Common Sense Media Review
By Common Sense Media
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Haunting Pulitzer Prize winner about slavery's impact.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Parents say the book is an essential, though heavy, read that tackles the deep legacies of trauma and slavery, but it is generally deemed unsuitable for younger readers due to its complex themes of sexual violence and emotional pain. While some believe that older teens can handle its profound historical insights, others argue that it should be reserved for adult readers who can fully grasp the nuanced exploration of morality and history.
- necessary read
- heavy themes
- complex symbolism
- adult content
- historical insight
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 7 kid reviews
What's the Story?
Sethe is a formerly enslaved woman who chooses to kill her children rather than allow her family to be captured back into slavery. She succeeds in killing only her second youngest, who later returns to haunt the house in which the family lives -- first in ethereal form and then as a woman calling herself Beloved. The novel takes place primarily in the years after the Civil War, though it often flashes back to the time of slavery. The story moves seamlessly back and forth through time, capturing Sethe's girlhood, her time on the plantation, and the lives of the various secondary characters. When Paul D. arrives and begins helping them see a way past their pain, Beloved's presence becomes all the more vivid.
Is It Any Good?
This a difficult and often gruesome book, but there's a reason it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize: It's a masterful work by one of the best storytellers alive today. In Beloved, Morrison not only will help readers connect to a painful part of American history, but she'll also encourage them to struggle with some difficult subjects, including the possible heroism of a woman who murders her own child.
This is a book whose intention is to disturb: Teen readers might have to grapple a bit with the complex storytelling, as well as with the intense subject matter, but that's sometimes the best way to confront difficult subjects. Parents may want consider reading this classic along with their kids and using our discussion ideas to tackle the difficult topics it raises.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why this book is on the ALA's banned/challenged books list. What do some people find so threatening? Do you agree with them? The book is meant to be disturbing -- but is that ever a reason to ban a book?
This book provides excellent opportunities to talk about slavery, as well as racism and injustice, even as they exist today. In the context of the book, were the ex-slaves truly "free"?
This book is often on high school and college reading lists -- why does slavery continue to be an essential topic to study?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Literary Fiction
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Vintage Books
- Publication date : August 1, 1987
- Number of pages : 324
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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