| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this is vampire horror on the level of Anne Rice. It features very explicit sex and exploitation of teens for vampire gratification. Horrific acts of murder and destruction are spectator sports. This book should not be marketed for teens.
Charlotte is a century-old vampire stuck in a 17-year-old body. At 13 she had a forbidden tryst with her twin brother. When he dies two years later she is devastated and easily seduced by a vampire. Her lover claims to be a fallen angel, aka a demon. After spending decades with him witnessing first hand atrocities such as Auchwitz and Hiroshima (just for fun), she leaves him to live in California. There she befriends 17-year-old Emily and tries to steal her boyfriend Jared by any horrible means necessary.
PRETTY DEAD has been praised for its prose, mythology, and erotic power. But graphic, psychopathic violence and graphic, adult sex in a teen book? Fans of Block’s sexy urban fairy tales will not expect this complex and decadent novel and it may mislead them with its traditional vampire storyline and sympathy for the difficulties teen girls face.
Families can talk about the vampire craze. What do you think makes them so popular?
Families can also talk about why this popular teen author has gone this direction. Who do you think the book is right for?
| Author: | Francesca Lia Block |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | HarperTeen |
| Publication date: | September 22, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 208 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 14 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 15 |
| Read alone: | 16 |
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