 | 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. |
The Upper Class
- By Caroline Says, Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne
- Genre: Coming of Age
Common Sense Media says
Good friendship tale, but sex, drugs, labels, too.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that younger teen girls who are into all of the "popular girl" series books will want to read this, but it will slap them with all the same raw, adult themes that make these books guilty pleasures. Teens drink a lot, smoke -- and even snort cocaine. One protagonist loses her virginity in the school library; another has an eating disorder. There is swearing, lots of label name-dropping -- and even some pretty disturbing hazing.
What's the story?
Laine is from old-money Connecticut. Loud Nikki wears gold jewelry, glittery eye shadow, and swears like a sailor. The girls -- roommates at an expensive boarding school -- don't immediately bond; in fact Laine doesn't even tell Nikki that she's being targeted by the school's alpha girl, who wants her to drop out. But their troubled pasts and struggles to find themselves eventually bring them together.
Is it any good?
You've heard the story before: Two opposites form an unlikely friendship at a posh boarding school. What makes this story unique is that its characters seem very vivid -- and vulnerable. They both have deep family issues, and encounter new problems as well: Nikki falls for a bad boy, who gets expelled, and Laine's eating disorder threatens her field hockey scholarship -- and future college career.
Their prep school setting feels equally real. The authors went to boarding school together, and it's clear that they loved it, warts and all. Don't be fooled by the book's cheap packaging or its formulaic set-up. Readers will be truly moved by both girls' stories -- and appreciate their growing friendship.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about other movies and books about boarding school kids. What is it about the idea of kids living at school that intrigues us so much? What are some of the similarities you see between this book and other media in the genre (think: cliques, harassment, class differences, etc.)? How realistic are these portrayals?
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AGE
A good read for a mid teen girl
Although one character has sex, it is nothing that 14 year olds don't know about, they get worse in personal social education classes. However, I think that the cocaine is an issue, because teens are easily mislead.
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AGE
Under 13?
From the reveiw this is NOT a kid-friendly book. If you are under 13 you sould definitley NOT read this book.
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AGE
A Great book for Highschoolers!
I read this book as a mature 11 (almost twelve) year old. This was defiantly not appropriate for me. The biggest issue for me was the drugs. Everything else I had been exposed to while silent reading, but the drugs I had not experienced.
With that said, the book was very good, but also VERY inappropriate. This book is great for grades 9-12.
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| Authors: | Caroline Says, Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Coming of Age |
| Publisher: | HarperTeen |
| Publication date: | June 1, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 288 |
| Paperback price: | $8.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 14 - 14 |
| Read aloud: | 15 |
| Read alone: | 15 |
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