Slide

There is quite a bit of violent death, whether by suicide, murder, or accident, in Slide, and a real threat of more to come. There's some mildly gory description of dead bodies, but no actual physical violence taking place. Near-escape from a date-rape attempt.

Some romantic kissing between Vee and Zane. The scene in which the loathsome jock Scotch, who had previously tried to date-rape Vee, got cheerleader Sophie pregnant isn't described, nor is there great detail about his later encounter with cheerleader Amber, but it all causes trouble -- as does Amber sending nude pictures of Sophie to the whole football team via cell phone. There are a couple scenes of characters helping ill family members bathe and politely averting their eyes.

Frequent use of "s--t," "crap," "douche," "bitch," and similar swear words.

Mattie, Vee's younger sister, runs with a hard-partying crowd, and Vee has to worry about her drinking too much. Access to alcohol doesn't seem to be a problem at this high school. Rollins smokes cigarettes.

Parents need to know that both teens and adults behave questionably in Slide. Kids drink alcohol, often to excess; some boys are quite predatory in their relationships with girls, and Vee narrowly escapes being date-raped during one of her narcoleptic episodes; mean-girl behavior abounds; extramarital affairs by adults leave wreckage in the next generation; there's murder, attempted murder, and suicide. Sixteen-year-old Vee has been the designated adult in her family since she was 11, when her mother died and her father became physically and emotionally absent. She has better judgment than many adults to keep herself and her sister safe, but that doesn't always keep trouble away.