The racism in this book is apalling and makes for a great discussion with kids - for both blatant racism and more subtle racism, like what goes on in the school in this story. The anguished question from the Father in this story about whether his dead son would have become a good man is also a thought provoking discussion point - especially for older teens.
Trouble
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Scattered but moving road trip to redemption.
Why We Rated This
for Ages 12–14
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
This review of Trouble was written by Matt Berman
Parents need to know that the central event is a gruesome accident in which a boy's arm is torn off, and from which he eventually dies. A central theme is virulent and sometimes violent racism between whites and Cambodians.
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the racism on both sides of the divide. Why do so many of the townspeople hate the Cambodian refugees? Why is Chay's father so vehemently opposed to Chay dating a white girl and reading Keats? Why do people commit the violent acts portrayed here?
More on Trouble
Book Summary
Is It Any Good?
And that's just the first half of what is really two stories in one novel. The second half, considerably lighter than the first, though not without its own horrors, is the road trip of three teen boys, each of them unknowingly seeking understanding and redemption. As in his previous novels, Schmidt throws a lot of complexity and subplots in here, and this time not all of them are a comfortable fit or lead anywhere. But all are fascinating, and each, such as a crew race or the discovery of the wreckage of a slave ship, has metaphorical resonance with the main story. Schmidt has emerged as a writer of rare power who spins emotionally and intellectually complex tales in a gorgeously literary style that makes every scene, every setting, every passing breeze spring vividly and completely to life.
Publisher’s Details
Number of pages: 297, Price: $16 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 12, Read Alone: 12
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
A really great book for discussing racism

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