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This Vast Land: A Young Man's Journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

(2003, Fiction - Historical Fiction, Written by Stephen Ambrose)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Graphic sex scene makes this for mature readers.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Enjoyment of killing, racism, revenge, fighting.

  • Violence:

    Killing of animals and humans, scalping, battles between Indians and whites. Some of the confrontations with the Indians are very tense.

  • Sex:

    Mention of menses, whores, sleeping together, and one extremely graphic sexual encounter between young George and an Indian woman, which results in her pregnancy.

  • Language:

    A variety of swearing typical of men in these circumstances.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Smoking, drinking, drunkenness. George participates in, and learns to like, all three.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About This Vast Land: A Young Man's Journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Parents need to know that despite accessible language, one extremely graphic sex scene makes this inappropriate for those not yet in high school.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the extraordinary adventure of the expedition. What motivated the members of the expedition to persevere? Do you think you would have been interested in joining the adventure -- or would it be too much adventure for your taste? What did they achieve?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Anonymous
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0

  2. Adult Reviewer
    The Real Gordon ...
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    I loved this book, but it had extremely offensive content.

    "This Vast Land" by Stephen Ambrose was an extremely well written book. It was written as a first-person account by George Shannon, it covers his journey with Lewis and Clark across the country. I really enjoyed this book, but I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 15, due to an extremely graphic sex scene which leads to pregnancy, plus a gross scene of violence which will upset most people who read it.

    This review...

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

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