Gone Girl
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Is this appropriate for a 13-year-old advanced reader?
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Becky
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rated it 5 stars
Jun 08, 2013 04:02PM
Definitely not appropriate for a 13 yo
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I think a 13 year old would find it boring. I read a lot of adult books at 13 and this kind of story would not have appealed to me.
Paul wrote: "Jayne wrote: "OMG No, no, no. I've just written a review of Gone Girl, and changed my initial rating of four stars to two. The book is very well written, but the language, the hatred and bile are..."I hear what you are saying, and I struggled with this because the ratings go from "I hated it" to "It was amazing." The truth is that I did think it was well written, but did I like it? No, not really, although I thought it was harsh to give it 1 star. So do I rate on whether I liked it or not, or whether I thought it was technically excellent? As a reader I went with my gut feeling which was to give it two stars, although as a fellow author I could see it was brilliantly crafted and should have given it four. It would be interesting to hear other viewpoints from authors as readers to see if they have the same quandary when writing reviews.
Oh my goodness NO. It is dark and psychological and very sexually violent. I would not recommend it for a young reader at all. And why? There are plenty of wonderful challenging and beautiful reads out there that would still be age appropriate.
I think, like anything else, it depends on the child. I am shocked by how sophisticated and relatively "numb" my 12-year-old daughter is to suggestions of violence and other dark topics (much to my chagrin). I cannot recall whether there is explicit sex in this one so much as deep levels of intrigue and plot twists. I think a really bright 13-year-old might appreciate it, but of course, as a parent you have to be on "standby" to discuss and use the more disturbing themes as a disguised way to open up dialogue and teach values.
Jayne wrote: "Paul wrote: "Jayne wrote: "OMG No, no, no. I've just written a review of Gone Girl, and changed my initial rating of four stars to two. The book is very well written, but the language, the hatred..."I rate on pure gut feeling and no technical system or anything.
A book I want to keep maybe re-read and would be on top of my recommendation list...a book I loved! gets 5 (Ready Player One; Fighting Back; The Keep; Harry Potter).
A book I despise and makes me ill to Finish (Twilight; Cloud Atlas; Sex,Drugs and cocoa puffs get 1 star)
Books I can finish, but barely, books that get past the Twilight line (I consider that the worst written book I've ever read...and I've Read A LOT) get 2 stars
(The Alchemist; Most every other Urban fantasy I've ever wasted time reading; etc)
And 3 or 4's are really just what do I feel like it was to me.
Every one has there own system but I think most people just use good ole instinct and gut feeling when it comes to rating.
Just because a child is an "advanced reader" doesn't mean they need to read novels about adult relationships. Honestly, I didn't find the language in this novel all that advanced anyway. The subject matter, however, was complex and creepy, and I can think of a lot other novels better suited to a child with advanced reading skills.
Paul wrote: "Jayne wrote: "Paul wrote: "Jayne wrote: "OMG No, no, no. I've just written a review of Gone Girl, and changed my initial rating of four stars to two. The book is very well written, but the langua..."Always trust on gut instinct. My instant reaction would be to say that this book is NOT suitable for a bright thirteen year old, as "bright" doesn't necessarily equate to being "able to mentally handle adultery, sexual violence, murder and aggressive language of a sexual nature."
I would say that content wise its okay for a 13yo (by way of sex, swearing etc) but I would be nervous about letting a child in on the adult world of sexual-manipulation, fear and hatred... I would want them to learn about all that as late as possible.
Carol wrote: "I would not recommend it because I don't believe the story would be edifying for a young mind. There are so many BETTER choices!"Couldn't have said it better.
As a reading teacher no. The content is really not appropriate for a 13 year old.
Absolutely not. As an adult, I was disturbed by the dysfunctional characters in the story much moreso than by any sexual content. You'd have to be nuts to let a 13-year-old read this book. There are much better choices out there.
def not. It talks about sex and there's a lot of violent scenes.
No, not a book for a 13 year old even if they are an advanced reader, they most certainly are not advanced in life relationships at that age.
This is not for a 13 year old however advanced .... i would not want mine to red this...explicit language and imagery....wait till they get to 16/18, the book will still be there
I'm not even sure that book was "appropriate" for me...it's disturbing.
Nicole wrote: "I'm not even sure that book was "appropriate" for me...it's disturbing."Heheh I had a couple of moments where I "blushed" and looked to make sure no one saw what I was reading :)
I wouldn't 'ban' it, therein lies trouble (for any teenager with a brain!) I'd recommend they read something else for the sheer fact that the dysfunctional relationship within would mean nothing to a teen...but 'not allowing it' oh no, forbidden fruit and all that.
Carol wrote: "I wouldn't 'ban' it, therein lies trouble (for any teenager with a brain!) I'd recommend they read something else for the sheer fact that the dysfunctional relationship within would mean nothing t..."I'll qualify my comment by agreeing with you! I wouldn't give this book to my 13 year old and say, "here read this. You'll like it!" but I would in no way "ban" the book. That's just asking for trouble. I just don't think it's appropriate reading, any more than anything by Harold Robbins was appropriate reading when I was 13!
