The Inexplicable Logic of My Life

Teen rushes into fights when he feels people close to him are threatened or insulted. Teen breaks hand in a fight. Strong suggestion of sexual assault. Peripheral character dies violently. Teens and adults harass and threaten others over sexual orientation.

Characters talk about being virgins and getting "laid." Teen wrestles with discomfort over dad starting to date. A parent tells a child she's at risk of growing up to be a stripper. Two men kiss. Teen recalls encountering adults undressed and making out.

Teens curse casually and freely, and there's strong language on nearly every page (though the main character makes a point of not saying "f--k"). Vulgar language is also used to insult and harass targets. Profanity includes variations on "ass," "a--hole," "bastard," "bitch," "bulls--t," "crap," "damn," "faggot," "f--k," "hell," "pissed," "queer," "s--t," and "sucks," plus Mexican-American slang including "maricón," "pinche," "pocho," and "puto."

Parent has history of drinking and driving, including arrest. One character's parent and siblings are drug addicts. Teen doesn't use drugs because he doesn't like how they affect him, but he wants to know what it's like to be drunk. Teens occasionally drink alcohol, sometimes provided by adults; on one occasion they drink wine to excess (and one greatly regrets the intense hangover that results). Parent's smoking is presented as sign of emotional stress.

Parents need to know that The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is a beautifully written novel exploring big themes including death, loss, forgiveness, violence, homophobia, and ethnic identity. It's comfortable terrain for author Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe), and he handles the weighty material with sensitivity. The main character is very close to his adoptive, gay father, but other parental relationships are marked by emotional abuse, neglect, and absence. Several teens lose close family members to illness or accidents. Despite all this heavy subject matter, the resounding message is a hopeful one about building families and loving connections and finding faith and hope. Teens talk about kissing and virginity, and homosexuality makes both teens and adults targets of harassment. The novel tackles touchy issues frankly, but an apparent sexual assault is addressed very vaguely. Some teens use profanity freely, making this more appropriate for an older audience than the publisher recommends. Education is deeply valued, and the teens are highly motivated to do well in school and succeed in college.