Is this appropriate for a 13-year-old advanced reader?

[Andrew]

If this book was a movie, what do you think it would be rated? If there's explicit content, how graphic/gratuitous is it?

[Dee]

it would probably be R - most of the violence is hinted at rather than directly described - i would be more intrigued on how they handle the psychological factor - since that was the main factor of the book

[jennyreadit]

Even if a 13 year old can read/call the words.... do you think they would be able to understand all the subtleties and nuances of each character? I'm almost 50 and will most likely read it again before watching the movie... just so I can get additional things I might have missed first go round.

[Ashley]

To answer the title, No, I don't think it's "appropriate" for a 13 YO kid.

[Dee]

I don't think anyone aside from the parents can determine what is appropriate for their child to read - I read many books - including Tara French when I was in my teens - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon when I was 14...and while I didn't understand all of the context, I got a majority of it

[Nikki]

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 focus on a dysfunctional relationship and i don't think a 13 year old would relate enough to the emotion and tension to enjoy the book. Under 16's generally are still looking for a plot and a storyline in their books and Gone Girl isn't traditional in that sense.
Gillian Flynns other 2 books (Sharp Objects Dark Places) however are a lot more graphic yet i would be much more inclined to recommend to the under 18's. in fact both of them i would say border on Young Adult fiction.

[Carol]

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!

[MommyDearest]

I wouldn't want my 13 yr old to read it.

[Jan]

I loved Gone Girl and no, I don't believe it would be appropriate for a 13 year old. Much better choices exist: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks; The Fault in Our Stars by John Green; The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder; The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker just scratch the surface of some excellent YA books.

[Christina]

I think a 13 year old could handle it, but that age group is missing a lot of the experience that would make it a more meaningful and engaging read.

[Mochaspresso]

I think some of the dysfunctional relationship dynamics between nick and amy might be lost on someone that young.

[Elizabeth]

As the mother of a 12 1/2 year old who has always read above her grade level, I would not recommend my daughter read this book. It is not that I don't think she'd be able to comprehend the story, but rather, I wouldn't want it to skew her view on relationships. Being so young, she doesn't have the real-life experience needed to understand just how messed up this relationship is. Preteens and early teens are at a very impressionable time in their lives. The amount of manipulation in this book, both subtle and flagrant, can give an impressionable mind the wrong idea of what is/isn't healthy in a relationship .

With that said, I do agree with the general consensus, that it is up to the parents to determine if it is appropriate for their own child(ren).

[Dana]

"I think some of the dysfunctional relationship dynamics between nick and amy might be lost on someone that young." agree. i would not reccomend it.

[Ala]

As somebody who read a lot of advanced books at the age of 13 (not all of which were appropriate), I'd say definitely no. It's not a book for kids, no matter how smart or well - read they are.

[Paul]

If the kid doesn't mind drinking and sex (which is not what the book is about, but it goes on), then yes. Otherwise, no. Oh, and if she can understand a totally dysfunctional family!

[Malina]

I would not recommend for a 13 year old,even if she is an advanced reader it doesn't mean she is mature enough for the content

[Jolina]

I would not allow a teenager to read this book, advanced or not.

[June]

simple answer, no!

[Diana]

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!"

I agree with this post

[Julie]

no

[Katharine]

I would never let my 13-year-old read this book. As someone else commented, there are so many better choices!

[Claire]

I agree with all the advice; Gone Girl is not for a 13 yr old, no matter how advanced her reading level. I do not agree with Nikki; none of Flynn's works are suitable for the Young Adult audience. This relationship is too severely toxic and dysfunctional is a mild understatement. I wouldn't want my young daughter thinking she could look forward to a relationship like this. And in Sharp Objects, I wouldn't want her exposed to that sort of psychopathic infanticide without a basic course in normal psychology first. Dark Places, the idea that any mother might consider fraud, murder and assisted suicide a logical first choice solution to single parenthood? Try Pygmalion, Saint Joan, Diary of Ann Frank, Biographies of Madame Curie, Sonia Sotomayor, Frankenstein, Dracula, plenty to choose from any of the lists on Listopia.

[Mochaspresso]

I don't necessarily think that a 13 yr old is in danger of being influenced to emulate a Nick and Amy relationship. The book makes it pretty clear that this isn't a good one by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do think that having an adult perspective on relationships and on basic human psychology is necessary to fully understand everything that is happening in both Nick and Amy's heads when their respective pov's are given.

I read some of the YA book threads and kids that young occasionally miss things in books that were intended for their own age group.

Why Katniss decided to (view spoiler)[ vote for another Hunger Games (hide spoiler)] in the last book.

