A Girl Called Fearless

An attempted kidnapping includes vague or very brief descriptions of punching and choking. A video showing police brutality is described vaguely. A teacher gives a student a hard slap in the face. A major character is shot, but there's no gore. A minor but important character sets herself on fire as a protest, and it's described briefly. Bad guys kill a goat as a threat, and it's described in some detail including spurting blood and the animal's death throes. A teen girl is grabbed violently by the hair and kissed forcibly. It's mentioned that lesbians are raped to "teach them a lesson."

Avie and Yates kiss a half dozen times, and all are briefly described without a lot of detail. They also make out a couple of times, again without much descriptive detail. They sleep together in a sleeping bag but decide not to have sex even though they both want to. A teen character gets pregnant and runs away. Girls as young as 16 are married off to strangers in exchange for money and are officially advised that they have to "do it" whenever their husband wants. There are two or three unpleasant kisses between Avie and the older man she's offically engaged to. Avie spends one night working as a geisha, and the clients grab at her and make inappropriate sexual advances. Avie mentions she's aware that men pay for sex, and a "whorehouse" is mentioned.

Strong language is infrequent but includes two or three instances of "ass," "pissed," "bitch," and "s--t." "Hell," "slut," "damn," "whore," and "ballsy" are used once each. A teen girl refers to fourth graders as "bitches."

Adults drink wine and beer with meals and at parties. It's implied after the fact that 16-year-old Avie had wine at a formal luncheon. Avie's father drinks "amber liquid" at home. Her uncle, who doesn't appear in the story, struggled with drug addiction in the past, and her father's company is trying to develop a cure for drug addiction. Walking through a casino, Avie smells beer and cigarettes.

Parents need to know that A Girl Called Fearless is a gripping political thriller set in an alternative present that will get teens thinking about gender roles and discrimination; the importance of personal freedom and self-determination; and the safety of the nation's food supply. Some harsh realities of the male-dominated society include the restriction of women's access to information, education, and money; teen girls being instructed that they'll have to "do it" whenever their husbands want; and a teen girl setting herself on fire in protest on the steps of the capitol building. Main character Avie (nicknamed Fearless) is not really unafraid, but she finds the bravery she needs to escape her oppressors and help remove them from power. Strong language is infrequent and includes a few instances of "s--t," "ass," and "bitch." Violence also is infrequent and vague, except the killing of a goat is described in some detail. A major character is shot, but it's not gory. Avie and Yates kiss and make out a few times but decide to wait to have sex because Avie doesn't feel ready for it.