Gone Girl
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Is this appropriate for a 13-year-old advanced reader?
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Sarai
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rated it 4 stars
Jan 13, 2014 03:08PM
In my opinion, the story is very dark and very twisted. It makes for a great read, but I would be hesitant to let a 13 year old read it. The situations are too mature for him/her at this point. My son is also an advanced reader, but he would not enjoy this type of read, let alone truly understand it.
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As a 22 year old, damn. Let the girl sate her curiosity. I read Go Ask Alice when I was 12 and I think that's worse than this. I don't think 13 is too young to be reading about sex, and the violence isn't explicit.
Sara. I read Go Ask Alice too but it is different material and the character is relentless in her manipulation. It's not reactionary or situational; in other words most 13 year olds would not understand the narcissistic drive of the character though they themselves may have been in situations where they've manipulated an outcome to their own needs occasionally. The degree to which she does this would be beyond an average 13 year old.
I agree, Liz. The character in Go Ask Alice was a young adult and dealing with situations that were mature, but still more relatable to a 13 year old than those in Gone Girl.
NO WAY is this appropriate for a thirteen year old. I would say no one under twenty five, even. It is WAY too twisted and disturbing!
I'm kind of appalled by the idea that so many mothers are involved in choosing a teenager's reading material. This is not a one size fits all question. It would be fine for some teenagers, not for others. I think the most important question is does she want to read it, and why. And there are many books one reads while young, that one may want to revisit. And I don't think that censoring one's teenager's reading choices is an ok practice. Particularly if she's advanced (was that the word used?), let her read it and reach her own conclusions.
No way! I really enjoyed this book (I'm an adult) and I think it is a bit too much for a 13 year old girl. It is a very twisted story that I think will be completely lost on a 13 year old girl.
if you don't want twisted I am assuming you would not have read your child (or let her read) the classic fairytales. And it also puts the long tradition of horror,Poe, Mary Shelley et al on the verboten list. We need to trust kids more. They can always stop reading if they find it upsetting. By the time I was 7 or 8 I went to the library alone. My mother trusted me to figure out what I wanted to read.
I am no prude but I wouldn't recommend this for a 13 year old. She/he would miss the adult irony, and it takes some life experience to appreciate the convoluted nature of the relationship. Totally inappropriate.
I would say it's totally fine if you kid is at that reading level. We all like to believe that our kids are never going to grow up but quite frankly, a 13 year old would understand everything in this book and not be "skewed" by the dysfunctional relationship. Trust me, they've heard all the adult content before. Additionally, I think the movie will have a rating of PG-13 because no real violence takes place.
If you even have to ask if the book is appropriate...it is not appropriate!
probably not the most appropriate but then again thirteen year olds read more graphic stuff now a days. i wouldn't be against a 13yo reading this book, while they may not understand everything it would be something resourceful.
I do not think that the subject matter is appropriate for a 13 year old girl, regardless of level of reading competence.
this book isn't a worthwhile read for anyone
Diane wrote: "I'm kind of appalled by the idea that so many mothers are involved in choosing a teenager's reading material. This is not a one size fits all question. It would be fine for some teenagers, not for..."Until I read your comment this hadn't occurred to me. Surely an advanced reader is off finding things to read for themselves. Working out what they like and don't like. Isn't that part of the joy of reading? Looking back I remember being given books to read at school, but other than that I found my own way. I don't think anyone would have said "you're an advanced reader" but surely this means more than just understanding difficult words but seeking out the more challenging, interesting material.
But to answer the initial question. NO. Of course a book about a pyschopath and a philandering husband isn't suitable for a 13yr old. There is some great, challenging YA fiction out there that deals with some very tough issues. A 13 yr doesn't have to be reading about warped adult relationships!
Nikki wrote: "I would not personally recomend this book to a 13year old, though i would have no issue with them reading it. Not because of any of the content, but because it is a psychological thriller with the ..."I completely agree with Nikki.
Brenda wrote: "this book isn't a worthwhile read for anyone"hahahahaha that has me LOL
Absolutely NOT APPROPRIATE for a 13 year old.
No. I have a 13 year old daughter that reads all the time, and would have no trouble navigating the vocabulary. The content is too adult for her.
Even as someone who (much to my father's shock when he found out years later) was reading the likes of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," "The Clan of the Cave Bear" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" around the ages of eleven through thirteen, I wouldn't recommend it. Much of what I read went way over my head and I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have reading it as an adult.
I wouldn't let my daughter read it and she is almost 13 but I would say find something on their reading level that they can relate to. I think it is way too explicit for a teenager in my opinion. My daughter is also an advanced reader but I do monitor what she reads and I do get recommendations. I often read what she reads first to make sure. If I've already read it, I can also be the one to recommend things to her. I was also an advanced reader so I know your dilemma. Just ask what they like to read, advanced reading does not equate to adult comprehension of situations. I would love for my daughter to stay in an age bracket that enlightens her to other things but this book would not be what I would give her to figure those things out. Let them remain as much of a kid as possible because all the adult situations they will experience soon enough. Hopefully not the situations in this book though.
