Parents' Guide to

Red Spikes

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Dark, brutal, otherworldly stories for mature readers.

Book Margo Lanagan Short Stories 2007
Red Spikes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

This is a collection of 10 short stories, many involving the supernatural or other worlds. A sampling: When the leader of a monkey tribe dies, males fight for power and the females are raped; a man is led to Hell by a group of dead teens trapped in Limbo; and when witchcraft is banned, an old witchy woman unleashes a plague of mice.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

There is no doubt that this is a mature collection: both the language and gritty details mark it for older teens and up. As with most story collections, some installments will resonate better with readers than others. But the author's language and dark imagery will transport readers time and time again, leaving them with haunting images -- and much to think about both in terms of our universal fears -- and also what it means to love someone, or be a hero.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about short story collections. What is appealing about reading them? Do you often find that you like some of the stories better than others? What did you think of this one?

  • These stories are otherworldly and read like very dark fairy tales (one is even based on the nursery rhyme Wee Willie Winkie). But they are definitely for mature readers. If you were the publisher, would you have marked this as a young adult book?

Book Details

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