist cave" still or warped.

I'm sure there's some incest in Rats, or it's incestual-sounding. Fairly sure there's a school boy orge in it too.

Odd. Not books for a 12 year old to get from his mother!!

Though I read a few of his books at that sort of age and I dont reall it. So maybe they don't al have weird sex in them. Still they might be too of thier time writing for a 12 year old now.

[quote Hardertobreathe]I used to love horror, I spent my mid teens watching (underage) the Freddie Krueger films but I still have nightmares about a character in one of Stephen Kings books I read as a 20-something year old, I’m now nearly 50. I had read several of his books by then but have never picked up another one since.

This suggests The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon might be good as there is no sex.
www.readbrightly.com/17-grown-books-tweens-can-read/[/quote]
I was the same, loved Stephen King books as a teenager until I started reading IT. Horrific nightmares and i cant do clowns even now 32 years later

Have a look at the Red Eye horror books, like Point Horror but a bit better written imo.