'Advanced reader' is a vague term. The book requires a certain extent of maturity... I don't think it's appropriate for any 13 year old, no matter how advanced a reader they may be.
I wouldn't want my 15 year old kid sister to read this book. It was amazing, but not for kids at all.
Absolutely not. It is definitely for adults only, as the character is twisted and manipulative. I wouldn't want my young child reading it.
No, definitely not appropriate for a 13 year old!!
No ....it is not a good read for a 13 yr. old
I agree with all of the above, but would any one of you actively say "you are NOT reading that book!"?
Jayne wrote: "I agree with all of the above, but would any one of you actively say "you are NOT reading that book!"?"YES
Hell Yes
But then again I grew up in a time, and still believe when your parent says no its no. There is no explanation needed and parents knew best because they were adults with experience and knowledge enough to make a good decision.
Of course a lot of that goes out the window in a world where you have children raising children.
I think you will understand it but it is quite graphic sexually in parts. I know myself as a 13 year old I would still have read it and actually read much more graphic stuff but it just depends on what you can handle really. I think the fact you are mature enough to ask this question in the first play is great.
No, the violence and relationship complexities are not appropriate.
Absolutely NOT! I have trouble with content for Florida's Teen Reads and this one surpasses any of those.
I think I read this last year which would make me 15 at the time. I seriously think it's not a big deal for a 13 year old to read? It's really good and yeah, it's graphic and creepy, but that's kind of the allure. It's like a horror story but, you know, good, where the point isn't to scare you, it can do so, but it also has a great plot and it's a story on it's own. I guess if they tend to get scared/nightmares from books/whatever, then don't but very surprised at everyone's opinions on here. Seriously, the language is what most of you are worried about? Trust me, your kid knows fuck and cunt and screw and all those lovely words. More to the point, they know about fucking and vaginas and screwing. I think the most worrisome thing for a kid would be that scene where ((spoilers obv)) the main character describes how she pretended to be raped by using a wine bottle on herself ((/spoilers)). It's just briefly mentioned in the midst of a really great reveal so it depends how sheltered your child is/if they tend to miss the point or bigger picture
No I wouldn't recommended for someone that young.
No, I don't think so. So much anger in the relationships. It might be a bit early to inflict such realities on a young person.
Absolutely not the right book for a 13 year old. Stick to Hunger Games or books in that genre - this is not a good call.
My advice would be to read it for yourself and decide if you want your child to read it. I am a mother and teacher of middle school kids. I don't put anything on my bookshelves (at home or school) unless I've read it and find it appropriate for their ages. I am not one that necessarily enjoys censoring reading, but it is necessary when kids are too young to make meaningful choices on their own. There are middle grades/young adult books that deal with heavy themes, but they are written at an emotional level that is more appropriate for teens. I would agree with many of the other people posting, though. There are many more GREAT middle grades/young adult books to choose from.
I'm in the no column, too. A thirteen-year-old could understand the word and sentences but not the nuances, and this is entirely too dark, depraved, etc. for a teenager. There is enough angst involved in being 13 without puzzling through this dysfunction relationship. BTW, I read The Scarlet Letter much too young and thought A stood for awful. There is the possibility that a young teenager would simply not get what they shouldn't get.
It's not appropriate for a 13-year-old. The relationship is sado-masochistic and a young person who has had no life experience may not be able to discern how disturbed it is. It should have been called "Gone Woman." The title is misleading as it sounds like a tween/teen read.
I don't believe in censoring reading material, per se; however, I would think the reader would enjoy this book more if they wait until they are a little older.
If you believe that books can truly influence the developing psyche (and I can testify from personal experience that they can) I would not suggest this book for a 13-year-old. Not that a 13-year-old who is determined to read it could not get her hands on it. But I would certainly not encourage it. I think it would be more entertaining and enjoyable (and less potentially damaging) for an older reader with more experience of life and a broader perspective.
It's not about the reading level, it's about the content. I would definitely not let my 13-year-old read it. It's way too dark.
There are so many artful and literary books out there to read! Why would a 13 year old not want to start out with the best? The "healthiest" and most nourishing? This book was definitely a "slum read" for me -- fun in the way we old, corrupted and cynical people find "fun" in the dark and twisted.
Just wait another 3-4 years...It is not only the sex part or the strong language, i think the whole story is complicated and quit twisted for a 13 years old girl.
I say yes. Being a dark psychological thriller I don't think a regular 13 year old can understand. I have seen pg13 movie more graphic than this novel.
I agree with some of the other comments - it is not suitable for a 13 yr old. The psychological manipulation in the plot would be hard to understand and would be frightening for someone this age, despite an advanced ability to read harder text.
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