Parents' Guide to

Rebel Belle

By Karen Wirsing, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Witty repartee boosts Southern belle-turned-superhero tale.

Book Rachel Hawkins Adventure 2014
Rebel Belle Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

breckm
breckm Adult
February 23, 2016
age 16+

Not for kids under 16!

As a parent of two young daughters, I'm blown away that any parents would be fine with their young kids reading material that has all kinds of sexual content of same sex conversation as well as plenty of bad language starting in the first chapter. Why shape your preteen kids on such grown up material?

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

REBEL BELLE is the story of 16-year-old Harper Price, a quirky Southern debutante turned superhero. Harper longs for the days when the traditional Southern belle dilemma consisted of deciding which lip gloss color went best with her homecoming dress. However, those once-upon-a-time minute details seem superfluous when she finds herself on the bathroom floor with the history teacher holding a knife to her throat. Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time! Harper takes over the role of the last Paladin when witnessing the death of her school's janitor. Her newest obligation: keeping the last living oracle alive. The problem with this objective, other than risking her own life to save others, is that the oracle happens to be her long time rival, David Stark.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (5 ):

When New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins pitched this book to her publishers, she described it as "Legally Blonde meets The Terminator" -- and somehow, she pulls it off. The first few pages will have readers wondering whether they can endure an entire book filled with over-the-top teen jibber-jabber such as, "like totally" and "Omigod," but eventually the characters come to life with relatable qualities and real-life issues.

The chatty and quick-witted repartee between characters becomes a major part of Rebel Belle's charm, along with the fact that the heroine, Harper Price, makes a pretty fierce warrior.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why fantasy books with mages and witches are so popular.What others have you read?

  • Families can also discuss the importance of folklore and legends. What place to they have in literature?

  • Rebel Belle includes some graphically described violent scenes against a fantastical backdrop. Does a fantasy setting make violence easier to handle?

Book Details

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