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Voices

(2006, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by Ursula Le Guin)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Well-wrought fantasy explores pacifism, violence.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The occupying enemy sees women as less than human.

  • Violence & scariness:

    While the violence (including rape) isn't shown, the detailed (and often gruesome) aftermath is.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Voices

Parents need to know that this sequel to Le Guin's Gifts contains more mature content than its predecessor and may be too much for some kids. Violence, descriptions of the effects of torture, and matter-of-fact mentions of rape are scattered throughout the book, although never gratuitously. For those kids old enough for its mature themes, the book is a capable exploration of violence, culture clashes, and seeing the enemy from the other side.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how the people of Ansul respond to their violent occupiers, the Alds. How are they able to maintain their values in the face of such opposition, and why is it important that they do so? Why does the Waylord want the heroine, Memer, to see the humanity in the Alds?
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