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Would You

(2008, Fiction - Family Life, Written by Marthe Jocelyn)

  • 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

    Poignant story about a car accident's aftermath.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The teens discuss eating a baby (part of a game) at a restaurant table, prompting a nearby customer to call their behavior appalling. Teens trespass to swim in backyard pools, and then lie to police about where they've been. Natalie calls the older women in her aqua aerobics class "my regular fatties." Teens sunbathe wearing SPF 4 "screw-you-ozone" sunscreen. Natalie and her friends dismiss the idea of a "life mate," saying, "All you have to do is look at any of our parents to know what a pointless concept that is." The teens discuss their various ideas regarding heaven and hell, including one's opinion that there is no God. Friends support each other through rough times.

  • Violence:

    A teen girl is hit by a car when she walks out into the street crying. Natalie imagines smashing her hand through the window, "scarlet blood pouring out." Teens discuss the horrors of the Crusades, the Holocaust, Sept. 11, and plagues. One asks, "How about if you were 16 . . . and they raped you . . . and then they raped your mother and burned everything else. And they said they were doing God's business."

  • Sex:

    A girl asks a boy, "Like you wouldn't let someone out of jail for a blow job?" There is a reference to Claire having had sex with her boyfriend. A girl hooks up with a boy but he says it was "one-time only." One boy says his heaven would include lap dancers, and then when another says his heaven would be a bookstore, asks, "How are you ever going to get laid?" One note left at a memorial to Claire says the writer wishes they'd had sex. Natalie kisses the boy she likes.

  • Language:

    "Hell," "t-ts," "blow job," "effing," "crap," "pissy," "s--t," "damn," and "whore" (as an insult).

  • Consumerism:

    The teens spend a lot of time in a restaurant where their friend works, plus a few name-brand products such as Post-it notes.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A group of teens drink whiskey; the main character later throws up.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Would You

Parents need to know that this novel deals with a teen getting hit by a car and ending up in a coma, and how this impacts her family. The topic of death is handled sensitively and realistically, but it may disturb some readers. Characters talk like real teens, which means some cursing and irreverent discussions. Teens trespass to swim in backyard swimming pools (presented as a fun thrill); there are brief mentions of teen sex (in a committed relationship); and alcohol use by teens.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about some of the heavy topics presented here, including organ donation and making end-of-life decisions. If families have not tried the "would you" game, it makes for interesting dinnertime conversation, as each person around the table poses a moral (or gross-out) dilemma (for example: "Would you rather eat a rat with the fur still on or eat sewage straight from the pipe?"). As the book explains, "The point is to have options that are not options."
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Miranda1995
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Negative message

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    Im 14 and I read this book in a day I liked it so much, it was an engaging story and it kept you on your toes, and as for "not appropriate" goes....your kids will hear worse words at school. very good book tho

    This review...

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

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