Yes. It depends on multiple thing. If s(he) is advanced she's probably seen sex and drinking. S(he) is a teenager also. Still deciding what books your s(he) can read is really annoying since they'll be in 8th grade and still having their book outfor them is embarrassing. It also revolves around the tee agers maturity. I read Gone Girl and am 13 it. The age shouldn't decide if this particular book is okay for them to read. .
Leslie wrote: "I don't think its for kids! Not just the deep thought, manipulation and deceit that takes place, why would you purposely expose your kids to the language? I thought Go swore like a trucker (no offe..."Swearing happens if they're teens go to school watch TV or even read YA book they defiantly have heard swearing
Yes, it is fine for a 13-year old advanced reader.It is not required that a reader understand every single detail or nuance of a book in order to read it.
It's okay to read some books that are a little beyond one's complete understanding.
At some point all parents should consider what to intentionally share with their children. This is not a book for kids. It shows the broken, manipulative, empty path a relationship can follow and how that leads to a hollow existence. This book has no redeeming qualities or life lessons for a developing child. It's a cautionary tale for adults to open their eyes.
I wouldn't want my 13 year old to read it - not because she's not mature or advanced, just because it's really an adult story. The F bomb is dropped quite a bit - I know she's heard it before but I don't want her to think it's appropriate to just say it in normal conversation.
The more you hear it or read it, it becomes second nature to you - and you incorporate it into your own vocabulary. Which I'd rather she didn't.
It's just not a kid book.
I would not recommend this book for a 13 year old. For cryin' out loud, with all of the millions of books out there written for kids and teens, why should a 13 year old be purposely exposed to violence, a horrible marriage and adult dysfunction? We are talking about "Gone Girl" because it's the latest Big Thing, but it's not necessary for a 13 year-old to read this book. By the way, I said the same thing about my own book. I told my brother not to let my 11 year-old nephew read Queen Mother- not yet.
In one word: No. But I also don't think it's something that a 13 year old would be interested in.
Hi, actual teenager here. (I'm 17.) I agree with Josh, I don't think this book is something you should intentionally share with your 13-year-old. It doesn't have any redeeming qualities or life lessons, and if my mom gave me that book when I was 13 I would've been like "What the hell is she trying to tell me?"
A 13 year old might enjoy the book, but their enjoyment/comprehension level is not the point. Plenty of adults don't understand what's going on in Gone Girl.
I think a 13-year-old person is already in deep kimchi if the mother is picking out or auditing book choices. I'm sorry, but this ongoing thread is starting to make me feel like. I'm in Farenheit 451.
This isn't a book I would choose to give a 13 year old as a gift or a recommended read as there are so many other great titles out there. However, I am a strong believer in letting a child with a library card read whatever they want to check out from the library (or whatever books they wish to purchase with their own money).I don't think "Gone Girl" is great literature, but there is certainly great literature out there that is very dark. When I was twelve I remember reading "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Agaguk" as extra reads for my teachers. Both were darker than Gone Girl. Did I "get" those books completely at twelve? Perhaps not. But I certainly wasn't warped by having read them either.
Big difference between burning books a la Fahrenheit 451 and in censoring the books your children read. That's called parenting.Would you let them choose their own movies too? What if they chose a nice porn flick?
Most 13 year olds could not find their butt with both hands and a flashlight - they have limited common sense - that's why they have parents.
if they can't. find their butts with hands and a flashlight, I'd say they have pretty crappy parents. And, of course, I'd let them choose their own movies.They're kids, let em try on some identities and see what they like. On the other hand, I wouldn't let them watch porn unless they went out and bought their own copy. And I wouldn't let them watch it in a common family room. That's just good manners.
If you'd approve of a 13 year old watching porn that would be "crappy parenting". I think it would also be considered a form of sexual abuse and would be punishable by law.Parents have the responsibility to make choices for children that are in their best interests.
Hopefully, usually (sometimes not) the common sense comes eventually for kids. The fact that they have none at 13 is not the result of good or bad parenting. It's just how they are - children with immature minds making inappropriate choices.
Do you have any children, or is this just a hypothetical question for you? Your whole perspective of what you let them do changes when it becomes reality vs. what you think you'd do.
At least it should.
I'm way past that. I'm a granny now.So, I assume you're also going to stop a 13-year-old masturbating. Good luck with that.
You also need to remember that 20-30% of children live in alcoholic and/or abusive homes and are forced to become responsible way too soon. At 11, I was sent to do the round of bars in my town to find my father. My mother didn't want me to bring my father home, she just wanted me to get the car keys. And that's nothing compared to what many children experience.
in 30 years of working in C-level jobs, when I interviewed people to work in my department, I quickly learned how to spot victims of abusive and alcoholic families. If they were smart enough, I would always hire them because they invariably had better work ethics than the normies. However, children can get too damaged and traumatized by their childhoods. and that's true even of kids who are from dysfunctional families.
Please do not compartmentalize kids based on age only. It's not a one size fits all world we inhabit.
The library and now Kindle and the Internet saves many kids' lives, Including mine. Get out of your happy bubble and grow up.
