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Stardust (by Neil Gaiman)

common sense media says

Book has more sex, less violence than the movie.


parents & educators say

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.

Educational value: Readers might have fun comparing and contrasting this to the movie version
Positive messages: This is adventure story, but Tristran does have to face off against some evil folks, including mean witches and murderous princes. While they are motivated by the search for youth and power, he is motivated by love. 
Positive role models: Tristran does make some good choices (like encouraging Victoria to marry the man she loves, even if it makes breaking a promise to him). 
Violence: Some grisly violence including throat cutting, disemboweling animals, and killing a unicorn by stabbing it through the eye and then decapitating it.
Sex: A fairly graphic sex scene, sexual references, an oblique reference to erections.
Language: Some swearing, including "f--k."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Drinking and drunkenness, smoking a pipe.

More on Stardust

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • 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?

What's the story?

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?

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.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: January 1, 1999
Number of pages: 333
Hardcover price: $0.00
Paperback price: $6.99
Read Aloud: 14
Read Alone: 14

This review was written by Matt Berman
 
 

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What parents & educators say

13

Most useful reviews by all members

goaliegirl914
teen, 15 years old
 
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.

 
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!

heyjessie
teen, 15 years old
 
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.

stormrider
kid, 11 years old
 
it might be higher then 12+
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jemmy
teen, 17 years old
 
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.

jandrewworld
parent of 2 and 7 year old
 
Buy the version with the illustrations
This book was published serialized by DC Comics back in the mid-1990s. When it was it had beautiful illustrations by Charles Vess. This is also the only way I wish to read the book. The story is a romance fantasy. It has something for everyone without being watered down and being bland. It is a faerie tale for the 21st century.

BrainFood
parent of 12 year old
 
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.

Artsy
teen, 15 years old
 
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.

ellie
adult
 
Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is my FAVORITE author. he is amazing. i HATE the fact that they turned Stardust into a kids movie. it was a great movie, went ok with the book, but then people go read the book expecting to read that stupid scene with Robert whatever and its not in there because that was stupid and Neil Gaiman's books are always extremely smart and well written. Stardust isn't my favorite of his books, but it's in the top 3. it's violent, and it moves at a leisurly pace that some might call boring, but it also has a certain charm that is Neil Gaimans that can never be put into a movie.

MississippiQueen
parent of and 2 , 2 , 5 , 7 year old
 

JamesRobertson
parent of and 7 , 11 , 14 , 17 year old
 

rekarac
teen, 16 years old
 
At first I thought it would be boring, but it reaally isn't.
I understand if most boys don't like it because of all the romance in it. But it's an awesome adventure story.

 
I was angered by your review
Although Stardust is not my favourite novel, Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite authors. I love his wit and dark sophistication, and I was angered when you said that the sex scene was a "poor marketing decision". Neil Gaiman's novels were never meant for children or young teenagers, and are not marketed that way. I didn't read any of his novels until I was 17. I have not seen the movie, because I didn't like many of the changes they made to the book. Stardust is for adults, and it should remain that way. It's not a great novel, but it's a pleasant escape, and beautifully written, and it brings back memories of reading fairy tales as a child. I felt the single use of "f**k" was funny, and not gratuitous. I'd recommend it for teenagers 16 and up. While a younger teenager could read the book, the subject matter is probably too dark.

purpledragon
teen, 15 years old
 
don't let stars fall
LONG LIVE THE KING

 
It wasn't worth the rental fee
I love fantasy and was hoping to find a fun, fantasy adventure film. The storyline was an excellent idea, but I rapidly became disillusioned and fast forwarded a lot of scenes. One of the few nice characters in the movie (pirate captain) turns out to be homosexual, and the premarital sex scenes took the fun out of the romance. I was hoping for an uplifting movie definitely was the opposite. The good guys were too wimpy -- what's up with that?

lozzie98
kid, 13 years old
 
not true what they say
i dont get it, i saw stardust and it was fine my 6yr old niece watched it

Locke Lamora
teen, 15 years old
 
Amazing Novel

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