Appropriate age to read this book

[JainL]

I would say this book suits or is age appropriate for girls in the age of 12 and up.

[Mojoboy31]

Red Solo Cup wrote: "I had assumed that it was meant for teens, but there's nothing really inappropriate in it right?"

What? 11 year-olds? No.

This book has some pretty graphic violence, a lot of suspense, some really strange ideas about culture, a girl is attacked, molested, and nearly raped or killed, they don't really make clear what the bad guys had in mind, there's plenty of "near-sex" in the book... I would say fifteen and up.

[Steph :)]

The book isn't descriptive and I wouldn't even call anything sexual also it depends on their maturity I would say 12 and up.

[[deleted user]]

I don't think it's appropriate for an 11-year-old no matter how mature the child is. I decided not to read the third book just because of the language and a couple of the scenes.

[Mojoboy31]

@Red Solo Cup: amazing name btw!

No, I don't think people care anymore. Anyone who does just gets labeled with a nasty name.

[Mojoboy31]

Red Solo Cup wrote: "Mojoboy31 wrote: "@Red Solo Cup: amazing name btw!

No, I don't think people care anymore. Anyone who does just gets labeled with a nasty name."

That's so sad! Those poor kids reading these books ..."

I know. It really sucks.

"Red solo cup. I'll fill you up. Let's have a party. Let's have a party."

I'm a Toby Keith fan.

[Mojoboy31]

*smirk*

Yeah... Sad...

[Mojoboy31]

Red Solo Cup wrote: "Might as well let kids read The Shining and all that because that's what this world is coming to!"

Hey, don't be giving them ideas... Sheeesh... ;P

[Mojoboy31]

lol

The whole fear thing is another slightly disturbing part of the book. There's the abusive parent thing, too.

[Miranda]

well i guess it depends on how mature a kid is. i mean you could be only eight years old and be mature enough to read it. or you can be 40 years old and be immature to read a book like that. hahaha.

[Eshana]

I read it when I was 10

[Izzy]

I started reading the Anita Blake series when I was 12 and it never did me any harm. OK, so the prisoners in my basement think I'm a narcissist, creepy bitch but apart from that, I think I'm a well adjusted, decent human being.

Ha, just kidding. I don't have a basement. *creepy smile*

[Adrienne]

I have to say that the age appropriateness always depends on the maturity of the reader. The content isn't the issue it's whether or not the reader can accept the material maturely. And this is coming from someone who read Hannibal at 14.

[Terra]

I have to say that this book would be suited for kids age 13+ because of what Tris is scared of... and that it contains way too much kissing for an 11 year old.

[Fiona]

I read it at age 15 and found the writing style very basic and childish. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I'd read it at 11-13

[DarknessIsUponUs]

I think Divergent isn't too bad especially if they are mature. Coz' I read it when I was eleven and I was fine. Not scarred. Well except now but thats just because of my friends! :)
Also if you are looking for good Dragonish type books there is one called Eragon its about a boy who finds a dragon egg ad then becomes a dragon rider and can then do magicky stuff and has to fight an evil king with his dragon (her name is Saphira btw)

[[deleted user]]

I would say 13+, depending on the maturity level. The violence isn't graphic, but very emotional and intense and there are some mild language and sexual content. But I would have been able to read it at 10 without being too disturbed so it definitely depends on the person. Everybody's different.

[Anis]

In my opinion, it's only appropriate for a person of the age 13/14 to start reading it.

[Jocelyn]

I read Divergent when i was fifteen but if i'd known of it earlier-say when i was thirteen-i think that i would still personally enjoy it. It really just depends on how developed you are as a reader.

[Allie]

I agree with what you first told your sister, it depends on the maturity of the individual reading the book. Age limits are generalizations as to what group of people is most likely mature enough for the content of the book.

[☽Ƹɱɱɑ☾]

Red Solo Cup wrote: "This is a very good point. Now that I think about, I too read Twilight when I was in the 6th grade. I should have reminded myself of that. And I guess I could ease her into YA, and I think she'll b..."

by Sophie Jordan is a good dragon book. It's very different; maybe she will like it? It's YA, and in this review it shows all the content if you highlight between the brackets below:
http://cleanteenfiction.blogspot.ca/2...

[Emma]

I think kids these days are way too sheltered. I was a voracious reader as a kid. I read any and everything I could get my hands on, practically lived in the library. My mom let me read whatever I wanted, provided it wasn't sexually explicit or extremely graphically violent. I think if your sister wants to read it, understands it, and enjoys it, you shouldn't stop her. Don't push her to read her to read it, though. They did talk about sex a bit, but they talked about waiting until they were ready. They were both older teens, adults in their world. This could give you the perfect opportunity to teach her some valuable lessons about sex and the importance of waiting until she is ready. I don't think it was horribly violent, I read much more violent books when I was younger than 11. The violence is not shown in a positive light. If she is sensitive to violence, then maybe she shouldn't read it, but she probably sees much worse stuff on tv/video games. You could talk to her about the violence, comparing the characters who seemed to enjoy violence with the ones who only used it when absolutely necessary to protect themselves or others, and the consequences of violent actions. The book also has some bullying in it, so you can talk to her about that. Regarding the issue of parental abuse, I think an 11 year old is old enough to learn the realities of abuse. You never know, she may even have friends who are being abused. This book could open her eyes to that abuse and inspire her to help them. At the very least, it gives you an opportunity to speak to her about abuse and the importance of speaking up if she or anyone else is being abused. I also think age 11 is a good time to talk to kids about sexual assault, which was also in the book. I believe it's something like 1 in 4 women are sexually assaulted at some point in their lives and at least 1 in 6 men. Talking to her about it is one way to protect her. Explain to her what it is and what to do if someone tries to abuse her. Let her know that if anyone hurts her, she can come to you and you will protect her/get her help. If this is something you do not feel prepared to do, then you need to educate yourself about it, as well. Hiding from these issues doesn't protect children, it makes them more likely to be victims and to feel shame when they are victimized. I say all this as a survivor of childhood abuse. I was much younger than 11. Had I been more educated and felt more safe about speaking up, I would have gotten help a lot sooner. This could be an opportunity for you to really relate to her and talk to her about some hard, but necessary, topics.

