I read this book when I was 14 and I loved it! I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 14!
When She Was Good
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 13. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Teen survives abuse by mentally ill older sister.
Why We Rated This
for Ages 13–18
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 When She Was Good
Parents need to know that this story alludes to a young teen girl engaging in sexual activity with boys, and she also has a more innocent sexual encounter with a girl. An older sister mentally and physically abuses her sibling, but while the scenes are tense, most are brief and there are no graphic descriptions. There is also mention of a teen drinking beer and an alcoholic father abusing his wife. Use of curse words is minimal, and the worst words are twisted in form (such as "frucking"). The main character suffers the trauma of losing her mother at a young age and witnessing her older sister's sudden death.
Read our full review by Ellen Dendy
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about Em's troubled family life. Why do you think Em ran away from home with her abusive sister Pamela? How was Em able to survive such awful circumstances?
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Quite Good!
I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give itGood Book... But for More-Mature Audiesnces
"When She Was Good" is a pretty good book. I enjoyed it, but there is some violence, language, and sexual content that makes it for older, more-mature audiences only.

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