 | 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. |
Stardust
- By Neil Gaiman
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Book has more sex, less violence than the movie.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there's a graphic sex scene early in the book and other references to sex and erections as the pages turn. While there's not much violence compared with other fantasy novels, there are somewhat gruesome images, especially the stabbing of a unicorn in the eye and its decapitation. Gaiman also gets in some swear words (including "f--k") and references to drinking.
What's the story?
Half-blood Tristran grew up on the human side of the wall between England and Faerie. One day, while trying to convince a local beauty to marry him -- or at least kiss him -- he promises to get her a fallen star (that happens to be a beautiful woman) that they saw shooting through the sky. Unfortunately, it (she) fell far on the other side of the wall.
So Tristran sets off through Faerie to try to find the star. But he's got some competition, as a witch-queen and her sisters want to catch the fallen star and cut out her heart while she's still alive in order to renew their youth. And, at the same time, three murderous princes set out to find the jewel that will give one of them the power to ascend their dead father's throne.
Is it any good?
This fantasy novel didn't make much of a splash when it was first published, but it was reissued to coincide with the release of the movie version. The story is pleasant enough. Written in the style of a novel-length fairytale, it has both the advantages and disadvantages of that genre: Teens will appreciate the vivid magical setting and sense of surprise and wonder, but will find the lack of any character development makes it difficult for them to feel emotionally attached. In the end, it's a lovely soap bubble, bright and glittering and entertaining, but without much heart.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about bringing a book to the big screen. How does the movie version compare? What gets lost or is gained by creating a movie out of a novel?
How does reading about sex and violence feel different than seeing it in a movie or experiencing it in a video game? Should parents be as concerned with the books their kids read as they are about what they see on a screen?
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AGE
Worth a Trip to the Library for...
I read this book several weeks ago and I loved it, despite the graphical sections, which made me feel kind of squeamish. All in all, it's one of Gaiman's best books I believe.
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AGE
Like an Adult Alice in Wonderland
Besides the book having a graphic sex scene and several conversations of graphic nature, the book was just really wierd. Wierd in a fantastical sort of way. I loved the movie so picked up the book, and was dissapointed. I love the story line, and am so glad I saw the movie before ever reading the book! The book has extra wierd details and other wierd scenes, and some of my favorite scenes from the movie aren't even really in the book. Romance isn't just sex and infatuation- so the book to me isn't really romantic.
Definitely not for kids!
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AGE
Normally, I'm fine with sex and language. But when it's unexpected, ehhhhh ... that was kind of nasty. I didn't really like the book.
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AGE
For young adults who enjoy heartless sex and gruesome violence
Neil Gaiman is not a writer for young readers. He is at best an R rated writer if we actually had ratings like movie theaters do. Any young tween can find this book in the library's young reader section and no parent will be in the know that explicit sexual gratuitous sex scens start the book off so as to grab the readers attention. If you take the time to learn about the author, he is not usually known for his work for young readers, it simply became something he did for money/marketing purposes.
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Kid, 11 years old
April 12, 2011
AGE
it might be higher then 12+
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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AGE
Neil Gaiman and J.R.R. Tolkien are my most favorite authors. I absolutely loved Coraline and the Graveyard Book by Gaiman. I rented the DVD of Stardust and enjoyed it greatly, deeming it as one of my favorite films. I went to the library to pick up the book, and well, I have to say I didn't really enjoy it. I found it hard to get into, and Gaiman seemed to lose his charming, feel-good, fairy tale-ish flow of writing. Right after I began to get into it, there was that graphic sex scene with Tristran's father and some fairy chick. I felt slightly nauseous and almost stopped reading. The rest of the story was hardly like the movie at all. Cuss words like F**K and S**T were used frequently. One of the Stormhold princes has sex with a servent. I was looking forward to the ending duel in the Witch's lair that was in the movie. But instead, Yvaine kisses the old hag on the cheek and she walks away! I was quite dissapointed. Read this to pass the time in a car or something. Buy the DVD instead. It's only $11.18 at Target.
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AGE
Good book.
Actually a good book. The scene at the beginning almost made me stop reading it, but I wondered what would happen. A pleasant book, although the gruesome death of the unicorn was a little graphic.
I saw the movie first, so I thought it would be like the book. I was wrong. Although the movie hinted that it was based on the book, it was more of a child-friendly remake. (If you are my age, then I suggest you don't read this book unless you think you can andle it.) Three stars.
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| Author: | Neil Gaiman |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | HarperTeen |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1999 |
| Number of pages: | 333 |
| Hardcover price: | $0.00 |
| Paperback price: | $6.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 14 |
| Read alone: | 14 |
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