That Charlie had been (view spoiler)[ sexually abused by his aunt as a child (hide spoiler)]

I think some of what's going on between Nick and Amy would literally just go over the head of someone that young and as a result, they might not fully understand and appreciate the book. Imo, even if they are advanced and mature, there are just some things about Nick and Amy that only an adult w/ adult perspectives and experiences would "get".

[Una]

I read 'the world according to Garp' at that age, didn't get it, and also, and more importantly, didn't find it very interesting. However, at 12, the books that blew me away were Pride and Predujice, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I'd say let her start reading it if shereallywants to, but read it first so you can talk to her about it, or, she may not even finish it.

[Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition]

Mochaspresso wrote: "I think some of the dysfunctional relationship dynamics between nick and amy might be lost on someone that young."

I don't think there is anything in the book that I didn't already read at 13, (not a good thing, I admit) but a young teen just wouldn't fully appreciate the dynamics of marriage like that.

[Mo]

NO!

[Dawn]

NO. Absolutely not, and I'm a pretty progressive mother and teacher.

[Katherine]

Gone girl is absolutely not appropriate for a 13 year old no matter how advanced they are. Try agatha christie

[[deleted user]]

Elizabeth wrote: "As the mother of a 12 1/2 year old who has always read above her grade level, I would not recommend my daughter read this book. It is not that I don't think she'd be able to comprehend the story, ..."

Well said, Elizabeth! I totally agree.

[Charles]

I say yes but I was tearing through Steven King and worse at that age. I turned out pretty well. Well not really, but I am a horror writer. :)

I would make your decision based on what your child has read/been exposed to at this point via movies, music, etc. Kids are exposed to a lot at a young age these days, particularly in the sexual area. Kind of a bummer.

[Lauren]

I would say it is up to the parent to decide, but I would say this book would probably have an R rating. So upper teens at least...

[Ryan]

no

[Kylie]

I would say no, simply because it is not the sort of subject matter a child need to know about. There are - as mentioned - many better options out there, that a child can really delve into.

Besides which, at that age, a child generally needs a character driven reason for reading , no matter how 'able' a reader they are. This book has very unlikeable characters, but is worth the read for what it explores - the dynamics of a dysfunctional ADULT relationship. Adult being the key word.

[[deleted user]]

Depends what your parenting skills are. Read it with her. Talk about it. You see worse on prime time.

[Paula]

I don't think this book is appropriate for a 13 year old. Strong language and adult themes.

[Katherine]

If you let a teenager read this book, (and we are talking about someone who has only just entered an 8 year teenage cycle), I'm also wondering if its ok for a teenager to read about threesomes, a**l sex, BJ's etc? Huge debate about that here at the moment

[Ellen]

I think 13 is too young. I wouldn't want my child to read about such a sick relationship as an early teen.

[Sharon]

The plot twists were what kept me going in spite of offensive language and universally unlikable characters. There is no redeeming social value to this book. It models horrible behavior and standards.

[[deleted user]]

Have you read any teen books lately? They talk about all that stuff. Again, parenting has a lot to do with it.

You don't think a 13 year old knows what a BJ is?

[[deleted user]]

Teenagers certainly have the sex part down, can you get pregnant from a BJ?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02...

[Jennifer]

I wouldn't think it's appropriate. I've always been an avid reader, but I hope my mom wouldn't have let me read this as a teenager, and I grew up in the most open home ever. I think it was a very good book and that Gillian Flynn is a talented author, but between this and Sharp Objects (I haven't read Dark Places yet), she has a seriously f'ed up psyche. I think the book is too psychotic for a young child, no matter how good a reader they are, how open of a home they come from, or how good of a head they have on their shoulders.

[[deleted user]]

More psychotic then prime time TV?

Nope.

[Leslie]

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 offense truckers!) Nick had his share too. Plus they have such impressionable brains - who knows how they'll interpret some of the content. I can't imagine my teens enjoying this book.

[Olivia "So many books--so little time.""]

I would say definitely no.

[Pamela]

No. I am an aunt of gifted children. I would not suggest they read it until they were older.

[Sue]

Lots of foul, crude, explicit sexual language. Absolutely not appropriate for 13 year old! Just finished it yesterday, loved it but I am an adult.

[Anne]

This is not the right book for a 13 year old. As many said, the relationships are complex and very dark which is a more cognitive read than would be expected of a 13 year old, even an advanced reader As others have said, understanding the words is much different than understanding the motivation.

[Serena]

It is definitely not appropriate for a 13 year old. The content is way too adult.

[Krista]

Um, absolutely not!

[Judith]

I've read all of Gillian Flynn's books and they are NOT for teens. Gone Girl is the tamest.