Tender Morsels (by Margo Lanagan)
common sense media says
Intense, award-winning fairy tale for mature readers only.
parents & educators say
- 43% say sexual content is an issue
- 43% say there are positive role models
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this award-winning book has garnered criticism for its intense material, including a protagonist who is repeatedly raped by her father and gang raped by other teens. There is also sodomy, bestiality, and graphic depictions of a miscarriage, a mauling, and more. Yet this book has also earned a great deal of praise for its masterful writing. Mature readers who make it through will have plenty to think about, including whether any topic is ever off limits for children, teen, or adult readers.
Educational value:
This controversial book lends itself to some great discussions about
mature books for teens. See our "Families Can Talk About" section for
some ideas. Some readers may be interested in pursuing other retold
fairy tales -- while other may be inspired to learn more about how
abuse victims cope with traumatic events.
mature books for teens. See our "Families Can Talk About" section for
some ideas. Some readers may be interested in pursuing other retold
fairy tales -- while other may be inspired to learn more about how
abuse victims cope with traumatic events.
Positive role models:
The main character and her children may be inspirational to readers, for they do ultimately come back to the real world where, as it says in the book's description, "beauty and brutality lie side by side."
Violence:
This book includes intense violence: A girl is repeatedly raped by her father and later gang raped by a group of teens. When those teens are grown, each is brutally sodomized in revenge. In other disturbingly violent scenes, a girl contemplates killing her newborn baby by bashing the baby's brains out against a tree and throwing her off a cliff, a man is mauled to death by a bear, and much more.
Sex:
Lots of graphic material, beginning with the book's opening scene, which describes sex between a witch and a dwarf. The book also includes bestiality and a graphic depiction of bears mating while a girl watches. Also references to an erection, orgasm, masturbation, prostitution, etc.
Language:
Some, including "slut" and "feck."
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Some drinking and drunkenness, though certainly not glamorized in any way.
More on Tender Morsels
Review It
Based on 7 parent & educator reviews:
- 43% say sexual content is an issue
- 43% say there are positive role models
- 43% say there are positive messages
- 29% say violence is an issue
- 29% say it's educational
Most useful reviews by all members
willowfaierie
educator and parent of 11 year old
educator and parent of 11 year old
clean
An okay book for adults that enjoy fantasy novels, but not for teens of any age. As a high school English teacher, I read a lot of YA and adult fiction and keep an extensive library in my classroom. I'm not squeamish about mature content in books, but this novel crossed the line and I will not put it in my classroom. It opens with a graphic, descriptive sex scene between a dwarf and the town trollop and within the first 26 pages features the repeated rape of a teen girl by her father, two graphic descriptions of the aftermath of forced abortions that her father performs on her against her will, and the gang rape of the same girl by a group of village boys. Later, the book describes a sexual relationship between a girl (the child born of the gang rape) and a bear (that is actually a teen boy that's been transformed into a lusty bear). Some of the descriptions are frankly as graphic as Anais Nin erotica. Yes, the source material s dark. Grimm is dark. We all know that - but Grimm does not feature long, explicit, heavily descriptive and detailed sexual scenes (both erotic and violent). It's not a bad book - it's just not a young adult book. This is easily as dark, difficult, and disturbing a take on a fairy tale as any of the adult feminist retellings of myth and fable that I have read.
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fanta23
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
it is to nasty for to read and i very disgusting
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mcgreel
parent of 10 year old
parent of 10 year old
A great read for older teens
I loved this book and felt that while it may be disturbing for teens who aren't yet mature enough for it, most teens 15+ could draw some valuable implications from it. I also though that it was beautifully written with a wonderfully innovative story.
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samara911
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Not horrible but deffinetly not for tweens
It was an averag book but it had too many detailed sex scenes. It wasn`t very good and I would suggest it to experienced readers,older teens and adults.
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brown_eyed_girl
parent of 10 and 12 year old
parent of 10 and 12 year old
Brutal and graphic
The cover attracted my eye in the Young Adult section of the library so I read it to see if it would be appropriate for my daughter. Thank goodness I previewed it! This is in no way suitable for teens. While the time travel and fantasy elements are interesting, the graphic depictions of rape, incest, miscarriages, bestiality, etc. is enough to give even a mature reader pause. There just isn't enough of value here to recommend it even for and older teen.
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starbox
parent of 13 and 15 year old
parent of 13 and 15 year old
An adult book with more in common with Anais Nin than Grimm.
An okay book for adults that enjoy fantasy novels, but not for teens of any age. As a high school English teacher, I read a lot of YA and adult fiction and keep an extensive library in my classroom. I'm not squeamish about mature content in books, but this novel crossed the line and I will not put it in my classroom. It opens with a graphic, descriptive sex scene between a dwarf and the town trollop and within the first 26 pages features the repeated rape of a teen girl by her father, two graphic descriptions of the aftermath of forced abortions that her father performs on her against her will, and the gang rape of the same girl by a group of village boys. Later, the book describes a sexual relationship between a girl (the child born of the gang rape) and a bear (that is actually a teen boy that's been transformed into a lusty bear). Some of the descriptions are frankly as graphic as Anais Nin erotica.
Yes, the source material s dark. Grimm is dark. We all know that - but Grimm does not feature long, explicit, heavily descriptive and detailed sexual scenes (both erotic and violent).
It's not a bad book - it's just not a young adult book. This is easily as dark, difficult, and disturbing a take on a fairy tale as any of the adult feminist retellings of myth and fable that I have read.
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bookwormforever
adult
adult
Well written, but iffy for younger-mid teens
I read the book when I was about 16, and it was definitely not easy to get through. I finished it because I wanted to know if there was a happy ending, and because I didn't want to leave off in the middle of the uneasy feeling. The book has a few sweet parts, but there are quite a few parts that deal with rape, molestation, and unpleasantness.
The book does show the main character learning to move through life, despite her past (in contrast to her mother's decision to hide her girls away), and it shows a man who is kind to the main character and seeks to rescue her.
Parents who are uncomfortable exposing their teens to material like may want to avoid this book. I definitely recommend that you read it first. This may be a good medium through which to ignite discussion of difficult topics, but only if the readers are old enough to handle the material.
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