Beloved

Book review by Common Sense Media, Common Sense Media
Beloved Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Haunting Pulitzer Prize winner about slavery's impact.

Toni Morrison Literary Fiction 1987
Rate book

Parents say

age 17+

Based on 18 reviews

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 14 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate book

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

Stands out for and .

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is on many high school required reading lists because it's a classic that will leave a lasting imprint on readers. It's true that Beloved is the 26th book on the American Library Association's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books for 2000-2009 and has been challenged for its violence, sexuality, and more: It features a gritty infanticide, racial language, horrific sexual assaults, and even references to sex with animals. But teens are mature enough to handle the challenges this book presents. At this age they can decide for themselves what they think about disturbing personal and historical events. Beloved is a beautiful, powerful book that will help all readers learn about the horrors of slavery -- and leave them thinking about what it means to be a strong, heroic, or moral person.

Community Reviews

Applesaucy
Applesaucy Adult
October 29, 2021
age 16+

One of the most beautiful and thought provoking books I ever read

As a white girl growing up in Eastern Kentucky, this is the first black author I was ever exposed to. It wasn’t part of our main curriculum- I grabbed it off of an AP reading list as one of my “self selections” (and let’s be honest, the insinuation that it was “racy” is what drew me to it)- but it should have been. The people who think it is too graphic for high school students 1) are deluding themselves about what high schoolers are up to; and 2) aren’t aware of the content in the YA books their kids are reading; and 3)are missing the point. Beloved was the first time I ever “saw” slavery from a black point of view. Every lesson, up until beloved, had been a literally “whitewashed” depiction of beautiful plantations, kind masters and simple, big-hearted “workers”. That was not reality. Telling kids that was reality does not protect them, it just buys momentary comfort at the expense of empathy. Quite apart from the important and meaningful depiction of slavery, the language in this book is beautiful. Besides depicting a black protagonist, this is one of the few books I read at school that was written from a female perspective. This book is a great segue from “safe” and entertaining children’s stories into adult literature. The conversations sparked by this book will help students understand each other. Please don’t be dissuaded by screechy school-board moms who want to drag literature into a political agenda. The only people with something to fear from this book are racists.

This title has:

Educational value
1 person found this helpful.
Sam4321
Sam4321 Adult
April 24, 2021
age 18+

Horrific, Disturbing

Being required to read this in an IB English class was so traumatizing that a student I know asked to be assigned a different book. The teacher was surprised "But IB students are advanced. They can handle this book" Graphic descriptions of incest are not something we should be forcing kids to read. Schools don't show pornography to kids at school, why do they ask them to read it?

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 18 parent 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

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love books about the African-American experience

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate