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Surrender

(2006, Fiction - Contemporary Fiction, Written by Sonya Hartnett)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Lyrical, award-winning thriller has twisty ending.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    There is no one likable or good here; the protagonists engage in arson and murder.

  • Violence:

    One of the narrators seems to be dying of a gruesome degenerative disease, which is described in some detail. Murder with a hatchet, arson, the shooting of a dog. Children are beaten with belts and sticks by parents. A child accidentally kills his disabled brother by putting him in an unused refrigerator.

  • Sex:

    Mild fantasies.

  • Language:

    One use of "s--t."

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Teen smoking, beer drinking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Surrender

Parents need to know that one of the protagonists in this award-winning read is apparently dying of a gruesome degenerative disease, accidentally killed his disabled brother, and may have killed his parents as well -- and the other protagonist is an arsonist. The teen smoking and beer drinking are minor faults in comparison.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the strange ending. What was real? Finnigan? The murders? Gabriel dying? What really happens at the very end?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    ImBored25
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

    A Must Read

    This is the best book I have ever read. The end is incredible. The violence is a little bad. Like when a baby gets stuck in a refrigerator. Or when 2 parents were murdered by a hatchet. Anyway, a must read for kids 13 and up

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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