It sounds kind of ridiculous but this is actually pretty smart. I’d prefer to know what my kids are diving into and maybe set up guardrails or at least warnings if something they were interested in was funky.
A book that I got as part of a birthday present when I was in middle school had a passage where a man’s long-lost sister (who was part monster, but was painstakingly described as very attractive) told him that either he had to impregnate her the old-fashioned way, or she would simply get a syringe, extract sperm from his testicles, and impregnate herself that way to create, if I remember correctly, a monster that would end the world or something. It was labeled as “Young Adult” level.
Some books have names that don’t evocate much, a tame cover and end up being smut books.
Quick search brings up “Normal people”.
Unassuming title and cover, you might guess romance, but quoting an article mentioning it “The sex scenes in this one really do jump off the page”.
You might not want your 10-13 y/o reading about that just yet…
Some other might have toxic ideas, graphic depiction of violence, or lots of things you might want a teen to not read just yet.
Also there are way to many violent sex scenes in dark romance books, for kids who are just starting to grasp what sec can be. Nothing wrong with people liking brutal sex, but that’s not beginner level friendly and might set wrong expectations.
I read Tatham Mound when I was 12, and it kind of blew my mind. I wouldn’t say it was appropriate at that age, but I also don’t think it did any harm. The violence was explicit, and there were numerous sex scenes, but they were placed in a cultural context.
It sounds kind of ridiculous but this is actually pretty smart. I’d prefer to know what my kids are diving into and maybe set up guardrails or at least warnings if something they were interested in was funky.
Plus you can have a book club and talk to your kids about something they’re excited about!
I love this.
I mean if they’re reading books in the first place you’re probably already in the clear
What would be a “funky” book for you?
Too hard to grasp, like an advanced book for a 11 yo I understand, but I wonder what other people would forbid and why.
A book that I got as part of a birthday present when I was in middle school had a passage where a man’s long-lost sister (who was part monster, but was painstakingly described as very attractive) told him that either he had to impregnate her the old-fashioned way, or she would simply get a syringe, extract sperm from his testicles, and impregnate herself that way to create, if I remember correctly, a monster that would end the world or something. It was labeled as “Young Adult” level.
So, like, probably something like that.
You just gave someone a new fetish.
I was specifically thinking of books with sexual violence, suicide, or promoting toxic behavior, and even then it does go down to the book’s context.
Good old “don’t judge a book by its cover”
Some books have names that don’t evocate much, a tame cover and end up being smut books. Quick search brings up “Normal people”. Unassuming title and cover, you might guess romance, but quoting an article mentioning it “The sex scenes in this one really do jump off the page”.
You might not want your 10-13 y/o reading about that just yet…
Some other might have toxic ideas, graphic depiction of violence, or lots of things you might want a teen to not read just yet.
Also there are way to many violent sex scenes in dark romance books, for kids who are just starting to grasp what sec can be. Nothing wrong with people liking brutal sex, but that’s not beginner level friendly and might set wrong expectations.
I read Tatham Mound when I was 12, and it kind of blew my mind. I wouldn’t say it was appropriate at that age, but I also don’t think it did any harm. The violence was explicit, and there were numerous sex scenes, but they were placed in a cultural context.