Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Demon tells his story in gory, scary Gravity Falls-set book.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 17 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a satirical and darkly humorous read that appeals to older fans of the series, but it is not suitable for young children due to its mature themes, including violence and questionable life advice. While many readers found the content entertaining and enjoyed its humor and lore, they generally agreed that it should be recommended for teenagers and above rather than younger audiences.
- mature themes
- dark humor
- not for young kids
- recommended for teens
- gravity falls fans
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In THE BOOK OF BILL, evil demon Bill writes a book about his life, his goals, and how he wants to kill people and take over the world. Set in the Gravity Falls universe, this collection of demon musings is narrated by Bill himself, who addresses "you," the reader, throughout. It includes riddles, ciphers, lost Journal 3 pages, ways to cheat death, and more that will help show-lovers feel at home. This book delves deeply into what makes Bill, Bill.
Is It Any Good?
In this always dark and occasionally funny graphic novel, an evil demon takes over and tries to convince the reader to also be evil. There's not really a story in The Book of Bill, as it reads more like a random collection of journal entries, musings, and ramblings. Certainly, fans of Gravity Falls will get the most enjoyment out of this book and understand a lot more about what's going on here, but even still, the book is dark, gory, gross, grotesque, and filled with scary images. While most of it is supposed to be funny, without the context of the show behind it, some readers will find it simply intolerable. Parents especially might be put off by the incredible amount of horrible things it says and shows. All the gory images, monsters, human body parts, and so on make this feel like a serial killer's dream. While the art is well done and matches the tone of the book perfectly, most of the book's written content is also packed with horrible things to say, think, do, and imagine. Definitely not for younger readers or younger fans of the show.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about all the violence and gory images in The Book of Bill. Did any of it surprise you? How does it compare to the animated TV show Gravity Falls? Which pages were the most shocking and disturbing?
What do you think was the point of this book? Does the book succeed in this aim?
Do you think this book succeeds in being funny? If so, how? If not, why not?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Alex Hirsch
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Hyperion Avenue
- Publication date : July 23, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 18
- Number of pages : 208
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
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