It definitely depends on her maturity level and her sensitivity, but I think it's pointless to try to shield children from the facts of life. In fact, I actually think it is to their detriment. She's probably aware of most of these issues already, I know I sure was. Kids in my school were talking about sex, violence, and abuse long before the 6th grade. And that was in the 90s, I'm sure it's worse now. But definitely be proactive and make sure she understands these elements of the book, if she reads it. Let her know that if she doesn't understand something she can ask you and take the initiative to talk to her about the parts that you are worried about. Ahem, sorry this was so long, I didn't mean to write a novel. haha

[Annisa]

15 is safe

[Mojoboy31]

How bout when the one guy gets a knife in the eye? How bout the suicide?.. This is a pretty mature book.

[tatum ♥]

Mojoboy31 wrote: "Red Solo Cup wrote: "I had assumed that it was meant for teens, but there's nothing really inappropriate in it right?"

What? 11 year-olds? No.

This book has some pretty graphic violence, a lot of..."

Im 11, like all of my friends read this book. HAHA... ya we are not idiots, nice guess..we're smarter than ya think....well my group of 11 yr olds....don't judge by age.

[Mojoboy31]

@Becca: were you forced to read it for school?

I'm not saying that no eleven year old should read this book.

I'm saying that's pretty young to be forced to read it.

[tatum ♥]

no, i wasn't. okay. Ya now that I know what you mean I kinda agree. I mean so many people my age are into like princesses.....or something....it's like as annoying as hell. I don't understand why many 11 yr olds would want to read it...

[Mojoboy31]

Okay, sorry for the misunderstanding, lol. I'm kinda bad at expressing myself sometimes.

[tatum ♥]

It's totally fine. ❄

[notyourfriend]

Mojoboy31 wrote: "Red Solo Cup wrote: "I had assumed that it was meant for teens, but there's nothing really inappropriate in it right?"

What? 11 year-olds? No.

This book has some pretty graphic violence, a lot of..."

I agree, even though I read it when I was 14.

[Alison]

13+ is good. children should not be reading inappropriate things.

[Indira]

The general writing style and vocabulary is not very high level, I'm only 14 and English isn't even my native language but I think I would have liked it even more if I had read it two years ago. The violence is barely anything compared to the things kids see and read nowadays, but I guess it depends on the reader and their parents or whatever.

[Spin]

Honestly, I think it's just up to how mature the child is. 12+ I think, by average maturity levels.

[Banie]

I live in a very conservative community. I would say high school for conservative communities if teachers are going to assign the book to students to read. There is near sex and one scene that is not clear if you are reading carefully. Plus, quite a bit of violence.

[Ily]

15+

[Mochaspresso]

Divergent is pretty clean. There is some kissing and petting and some violence but I don't think any of it is as extreme as what they might see in a typical movie or prime time tv show. People forget that there is sex and violence in Romeo and Juliet, too. I think it really depends on how mature your children are and how sheltered you are raising them to be. I was watching horror movies and reading Stephen King novels in 4th and 5th grade. I knew about sex at age 11. My parents had no choice about that. I got my period and needed my first training bra at age 9.

Personally, I don't think it's very wise to shelter kids too much and send a naive 11 yr old out into today's middle schools.

[Violet]

hmm.I read HG when I was about 11 and I loved it. It was a experience. But I suppose On an average 12+ is appropriate. Divergent it self is relatively tame. But I assume that if she's going to read it she'll want to continue till the end of this trilogy. And haven just read Allegiant (The final instalment), I can say that she's in for a lot of grief.It takes its toll emotionally. There is n't any explicit sex scenes or anything so thats not exactly the issue-But there is a ton of violence and new conceptions and theories spiralling out of control and epiphanies she will probably not experience.Basically, a younger reader would n't appreciate it quite as much for its brilliance. Theres the fear that besides finding it depressing, they'd just see it as Action/Romance story, with a despondent ending. Which it is not.

[Brielle]

My best friend has read the entire series and she is 11. I am 12 and am currently reading the first book. I agree that it is a bit inappropriate and can send bad messages to the child's mind however my friends and I all agree that it is a great book and should be read only if the reader feels they are mature enough. I've been reading books like this when I was 9 and none of them have effected me. I personally don't think we should put an age limit on any books because everyone should be able to read whatever they want.

[Jo]

Kate (The Realist) wrote: "I was walking around the library when I noticed a list for the Book Club reading for 6th graders. I looked through the list and saw Divergent as one of the listed books. My sister is currently in 6..."

12 and up, so roughly 6th grade, potentially 5th grade. Violence really isn't frowned on for that young of age. If I recall there is sexual assault that happens or an almost sexual assault? It's been awhile since I've read it. But anything sexual or sexual violence in books is deemed "Holy bejesus no." even if it's attempted assault/isn't graphic. So, depends on the area that you live and if anyone actually reads it who have a complaint.

[Tris]

i read this book just after i turned 11 in fifth grade, but age doesnt really matter, it is more about maturity.

[Gavin]

Yeah, it's ok for 11+. Honestly, it really depends on the kid...
If you're worried about content, it honestly really isn't a worry in Divergent. It has kissing, Tris and Tobias lie down together on a bed and talk and kiss, that kinda stuff. Violence isn't really THAT bad here...
Though be warned, the books get much darker in the following books.