Up until your last sentence I was actually enjoying your comment. From one granny to another, you don't have to be rude.That sounds like a horrible situation you were in at such a young age. Just because you were exposed to bad things early doesn't mean we should allow our own kids to grow up fast like that. I would think that by having to go through that yourself you would be even more protective of teens and tweens - making sure they stay young and innocent (as best you can) as long as possible.
Sure, we can't really control what they do - if they are rebellious and headstrong, they will do what they want. But we can influence them and give them that "moral compass" to help them.
I agree that you can't go by age. You have to go by maturity level - but I don't know too many 13 year olds who are mature enough to benefit from watching porn.
Even from my "happy bubble" I can see that they do start having sex much earlier these days but 13 is way too young!
By the way, you ought to try the "happy bubble" thing - lowers your blood pressure to be happy, plus it just feels good! :)
I agree with the majority here. Graphic-wise, the book isn't horrible. But the psychological factors, the absolute mental disturbance of the main character, as well as the relationship dynamics, and crude language, would deter me from even allowing my 16 yo to read it, and he's an advanced reader. I'm 33 and it messed with my head...amazing read, but I'd classify it a twisted and dark psychological thriller.
I apologize for any rudeness. The thing that scares me is not so much porn, but all the reinforcement we give boys with war toys, movies and games. I especially worry about unbelievably violent video games they market to boys and teens. Violence is learned behavior and that's what they're being taught. This doesn't mean I want to encourage porn watching, but I worry more about the violence they're learning. It seems like the school shootings are still getting more frequent. That's kind of more high order concern with me. Books, music, theatre and friends do make me happy.
Now we're getting carried away. This isn't porn. It's a book. A book that any thirteen year old could go to the public library and read for themselves by simply taking it off the shelves and sitting in a chair and reading it.Or are your children not allowed to go to the library unsupervised?
I have kids, and this is not a book I'll be reading to my six year old. Nor is it a book I would give to her to read in six years. It's simply not on my list of books that I want to expose my kids to. However, I will not be making any attempt to limit my children's access to legal reading material. What they choose to take out from the library and read is up to them.
Diane - totally agree about the violent video games. I do believe they are more harmful to teens than any porn would be.Fustian - My kids can go unsupervised to the library any time they want. I am confident that they would choose books that are appropriate for their age and maturity level. You never know what kids will "pick up and read" - true. But kids raised in a home where clear moral standards are set out as a family are more likely to choose wisely.
And DUH - we know this book isn't even close to being porn - that was just an example used in one of my comments. Someone made the point that we should let children choose everything - books, movies, etc. for themselves. I asked if that included letting them watch porn as their movie of choice.
You should rethink your last sentence, Fustian. A parent is supposed to guide their children and help them make wise choices. ANY legal reading material? At any age?
It's not worth it to try to be one of those "cool" parents who don't set any rules for their kids. Kids need rules and it's up to parents to set limits.
Maybe they'll follow them, maybe not. Hopefully so. But you know they won't follow rules or guidelines if none are set and they are left to figure out what's appropriate or not by themselves, using their limited knowledge and life experience.
A few titles I might recommend to a 13yo advanced reader would include: -Fallen Series by Lauren Kate
-The Fault in Our Stars
-Aurora Sky series by Nikki Jefford (mature YA)
-Splintered Series by A.G. Howard
-The Covenant Series by Jennifer Armentrout
-Miss Me Not by Tiffany King
-Dangerous Creatures series
-Wanderlove by Belle Mallory
-ARV 3 by Cameo Renae
-Hidden Wings Trilogy by Cameo Renae
-Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase
-Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
-The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
-Eve by Anna Carey
-This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
-A Darkness Shattered by Bruce Clothier
-Chosen by Sarah Swan
-The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
-The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel
-The Forever Trilogy by B. Alston & Q. Ramey
-The Dream Realms Trilogy by Sophia Sharp
These are all advanced books, and some do contain some questionable content, but they all fall in the YA category. However, any dark/explicit content is balanced out by the overall message of the books, and I would not deter my own older children from reading any of them. There's a good range of different genres there, hopefully to appease any type of young reader. I've personally read all of these and enjoyed them myself. Hope that helps some.
Any legal reading material, any age. Of course, I live in Canada, and hate speech is illegal here.It has nothing to do with being "cool". My kids have appropriate limits and rules. It was how I was raised, and how my parents were raised. It's the great joy and wonder that comes with mastering reading - the world of knowledge and experiences that it opens up to you. When my daughter mastered reading she got her own library card and was told that she could now take out whatever books she wanted from the library. She can, of course, also read any book that we have in the house.
I don't see how I would go around stopping my children from accessing legal reading material even should I choose to do so. I certainly am not going to vet every choice my kids make at the library. That would be extremely controlling.
If I see that my kids are reading something that I think is questionable, I will discuss it with them. However, for the most part, I am simply looking forward to sharing the many wonderful books there are out there with them.
no a 13 year old should not read cause it is a very dark book when it comes to how extreme the charecters go and and the sex scences are guite detailed
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