This is the greatest book of all time!!!!! You have to read this!!!!!!
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Slaughterhouse-five
(1969, Fiction - Science Fiction, Written by Kurt Vonnegut)
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 14. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
One of Vonnegut's best suits mature teen readers.
updated 06.16.09
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14–18
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence :
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Sex :
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Slaughterhouse-five
Parents need to know that this book was written for adults and, though not very descriptive, it has lots of sexual, violent, and explicit language content. That said, it's no worse than your average teen novel of today, and a great intro to Vonnegut's work for the right mature teen readers.
Read our full review by Matt Berman
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about what the author is trying to do here. Why does he call it "The Children's Crusade"? What does he mean by the most famous phrase in the book, "So it goes"?
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Our Members Say
See all 5 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
Lives in New JerseyI rate this title iffy for age 12 and give itAwesome
- Lives inI rate this title on for age 17 and give it
slaughterhouse five
- Lives in FloridaI rate this title on for age 2 and give it
An Entertaining Read
Kurt Vonnegut masterfully weaves psychology and a great story with Slaughterhouse Five. Granted, I would only let mature teens read it, but it has a good message and is a fascinating novel.
- Lives in ConnecticutI rate this title on for age 13 and give it
This book is amazing.
Sex: A lot of references. I think that CSM basically got everything except that it should also be noted that , near the end of the book, there is a picture of bare breasts. Violence: When it comes to books, violence doesn't really bother me but, if your really picky about that sort of thing, check the CSM review. Language: Language, too, really doesn't bother me. It's just words. At the same time however, there is a lot so I've given it an iffy rating even though I personally don't really mind. Review: I read this book when I was twelve and it didn't phase me. Now that I look at this list, however, I feel like I ought to put the same rating as CSM but the thing is that I wasn't bothered and I don't really believe that books (or other forms of media) can really affect people's lives. When I read this, it didn't really seem all that bad to me and I doubt that it will traumatize today's kids.
- Lives in North CarolinaI rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Amazing Literature
I absolutely loved this book. Mr. Vonnegut's writing style is captivating, and he makes his point in an inventive manner. However, I would only recommend this book for teens 14 and up, as it does contain substantial profanity and sexualy material. Also, you may want to use this book as a gateway to discussing World War II with your teenagers. Ask them their opinions on what started the war; what the motivations were for each side. Ask them what they think of the bombing of Dresden. You never know, you may learn something from them.
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